The Great Conversation

“Who dares wins” is a motto made popular in the English-speaking world by the British Special Air Service.

The motto has also been used by twelve elite special forces units around the world that in some way have historical ties to the British SAS.

But the title of this blog and this Great Conversation is different. It is used as a tag line by our guest after every one of his posts on LinkedIn and in his new book. He would say, we win when we no longer fear to tell the truth.

The author I speak with in this Great Conversation, Robin Horsfall, was a boy soldier at fifteen, a paratrooper at seventeen and an SAS soldier at twenty-one. He fought in five wars as a front-line soldier, was a Royal Marine Sniper and a top bodyguard. He was also one of the UK’s first Paramedics and ran clinics all over the world. He once built a medical center in the middle of the Guyana Jungle, but there is more.

Robin has been in front of the events leading up to the Ukrainian conflict and writing about it. At one point he had close to 1,500,000 people following his every word. And he has ended every one of his blogs with the phrase: “Who dares shares”.

In the age of polarized social and political voices attempting to cancel one another, Robin is truly daring to get the truth out about this conflict that impacts the future of western democracies and values.

After a time, he was asked to compile his journey into a book. It is called Slava Ukraini! Who Dares Shares.

I continue to read Robin’s posts on LinkedIn that now transcend the Ukranian conflict. He truly desires a world that is free, but as a warrior he understands the need for good to stand against bad.

Slava Ukraini! (Glory to Ukraine!) Who Dares Shares. Another Great Conversation.

“It is said that what matters most is not your date of birth or your date of death but the hyphen that signifies the life that is between the two. We live in the - Between - a mysterious place to be, full of grace and surprise and unknowns.”

So goes the introduction to Love Songs from the - Between -; a daily journal through the year that helps you see the road; what is behind, what is ahead, and what is in front of you as you step through life. It is a great way to start or end your day. I have taken nuggets from each day and applied them to my walk. Such as this one from today, October 10, 2023:

Join me as I sit by a virtual and imagined fire with a taste of something, something, by my side, and reconnect with an old friend, Benjamin Martin in a great conversation. We traveled through Europe together as young men and aspiring authors; and I had a front row seat listening to the kind of songs that you will find in his new book.

Profile: Benjamin was a technology executive for over 35 years. He now serves as the Board Chairperson for the Celebrant Foundation and Institute and teaches courses in funeral celebrancy. He also is a Certified Life-Cycle Celebrant specializing in life celebrations, weddings, and milestone moments. He continues to add to his published works that include Prayers on the Road Home and Masters of Change.

“Serve Honorably. Drink Honorably™”

Inspired by a previous Great Conversation with author Michael Trott (The Art of Protecting the Leader), we caught up with his latest venture: Four Branches Bourbon. Imagine the heart, mind, and fortitude in launching a new company, and a new bourbon. It would take a Hall of Fame effort and Hall of Fame help to do it. We have a great conversation with the men representing the four branches of the military, the four grains of their unique mash, and four hearts who continue to want to serve. “Serve Honorably. Drink Honorably™"

Well done Rick Franco, U.S. Marines, Michael Trout, U.S. Airforce; Robert Casey, U.S. Army; and Harold Underdown, U.S. Navy.

You can learn a lot about life by studying how you and others make decisions. If you think about it, our life is a series of transactions of value. In a transaction, there is the possibility of a yes, a no, and the ever so dangerous maybe. Why dangerous? Because a “maybe” can indicate a problem with your criteria for value. It can speak to a lack of readiness. It can indict you for your lack of courage or confidence. Whether you are a “buyer” or a “seller” in your life’s transactions, pay attention to the process by which you engage your world. In this second great conversation with the CEO of a Sales Training Company called M3, we get more insights into the psychology of a true profession called “sales”. Listen then tie it into your  own life.

We are largely motivated by self-interest. If we are acting as a buyer, we want the best product at the lowest price. But we also know that lowest price may not be the answer to our needs. If we are acting as a seller, we may be motivated to “win”. But how do we define this term? Now let’s pull back and see if there is a connection between these two notions and the behaviors of the buyer and seller. There is a beautiful ending to this story… listen and see if you can find it!

