Episode Description: 

In this special episode of On Stage, two extraordinary leaders—General Mark Milley, the recently retired Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Ted Leonsis, Founder and CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment—sit down for a powerful and wide-ranging conversation about leadership, culture, and service. 

Recorded on October 30, 2024, at SBJ’s Dealmakers conference in Washington, D.C., this fireside chat explores what it means to lead during times of transformation—whether you're guiding a nation’s military or a multibillion-dollar sports and media empire. 

Topics include: 

• The Mindset of Service: What business can learn from military leadership and accountability. 
• Culture and Cohesion: Building organizations that are values-driven and mission-focused. 
• Decision-Making Under Pressure: Lessons from global conflict and billion-dollar business moments. 
• Patriotism and Purpose: Why service—military or civic—still matters in today’s fractured world. 
• Shared Responsibility: How sports, media, and government all play a role in shaping the future. 

It’s a rare and candid discussion between two leaders who’ve spent decades making consequential decisions—at the highest levels of two very different arenas.