What comes to mind when you hear the word risk?

In this deeply personal episode of Navigating Leaders, Gabriel demonstrates that the greatest risks we face aren’t always physical, they’re emotional. They’re relational. They’re the moments when we choose whether to protect ourselves or to live honestly and boldly.

Through a powerful story involving his wife and a simple evening at home, Gabriel uncovers a pattern of passive-aggressive communication that had quietly shaped their relationship. What seemed like a harmless comment became a moment of profound self-awareness; revealing how fear, vulnerability, and the desire for control can influence how we communicate with the people we love most.

This episode explores the hidden risks of avoiding direct communication and the courage required to express your true wants, needs, and desires openly.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why emotional risk is often harder than physical risk
• How passive-aggressive communication creates “energy leaks” in relationships
• The connection between fear, vulnerability, and control
• How taking 100% responsibility empowers you to change your patterns
• Why honest communication strengthens connection, trust, and peace
• How choosing vulnerability can transform your relationships and your life

Gabriel invites you to reflect on where fear may be shaping your communication and challenges you to step into bold, authentic expression, even when it feels uncomfortable.

Because living boldly doesn’t just mean taking risks in the world. It means taking risks in your relationships, your honesty, and your willingness to be seen.

RESOURCES

• Website: www.navigatingleaders.com 
• The Results Tree (Available April 7): https://shop.harpandswordmedia.com/products/the-results-tree 

CONNECT WITH GABRIEL

🎥 YouTube: @navigatingleaders
📸 Instagram: @navigatingleaders

👍 Facebook: @navigatingleaders

🎵 TikTok: @navigatingleaders

🗣️ LinkedIn: @navigatingleaders

====================

ABOUT GABRIEL

Gabriel Griess is a retired US Air Force officer, the CEO of Excel Medical Staffing and MedForceX, and the founder of Navigating Leaders. A graduate of the elite Air Force Weapons School, he has spent decades leading teams in high-pressure environments and equipping others to reach their full potential. As a combat veteran and an entrepreneur, Gabriel helps individuals cultivate self-awareness, resilience, and the ability to create lasting impact.

An internationally sought-after keynote speaker, he addresses audiences on personal transformation, strategic leadership, and veteran empowerment. The Results Tree is the framework he lives by, and when applied, it will unearth your destiny.

What drives the decisions you make every day?

In this episode of Navigating Leaders, Gabriel challenges you to take an honest look at your priorities and whether those priorities are being intentionally chosen or unintentionally shaped by the pressures of daily life.

Gabriel introduces a powerful priority framework that reshaped his own life:
God → Self → Spouse → Kids → Mission → Currency

While this order may feel counterintuitive at first, the deeper message is not about equal time allocation; it’s about alignment. Priorities become the decision-making filter for how you invest your time, energy, attention, and resources, especially when life presents competing demands.

Through personal stories, leadership insight, and spiritual reflection, Gabriel explores how living out of alignment with your priorities can create tension, guilt, and burnout and how realigning your life can restore clarity, peace, and purpose.

This episode also dives into:

• Why priorities, not time, determine the direction of your life
• How shame and unworthiness can keep people disconnected from purpose
• The danger of letting the world set your priorities for you
• Why self-care is essential (you can’t pour from an empty cup)
• How mission and purpose become clearer when foundational priorities are aligned
• The role of surrender when life disrupts even the best plans

Ultimately, this conversation is an invitation to stop living reactively and start living intentionally and building a life aligned with your values, your purpose, and the legacy you want to leave behind.

Because whether you realize it or not, something is already setting your priorities.

The question is: Will it be you?

RESOURCES

• Website: www.navigatingleaders.com 
• The Results Tree (Available April 7): https://shop.harpandswordmedia.com/products/the-results-tree 

CONNECT WITH GABRIEL

🎥 YouTube: @navigatingleaders
📸 Instagram: @navigatingleaders

👍 Facebook: @navigatingleaders

🎵 TikTok: @navigatingleaders

🗣️ LinkedIn: @navigatingleaders

====================

ABOUT GABRIEL

Gabriel Griess is a retired US Air Force officer, the CEO of Excel Medical Staffing and MedForceX, and the founder of Navigating Leaders. A graduate of the elite Air Force Weapons School, he has spent decades leading teams in high-pressure environments and equipping others to reach their full potential. As a combat veteran and an entrepreneur, Gabriel helps individuals cultivate self-awareness, resilience, and the ability to create lasting impact.

An internationally sought-after keynote speaker, he addresses audiences on personal transformation, strategic leadership, and veteran empowerment. The Results Tree is the framework he lives by, and when applied, it will unearth your destiny.