In our Great Conversation Podcast, we begin with a statement:

“Welcome to The Great Conversation where Ideas Matter.

I originally decided to open with this to reinforce my passion for pursuing people and ideas that ultimately impact our lives.

But hidden in this opening is another premise: that a leader is needed to activate the idea.

A leader is someone who determines that an idea does matter and intentionally helps to activate the idea in the world through their interaction with others.

In this sense, the idea becomes a “manifesto”; a declaration of their intent so that others can rally around it, feed it, nurture it, and “manifest” it into the world.

There is another hidden premise in this opening: that all humans have agency, i.e., that no matter how difficult and narrow our choices are, we are the final arbiter of our experience on this planet. We can choose our mindset. Some choose to follow an idea. They are the “crazy ones” because they think that it is possible to leave a mark on this world.

I am fascinated by these people who issued their own versions of a manifesto upon this world such as:

John F. Kennedy’s moonshot speech, declaring that we will reach the moon and return.

Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech declaring an identity intrinsic to every man has been denied to the black man.

The Declaration of Independence that expressed this so eloquently:

We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

Unalienable (translated today as inalienable) means that something is intrinsic, it cannot be separated, it cannot be taken or given away.

And now another manifesto is needed. In an era where we have been taught to look at leadership as the secret of a few, we must change our thinking. The “unalienable” notion that every human can intentionally lead their lives and travel the journey to wholeness upends the notion that it is a degree in school, a royal birthright, or a corporate program.

I pursued a great conversation with Dr. Rob McKenna, the founder, and CEO of Wild Leaders. Dr. McKenna is one of the top industrial-organizational psychologists in the country.  He is the founder and CEO of WiLD Leaders, and created the WiLD Toolkit, a leader development process and set of tools.  He served as the Chair of the Department of Industrial Organizational Psychology at Seattle Pacific University.

He is the author of several books, including Dying to Lead: Sacrificial Leadership in a Self-Centered World.  His most recent book, Composed: The Heart and Science of Leading Under Pressure, focuses on strategies leaders can use to stay true to themselves and connected when it matters most.

He is currently working on another manuscript which, at times, becomes a part of our conversation.

Dr. McKenna has lit my fuse. What an audacious idea! That I might be able to intentionally lead a whole and meaningful life and help others along the way. What an audacious idea that organizations can invest in the development of their people and enjoy a more meaningful definition of success.

In an era where most people live lives of quiet desperation, this is a conversation we need to have.

Mark Ledlow is the Founder and CEO of Ledlow Security Group, that provides Physical Security, Site Security, Supply Chain Security, Disaster Response Teams, Executive Protection for High Networth Families and Executives. General Counsel support, and Risk Management

He also founded the Fearless Mindset Podcast, His goal is to find captivating stories of leadership, courage, market leadership, and insights across all markets, but particularly security.

He tracked me down to have a “Great Conversation” excavating my learnings from my strategic consulting practice and one of the market sectors I spent much of my time in attempting to direct it to a higher ceiling of value.

After 22 years, the security industry is still attempting to create alignment with the businesses they serve. Much of the struggle can be traced back to the orientation they received from their previous careers in intelligence, military, agency, and law enforcement. Mark and I attempt to explore this orientation as well as the impact of the digital transformation of business on the next generation of security practitioners.

Mark invited me on his podcast, and I republish it here so that many who missed it can review it at their leisure.

Another Great Conversation with a Great steward in Mark Ledlow.

Humans created constructs that represent time. Consider it the canvas in which they have painted their origin stories as well as their stories of the future. As this pendulum swings, we also are exploring the depths of our understanding of the who and why of our being. We believe “truth” is in the data. But then the data changes. We need someone to help us understand the reader (us), and the story they are living. Within this story lies the secret of navigating the risks and opportunities that represent the human experience. Enjoy this Great Conversation with the time-traveler Cyndi Coon. Be prepared. You may become a fellow time-traveler.

