podcasts
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THE DECISION: The Role of Leaders on the Battlefield
My interest in decision-making is rooted in watching my Father, who was a professional baseball manager, make dedisions in baseball games. It was a daily thing I did as a kid as I tried to understand what my Dad did during a baseball game… how he tried to engineer in-game matchups to his team’s favor that would help them win. That bias was in my head as I watched Marine Corps lieutenants that we trained in Quantico struggle to be decision-makers in a very unique world that nothing really prepared them for. This class was an attempt to prepare them for that world… and I’ve always enjoyed the subject… decision-making in real time… in a dynamic environment… where the leader only has a fraction of the information required… yet has to make a decision NOW! And then has to make subsequent decisions to turn the event into a Win. Fascinating stuff to me.
I concieved of, and then began teaching this class, in Quantico, Virginia at The Infantry Officer’s Course in the summer of 1990 if memory serves me correctly. The class sought to remedy a gap in the instruction of infantry lieutenants… and that was that they received absolutely zero instruction on the unique world they were entering as decision makers… a world that was nothing like anything they’d done in their lives.
It was a hit from the first time I taught it. I recently presented the class at the Virginia Military Institute at the request of their Superintendent, LtGen David J. Furness, USMC (ret). When I arrived home, I recreated the class on video and thought I’d share it.
CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO
The class seeks to give any student embarking on a career as a military leader a basic understanding of:
- Decision-making in the very unique world they’ve entered
- The role TIme plays in decision-making… that all decision-making takes place IN-TIME
- The role of the Combat Orders Process in communicating a decision
- Our duty as leaders, to make decisions and issue orders in a timely manner so that the people risking their lives to execute these orders have the time to disseminate the order, back brief the order and then rehearse so that their execution is as deliberate as it can be
CLASS OUTLINE:
- INTRODUCTION: Col Antony Zinni, USMC —- “Making the wrong decision is never the problem… the worst thing that can happen IS HAPPENING… you’re making NO DECISION.”
- PART 1: The Leader Who Saved the Union at Gettysburg
- PART 2: The Leader’s Mandate… Decision-Making IN-TIME
- PART 3: The Decision-Making Environment
- PART 4: The Process… From Start to Finish
- PART 5: Decision-Making Techinques
- PART 6: The Leader as a Synthesizer IN-TIME
- PART 7: EXECUTION… Doing It
- PART 8: The AAR/Critique (Mac’s Way)
- PART 9: Final Thoughts
Click HERE to dowload the PDF of the class.
I hope you enjoy the discussion and the subject as much as I do.
THE “HOW TO LEAD” SERIES — EPISODE 3: 1stSgt Jason McKinley, USMC (ret)
The “How To Lead” Series is one I’ve wanted to do for a while. The idea is simple: bring outstanding leaders to the podcast and ask them how they DID IT. Ask them about what worked. Ask them if they think that leadership is soooooooo different today. Today’s featured leader is 1stSgt Jason McKinley, USMC (ret). Much like J.C. Knight from last week’s episode, Jason is an outstanding leader with a unique story. One of the things I enjoy about this interview is talking about “What do I do if I’m not a natural leader?”
The image I use for this series is of General George Washington crossing the Delaware River on Christmas night of 1776 to surprise Hessian forces in the Battle of Trenton, which he won decisively. The wife of a friend of mine, Carrie Costantini, whose husband Will was on my podcast last week, posted it on Facebook years ago before she passed away… That meme is below. It symbolizes what leaders do for me… they do difficult things regularly, and then they do the impossible.
You can watch the YouTube video of this interview by clicking HERE
Washington conceived the operation and led his force that night, and his leadership during the difficult winter at Valley Forge was still ahead of him. In the weeks ahead, you’ll continue hear from leaders whom I’ve crossed paths with who’ve impressed me with (1) their leadership abilities and (2) their ability to articulate to you their ideas about leadership… so standby, it’s gonna be a good time, we’ll all learn a lot, and a promise that these episodes will generate a lot of reflection. And finally, the focus of this series is from the squad to the battalion/squadron… where the rubber meets the road.
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THE “HOW TO LEAD” SERIES — EPISODE 2: Gunner JC Knight, USMC (ret)
The “How To Lead” Series is one I’ve wanted to do for a while. The idea is simple: bring outstanding leaders to the podcast and ask them how they DID IT. Ask them about what worked. Ask them if they think that leadership is soooooooo different today. Today’s featured leader is Gunner JC Knight, USMC (ret). He’s an outstanding leader with a unique story and the first enlisted leader to appear in this series of interviews… he also has a YouTube channel; you can find it HERE. In this interview, you’ll hear JC discuss “what right looks like,” so get ready.
The image I use for this series is of General George Washington crossing the Delaware River on Christmas night of 1776 to surprise Hessian forces in the Battle of Trenton, which he won decisively. The wife of a friend of mine, Carrie Costantini, whose husband Will was on my podcast last week, posted it on Facebook years ago before she passed away… That meme is below. It symbolizes what leaders do for me… they do difficult things regularly, and then they do the impossible.