In this special episode of Navigating Leaders, the tables are turned.

Host Gabriel Greiss is interviewed by guest host Daniel Hopkins in a conversation that pulls back the curtain on Gabriel’s story, his leadership journey, and the personal “why” behind the mission of Navigating Leaders.

Gabriel shares candid reflections on his military background, his daily practices, his faith, and the seasons of life that shaped him, especially the moment he realized he didn’t truly love himself and how that awakening changed everything. 

He also opens up about what it means to live in obedience, how to stay grounded through stressful circumstances, and why your current situation can never derail God’s plan for your life.

This episode is part story, part leadership coaching, and part encouragement for anyone who needs a reminder that growth is possible, and that you can begin right where you are.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Gabriel’s daily practices (spiritual, mental, and physical)
• How faith and prayer shape his leadership decisions
• The Results Tree mindset: results as a mirror and feedback tool
• Self-sabotage, identity, and the turning point of self-love
• The story of how Gabriel met his wife Kristie
• Lessons learned from running for California State Senate
• Why you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be

🎧 If this episode encouraged you, please share it with someone who needs it, and don’t forget to follow the show for future episodes.

Come as you are. Stay curious. And let the adventure begin.

RESOURCES

• Website: www.navigatingleaders.com 
• The Results Tree (Available April 7): https://shop.harpandswordmedia.com/products/the-results-tree 

CONNECT WITH GABRIEL

🎥 YouTube: @navigatingleaders
📸 Instagram: @navigatingleaders

👍 Facebook: @navigatingleaders

🎵 TikTok: @navigatingleaders

🗣️ LinkedIn: @navigatingleaders

====================

ABOUT GABRIEL

Gabriel Griess is a retired US Air Force officer, the CEO of Excel Medical Staffing and MedForceX, and the founder of Navigating Leaders. A graduate of the elite Air Force Weapons School, he has spent decades leading teams in high-pressure environments and equipping others to reach their full potential. As a combat veteran and an entrepreneur, Gabriel helps individuals cultivate self-awareness, resilience, and the ability to create lasting impact.

An internationally sought-after keynote speaker, he addresses audiences on personal transformation, strategic leadership, and veteran empowerment. The Results Tree is the framework he lives by, and when applied, it will unearth your destiny.

When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

In Episode 4, Gabriel explores the journey toward wholeness, and what it means to live aligned, integrated, and at peace with yourself in a world full of noise, conflict, and pressure.

This episode unpacks the internal battle many of us live with daily: the tension between ego and spirit, between the version of ourselves shaped by fear, scarcity, and protection and the deeper self-marked by love, abundance, and purpose.

Through personal stories, spiritual insight, and practical reflection, Gabriel examines:

• How beliefs shape thoughts, thoughts shape feelings, and feelings drive behavior
• Why living from emotion alone leads to chaos rather than peace
• The moment many of us fractured from our true selves and how healing begins
• The difference between reacting and responding with intention
• How childhood wounds can silently guide adult choices
• Why wholeness is not perfection, but alignment

This episode also offers a compassionate reminder for anyone who feels “too broken,” “too damaged,” or “too far gone”:

There is nothing wrong with you.

Healing is possible. Alignment is available. And wholeness begins the moment you choose awareness, honesty, and grace.

If you’ve been living out of alignment, in your faith, relationships, work, or self-talk, this conversation invites you to pause, inventory your life, and take the next small, courageous step forward.

👉 Subscribe for weekly conversations on leadership, faith, emotional intelligence, and intentional living
👉 Share this episode with someone who needs hope, clarity, or encouragement today
👉 Join us next week as we challenge the myth of balance and explore a better way forward

Come as you are. Stay curious. And let the adventure begin.

RESOURCES

• Website: www.navigatingleaders.com 
• The Results Tree (Available April 7): https://shop.harpandswordmedia.com/products/the-results-tree 
• Purpose Driven Life: https://a.co/d/8NjVKPu 
• Rev. Rick Warren: https://pastorrick.com 
• Rev. Michael B. Beckwith: https://www.michaelbeckwith.com
• 1 Corinthians 13:11: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2013:11&version=NIV 
• Atomic Habits: https://a.co/d/5eET9Iz 
• Theodore Roosevelt, “It Is Not The Critic Who Counts”: https://www.trcp.org/2011/01/18/it-is-not-the-critic-who-counts/ 

CONNECT WITH GABRIEL

🎥 YouTube: @navigatingleaders
📸 Instagram: @navigatingleaders

👍 Facebook: @navigatingleaders

🎵 TikTok: @navigatingleaders

🗣️ LinkedIn: @navigatingleaders

====================

ABOUT GABRIEL

Gabriel Griess is a retired US Air Force officer, the CEO of Excel Medical Staffing and MedForceX, and the founder of Navigating Leaders. A graduate of the elite Air Force Weapons School, he has spent decades leading teams in high-pressure environments and equipping others to reach their full potential. As a combat veteran and an entrepreneur, Gabriel helps individuals cultivate self-awareness, resilience, and the ability to create lasting impact.