Many executives are asked by their boards to retain the services of a professional risk, resilience, and security firm that specializes in executive protection. The best ones find a way to become a part of the value proposition of the executive’s personal and professional space. Many do this by integrating their staff and expertise with the executive’s administrative and travel staff. The ultimate goal is to naturally embed the protective mindset within the organization and the executive.

The alternative has been a pet peeve of mine since I began to service this community 21 years ago. Security is not overhead. It is essential to the fabric of the organization. It supports how people, perform roles, in a measurable process, using the tools the organization can provide with the express purpose to create organizational outcomes that create strategic value. If that process is constrained or disrupted by risk, the cascading erosion of value can occur with lightning speed. And velocity and efficacy are elemental to personal and professional value.

I start with this as a primer to a conversation I had with the founders and operators of NannyGuards, a division of LeMareschal. Denida Grow saw the value in personal childcare (like the administrative assistants of executives), but a gap between the caregiver and the child’s security created unnecessary risk. She responded by creating Nanny Guards.

NannyGuards are nannies/mannies who have all the skills, posture, and attitude of any caregiver that looks after children. The training they receive prepares them to meet unexpected risks that could cause harm to the child in their care.

They engage their client with the same professional approach to risk management as executive protection by assessing the needs of the client (business) and then the risks.

Then they build processes and procedures around emergency management, disaster preparedness, route management and identification of risky offenders near to their routes and schools.

We have a great conversation around this unique business model. And then we have the opportunity to witness the hearts of Chris and Denida Grow. They wanted their business to contribute to their industry with and through the sponsorship of the International Protective Security Board (IPSB), many other corporate sponsors, and a globally recognized children’s research organization that would allow the servant leaders in their industry to unite together and generously give their expertise and wealth to serve the greater good of the community.

I can see all elements of the security ecosystem pitching in at some level to this wonderful cause. Consultants, service providers, manufacturers, integrators, and chief security officers and their teams. This podcast is for you. If we had100 companies give $1,000 or more, and 200 executives give $50 or more, we could all send St. Jude a gift of immeasurable value from an industry that is known as stewards of care around the world.

Thank you Chris and Denida for a Great Conversation.

What is the future of human and machine?

We all know. We sense it. We are on the edge of something that will reset the economy. Reset how we work and play. Reset our notion of what is true

And the center of it all is the emerging cognitive capability of the machine (Artificial Intelligence - AI). And its ability to leverage the sensors (just like a human) that allows it to see, hear, touch, read and understand.

The media is teaching us how to fear it. This is nothing new. We have been fearing every tool the species has created for thousands of years. We have a hard time grasping the notion that everything is changing, and we must adapt or die.

So I will be chasing down the ones on the frontline, fearless in their experimentation, challenging the notion of measuring twice, cutting once. Ideas fail when we fear failure. Get it done, get it out, and see what happens.

One such person is Kirill Zubovsky, the founder of a new AI application called SmartyNames. He is a peripatetic gig worker. He is running around the country in a Sprinter Van with two children and his wife. Along the way, he took the generative AI tools, like ChatGPT, and used it to streamline his experience in searching for domain names. We, the entrepreneurs of the world, have had the frustrating experience of looking for a domain name for our business. We think of one, then input it into a search engine hoping we somehow can own it. After going back and forth forever, and then, once found, purchasing it, we then have to develop a logo, a website, content, newsletters, etc.

Kirill just wanted to get the job done and launch. He used the AI app and his coding to streamline the process, or as Drucker would say, the job to be done. Classic ideation leading to innovation and finally to activation.

We have a great conversation that ended up covering everything from the emerging app stores for AI innovators to the innovation process itself. What I come away with is the idea that we can take the current state of the machine and augment it, making it our helper, extending the reach of our creativity and time. Like any tool, it is agnostic. Now it needs people who care deeply about improving our lives to harness it and release it into the world. Like any tool, it will displace old notions of what is true, what is fast, what is good, what is valuable.

Enjoy this great conversation.