Moments in Leadership

Leadership is often framed around unwavering expertise and absolute control. But real leadership is forged in the moments where you have the courage to admit what you don’t know, drop the ego, and empower the people around you.

I’ve been thinking about the transition from green junior officer to seasoned leader: it requires stepping through fear, learning to compartmentalize high-stress environments, and replacing reflex anger with measured, intentional command presence.

In this candid conversation, retired Navy Commander Jim Ridgway and I explore his journey from Pensacola flight school to commanding Navy Operational Support Centers. Jim shares how a Marine Corps drill instructor’s simple advice: "take care of your people and they will take care of you" guided his career, even when he was handed divisions he knew nothing about.

We talk about the psychological weight of flight training, how to handle high-stakes performance evaluations, the critical art of managing up, and why true authority comes from showing up as an authentic partner rather than hiding behind rank. Whether you’re leading in uniform or navigating the corporate landscape, Jim’s insights offer a grounded framework for building trust and leading without fear.

Today’s episode, sponsored by Leidos, offers a masterclass in risk management, authentic command, and the realities of modern warfare.

In military leadership, standard doctrine and gut instincts only get you so far. The most effective commanders are those who learn to thrive in extreme uncertainty, balance high-stakes risk, and continuously evolve.

In this episode, Major General (Ret) Patrick Roberson and I dive into his 35-year Army career in Special Forces: from his early foundation as an ROTC cadet at Mankato State and platoon leader in the 82nd Airborne, to commanding Third Special Forces Group. He was part of the operations dismantling the physical caliphate of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, running the Army’s JFK Special Warfare Center and School, and he served as Deputy Commanding General of U.S. Army Special Operations Command.

Whether discussing the randomness of combat, the imperative of telling truth to power, or overhauling training pipelines for modern strategic competition, Maj. Gen. Roberson emphasizes that a leader’s ultimate duty is to prepare their people for uncertainty.

Today’s episode, sponsored by Leidos offers a masterclass in risk management, authentic command, and the realities of modern warfare.

Leadership in the Marine Corps is often associated with uncompromising toughness and strict command. But the most impactful leaders learn to balance high standards with genuine empathy, recognizing that an organization’s true strength comes from investing directly in the success of its people.

I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on the evolution of military culture, and today’s Marines are sharper, highly observant, and deeply focused on purpose and authenticity.  

In this conversation, LtGen Watson and I dive in to his three-decade career in the United States Marine Corps: from his early days as an ROTC midshipman to commanding the 1st Marine Division and Training and Education Command and explore the critical transition from "tough guy" leadership and the lessons learned from leading through high-visibility commands like 8th & I and the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory.

Whether discussing the "reverse Pony Express" mentality of leadership turnover or the duty to stay connected to junior Marines, LtGen Watson emphasizes that a leader's ultimate mandate is to set their people up to win. Today's episode offers a meaningful masterclass in character, humility, and modern military command.

Most people think of a Marine general and picture a lifetime of infantry commands and combat deployments. They'd be right about Dave Bellon but they'd be missing half the story.

In this conversation, Lieutenant General Dave Bellon (Ret.) pulls back the curtain on the parts of his career he rarely talks about: switching from JAG officer to infantry lieutenant, back to JAG, and into a capital murder defense case that put him at the center of one of Camp Pendleton's most high-profile court martials defending a Marine convicted of killing a fellow officer in broad daylight. Then there's the story of Task Force Scorpion, a rocket strike that took out a regimental commander within days of his arrival, and a chaplain who cleared the room and gave two majors communion before sending them back to fight.

Dave and I have been friends since TBS, and this episode is about what you learn watching someone you've known since they were a lieutenant become a three-star general and what he learned along the way about command, compassion, humility, and what actually matters when the uniform comes off.

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Leadership is often viewed through the lens of decisiveness. Direct orders and quick thinking. But the most impactful modern leaders are those who prioritize collaboration, and remain present in their leadership roles.

I’ve been thinking about the future, and today’s junior Marines are different: researchers, thinkers, and seekers of authenticity. They aren’t afraid to ask the hard questions. 

In this candid conversation, Sergeant Major Carlos Ruiz and I explore why leaders must shift from issuing orders to showing genuine interest and investing in an individual Marine’s life through the "one Marine" theory: how a single individual can turn an entire battalion around.

Whether discussing the evolution of "field day" or the weight of addressing mental health and fitness, Carlos emphasizes that the Marine Corps is a tribe that must constantly be taught its ethics, its culture, and its worth. We talked about executive presence, senior enlisted slating, and the "Message to Garcia" mindset. Today’s leadership has a mandate to ensure every Marine whether staying in or transitioning out is prepared for the life that follows their service. 

Watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ip9JCSQ7x5U

John Bentivegna didn’t plan to spend 30 years in the military. He joined the Air Force with a simple goal: serve a few years, earn veteran’s preference, and come back to New Jersey to become a firefighter.

Instead, that four-year contract turned into a career that eventually led him to become the Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force, the senior enlisted leader of the newest branch of the U.S. military.

In this conversation, Bentivegna looks back at the moments that shaped how he leads. The early mistakes. The confidence he had to grow into. The uncomfortable jump from working tactical problems on base to sitting at the table where strategy and national security decisions happen.

He also shares the lesson many leaders learn the hard way: the job eventually changes. You stop climbing the ladder yourself and start building it for the people coming behind you.

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https://www.momentsinleadership.com

Most leadership conversations center on the person out front. The one giving the orders. The one standing on the stage.

I’ve always been fascinated by another side of leadership. The people who make the mission possible long before anyone sees the result.

In this conversation, Rear Admiral James McNeal and I talk about a career spent supporting complex missions across the Navy. Logistics rarely grabs headlines, yet every operation depends on it. Ships move, teams deploy, and missions succeed because thousands of details line up exactly when they need to.

James shares what decades of service taught him about responsibility, preparation, and the discipline required to lead in roles where success often goes unnoticed. We talk about the mindset of reservists, the trust required across teams, and the kind of leadership that holds an entire system together.

Former Under Secretary of the Navy Vic Minella shares his remarkable 38-year journey from enlisted sailor in rural Mississippi to the Department of the Navy's second-highest civilian position. We discuss how 9/11 rewired his approach to leadership and personal responsibility just three months into his naval intelligence career, what it was like managing dual Pentagon roles during a presidential transition, and the moment he found out about his promotion while sick in bed. Vic offers hard-earned lessons on self-care, delegation, staying in your lane, and why showing up every day with energy and a willingness to contribute is the real recipe for advancement. He closes with a powerful message: take the oath seriously, don't be afraid to make that first step, and find a way to contribute no matter what your job is.

As always, thank you to the supporters on Supercast who help keep Moments in Leadership ad-free and sustainable.

GUEST BIO LINKS

Vic Minella on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-minella/

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Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/1hQl53NzCiJwlWS9xQZFw9

YouTube

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https://www.momentsinleadership.com

Lieutenant Colonel retired C. Scott “Sonny” Duncan joins me for one of the more thought-provoking conversations I have hosted on Moments in Leadership. Sonny’s path is anything but typical. He enlisted in the Navy, earned an ROTC scholarship, commissioned as a Naval Officer, transitioned into the Marine Corps, became an F/A 18 pilot, graduated from Top Gun, instructed at NAWDC, and was slated to command an F35 squadron before the COVID mandate brought his career to a crossroads.

We cover how he learned to lead through fear, how aviation culture built his approach to performance and accountability, why he and his wife made a values based decision during the mandate, and how he now serves at the senior executive level inside the Department of the Navy. There are hard moments in this episode, and there are leadership lessons that apply across every community.

As always, thank you to the supporters on Supercast who help keep Moments in Leadership ad free and sustainable.

GUEST BIO LINKS
SES Bio, C. Scott “Sonny” Duncan
https://www.secnav.navy.mil/donhr/About/Senior-Executives/Biographies/Duncan,%20C.%20Scott.pdf

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Join the Moments in Leadership Supercast community
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Apple Podcasts
 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moments-in-leadership/id1553443301

Spotify
 https://open.spotify.com/show/4x3tDCrWkRikPrKShKeXGf

YouTube
 https://www.youtube.com/@MomentsinLeadership

Official Website
 https://www.momentsinleadership.com

Command Sergeant Major Joanne Naumann, Senior Enlisted Leader for U.S. Army Special Operations Command, shares hard-earned lessons on humility, trust, and leadership in high-pressure environments. She joins Moments in Leadership for a powerful conversation about what it means to lead when the stakes are highest.

Currently serving as the Senior Enlisted Leader for U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), CSM Naumann has spent nearly three decades guiding and mentoring soldiers in the Army’s most elite formations. From her beginnings as a Voice Language Analyst and Arabic linguist to multiple assignments in Special Mission Units, she brings hard-won insight from fourteen deployments across CENTCOM and AFRICOM.

In this episode, she and host David B. Armstrong, retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel, explore the mindset that sustains great leaders through long careers of pressure, sacrifice, and accountability. Topics include:

• Building authentic trust within high-performing teams
• Balancing empathy with discipline
• The role of radical candor in developing future leaders
• How great mentors challenge and shape your growth
• Why humility remains the cornerstone of elite leadership

This conversation offers a rare look inside the human side of senior military leadership — one defined not by bravado, but by the quiet strength of service and self-awareness.

Whether you’re leading a small team or an entire organization, the lessons in this episode apply to anyone who believes that leadership is about people first.

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