An internationally sought-after keynote speaker, he addresses audiences on personal transformation, strategic leadership, and veteran empowerment. The Results Tree is the framework he lives by, and when applied, it will unearth your destiny.

Is balance something you achieve or something you practice?

In Episode 3, Gabriel challenges one of the most common (and damaging) myths we believe about life, leadership, and success: that balance is a fixed destination we’re supposed to arrive at.

Through a powerful near-death experience while rock climbing, Gabriel illustrates a life-changing truth: balance is dynamic, not static. It’s something we work at, adjust, and recommit to daily, not something we “get” once and for all.

In this episode, you’ll explore:

• Why the cultural idea of “having it all balanced” sets us up for frustration and shame
• How balance actually works in real life, faith, leadership, and family
• The role of priorities, daily disciplines, and small commitments
• Why honesty, truth, and integrity free up massive amounts of energy
• How reaction vs. response impacts peace, confidence, and wholeness
• Practical daily practices that build trust with yourself over time

This conversation reframes balance as something precious, fleeting, and deeply human, and invites you to stop chasing perfection and start practicing presence.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re failing at balance, exhausted from trying to keep everything “even,” or discouraged by unrealistic expectations, this episode offers clarity, grace, and a better way forward.

👉 Subscribe for weekly conversations on leadership, faith, emotional intelligence, and intentional living.
👉 Share this episode with someone who’s been wrestling with balance lately.
👉 Join us next week as the journey continues.

Come as you are. Stay curious. And let the adventure begin.

RESOURCES

• Website: www.navigatingleaders.com 
• The Results Tree (Available April 7): https://shop.harpandswordmedia.com/products/the-results-tree 

CONNECT WITH GABRIEL

🎥 YouTube: @navigatingleaders
📸 Instagram: @navigatingleaders

👍 Facebook: @navigatingleaders

🎵 TikTok: @navigatingleaders

🗣️ LinkedIn: @navigatingleaders

====================

ABOUT GABRIEL

Gabriel Griess is a retired US Air Force officer, the CEO of Excel Medical Staffing and MedForceX, and the founder of Navigating Leaders. A graduate of the elite Air Force Weapons School, he has spent decades leading teams in high-pressure environments and equipping others to reach their full potential. As a combat veteran and an entrepreneur, Gabriel helps individuals cultivate self-awareness, resilience, and the ability to create lasting impact.

An internationally sought-after keynote speaker, he addresses audiences on personal transformation, strategic leadership, and veteran empowerment. The Results Tree is the framework he lives by, and when applied, it will unearth your destiny.

Do you trust me?
It’s a simple question—but for many of us, it’s deeply triggering.

In Episode 2 of the Navigating Leaders Podcast, host Gabriel continues the conversation that began with triggers by diving into the foundation beneath them: trust. Through a deeply personal and faith-anchored story, Gabriel shares his journey from growing up on a Nebraska farm to earning a place at the U.S. Air Force Academy—despite rejection, doubt, and voices telling him it wasn’t possible.

This episode explores:

• Why trust can feel unsafe—and how it gets tested
• How vision, intention, and committed action shape real results
• The stories we tell about ourselves (and how they either limit or liberate us)
• Letting go of the past to create a future aligned with purpose
• Why trust is essential for personal growth, leadership, and transformation

With honesty, humor (yes—dad jokes), and spiritual reflection, Gabriel invites listeners to examine the narratives they’re living from and asks a powerful question:
Is the story you’re telling breathing life into your past—or fueling the future you’re meant to create?

If you’ve ever struggled with self-doubt, questioned your path, or wondered whether growth really has to be so hard—this episode is for you.

👉 Subscribe for weekly conversations on leadership, personal growth, faith, and living with intention.
👉 Join us next episode as we explore wholeness and what it truly means to live as an integrated person.

Come as you are. Stay curious. And let the adventure begin.

 RESOURCES

• Website: www.navigatingleaders.com
• The Results Tree (Available April 7): https://shop.harpandswordmedia.com/products/the-results-tree
• The Four Agreements (Amazon): https://a.co/d/fXhRWsR

CONNECT WITH GABRIEL

🎥 YouTube: @navigatingleaders
📸 Instagram: @navigatingleaders

👍 Facebook: @navigatingleaders

🎵 TikTok: @navigatingleaders

🗣️ LinkedIn: @navigatingleaders

====================

ABOUT GABRIEL

Gabriel Griess is a retired US Air Force officer, the CEO of Excel Medical Staffing and MedForceX, and the founder of Navigating Leaders. A graduate of the elite Air Force Weapons School, he has spent decades leading teams in high-pressure environments and equipping others to reach their full potential. As a combat veteran and an entrepreneur, Gabriel helps individuals cultivate self-awareness, resilience, and the ability to create lasting impact.

An internationally sought-after keynote speaker, he addresses audiences on personal transformation, strategic leadership, and veteran empowerment. The Results Tree is the framework he lives by, and when applied, it will unearth your destiny.

In this inaugural episode of Navigating Leaders, host Gabriel Griess invites listeners to pause, reflect, and step fully into the present moment. Beginning with a simple but powerful question, “Can you accept that you are exactly where you’re supposed to be right now?” Gabriel sets the foundation for a journey of self-awareness, leadership, and emotional honesty.

Drawing from his background as a retired Air Force veteran, business owner, husband, father, and leadership coach, Gabriel introduces the idea that triggers are not obstacles to avoid, but gifts to explore. When something irritates, frustrates, or stirs emotion within us, it offers a window into our inner world: our beliefs, wounds, values, and formation.

Through personal stories, practical metaphors, and moments of vulnerability, Gabriel challenges listeners to move beyond reaction and instead pause, feel, and respond with intention. He shares how early experiences can shape lifelong patterns, and how taking responsibility for our emotional responses leads to greater authenticity, empathy, and freedom.

Ultimately, this conversation is an invitation, to connect head and heart, to honor your story, and to courageously explore what surfaces when you are triggered. Navigating Leaders is a space for growth, healing, and becoming more fully yourself, one moment at a time.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Intro

0:58 What You Can Expect From Me

03:50 Triggers are Gifts

06:25 Ask Yourself, “What am I Feeling?”

09:11 The Window into Ourselves

09:43 Your Kids are Your Greatest Therapists

12:31 Be Honest With Yourself

 Come as you are. Stay curious. And let the adventure begin.

RESOURCES

• Website: www.navigatingleaders.com
• The Results Tree (Available April 7): https://shop.harpandswordmedia.com/products/the-results-tree
• The Four Agreements (Amazon): https://a.co/d/fXhRWsR

CONNECT WITH GABRIEL

🎥 YouTube: @navigatingleaders
📸 Instagram: @navigatingleaders

👍 Facebook: @navigatingleaders

🎵 TikTok: @navigatingleaders

🗣️ LinkedIn: @navigatingleaders

====================

ABOUT GABRIEL

Gabriel Griess is a retired US Air Force officer, the CEO of Excel Medical Staffing and MedForceX, and the founder of Navigating Leaders. A graduate of the elite Air Force Weapons School, he has spent decades leading teams in high-pressure environments and equipping others to reach their full potential. As a combat veteran and an entrepreneur, Gabriel helps individuals cultivate self-awareness, resilience, and the ability to create lasting impact.

An internationally sought-after keynote speaker, he addresses audiences on personal transformation, strategic leadership, and veteran empowerment. The Results Tree is the framework he lives by, and when applied, it will unearth your destiny.

Navigating Leaders is a podcast for people who are ready to slow down, get honest about what’s happening beneath the surface, and grow from the inside out. Hosted by Gabriel Griess, each episode invites you to pause, reflect, and explore how self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and lived experience shape the way we lead at work, at home, and in life.

CONNECT WITH GABRIEL

🎥 YouTube: @navigatingleaders
📸 Instagram: @navigatingleaders

👍 Facebook: @navigatingleaders

🎵 TikTok: @navigatingleaders

🗣️ LinkedIn: @navigatingleaders

====================

ABOUT GABRIEL

Gabriel Griess is a retired US Air Force officer, the CEO of Excel Medical Staffing and MedForceX, and the founder of Navigating Leaders. A graduate of the elite Air Force Weapons School, he has spent decades leading teams in high-pressure environments and equipping others to reach their full potential. As a combat veteran and an entrepreneur, Gabriel helps individuals cultivate self-awareness, resilience, and the ability to create lasting impact.

An internationally sought-after keynote speaker, he addresses audiences on personal transformation, strategic leadership, and veteran empowerment. The Results Tree is the framework he lives by, and when applied, it will unearth your destiny.