You can watch the YouTube video of this interview by clicking HERE
Washington conceived the operation and led his force that night, and his leadership during the difficult winter at Valley Forge was still ahead of him. In the weeks ahead, you’ll continue hear from leaders whom I’ve crossed paths with who’ve impressed me with (1) their leadership abilities and (2) their ability to articulate to you their ideas about leadership… so standby, it’s gonna be a good time, we’ll all learn a lot, and a promise that these episodes will generate a lot of reflection. And finally, the focus of this series is from the squad to the battalion/squadron… where the rubber meets the road.
Mac
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THE “HOW TO LEAD” SERIES — EPISODE 1: MajGen Dale Alford, USMC (ret)
The “How To Lead” Series is one I’ve wanted to do for a while. The idea is simple: bring on outstanding leaders to the podcast and ask them how they DID IT. Ask them about what worked. Ask them if they think that leadership is soooooooo different today.
The image I use for this series is of General George Washington crossing the Delaware River on Christmas night of 1776 to surprise Hessian forces in the Battle of Trenton, which he won decisively. The wife of a friend of mine, Carrie Costantini, whose husband Will was on my podcast last week, posted it on Facebook years ago before she passed away… That meme is below. It symbolizes what leaders do for me… they do difficult things on a regular basis, and then they do the impossible.
You can watch the YouTube video HERE
Washington conceived the operation and led his force that night, and his leadership during the difficult winter at Valley Forge was still ahead of him. With that kind of leader in mind… the first person I wanted to have on is a good friend of mine, both in and out of uniform, MajGen Dale Alford, USMC (ret). Dale’s career speaks for itself, and he did a lot of great things… but the one thing that separates him from everybody is that he participated in a contingency operation or combat at every rank he held in the Marine Corps, from 2ndLt to MajGen… so, that is where we begin… with THAT guy.
In the weeks ahead, you’ll hear from leaders whom I’ve crossed paths with who’ve impressed me with (1) their leadership abilities and (2) their ability to articulate to you their ideas about leadership… so standby, it’s gonna be a good time, we’ll all learn a lot, and a promise that these episodes will generate a lot of reflection. And finally, the focus of this series is from the squad to the battalion/squadron… where the rubber meets the road.
Mac
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The Dealmaker-in-Chief heads to Asia… with Grant Newsham
As President Trump, fresh off his Middle East breakthrough, heads towards a meeting with China’s President Xi… a meeting that will have huge implications for both the US and the Chinese economies… We’ll talk to our expert, Grant Newsham, and get his perspective.
Grant has been ALL MARINE RADIO’s Pacific expert for a long time, and he is that because he tells the truth. We’ll talk about a variety of subjects (as we usually do), but the fascinating part of President Trump’s trip is how both President Trump and President Xi each need to make some sort of trade deal… because they both have needs that only the other nation can remedy. Grant makes us smart about China, the Philippines, Japan, and Korea, to mention a few of the things we cover.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW ON YOUTUBE
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Mac & Will Costantini, a former USMC Foreign Area Officer, talk Israel’s current situation & what comes next
Col Will Costantini, USMC (ret), is a former “Foreign Area Officer” with subject matter expertise in the Middle East. We’ll get Will’s thoughts on what he believes led to the historic agreement and also what to expect next as a fragile peace plan attempts to find its legs in Gaza.
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THE DTD PODCAST, EPISODE 215: Mike ‘Mac’ McNamara “The Lie About ‘Getting Over It’ | A Marine’s Truth on Trauma, Faith, and Redemption”
DJ KELLY is one of the best prepared people who has ever interviewed me about my first book, “From Trauma to Joy.” read more…
ALL MARINE RADIO: Mac & MajGen Dale Alford, USMC (ret) discuss their thoughts on Secretary Hegseth’s “All Hands Meeting” in Quantico
MajGen Dale Alford, USMC (ret), and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth as he addressed the Generals of the US Military in Quantico, VA. (Both images are DOW images)
ALL MARINE RADIO host Mike McNamara and MajGen Dale Alford, USMC (ret), discuss Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s unprecedented “All Hands” meeting of General Officers and Senior Enlisted leaders held on Tuesday, September 30th in Quantico, VA.
Mac and MajGen Alford review each of Secretary Hegseth’s policy directives.
Click HERE to watch the YouTube video.
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ALL MARINE RADIO: Grant Newsham talks Western Pacific security issues
Grant Newsham is a senior research fellow at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies, a senior research fellow at the Center for Security Policy, and a retired United States Marine Officer. He was the first US Marine liaison officer to the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and was instrumental in promoting the JSDF’s initial moves towards an amphibious capability.
He joined Mac to catch up on:
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- US engagement in the region… how goes it?
- Where each of the following Pacific Rim nations are today relative to defense issues: China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand.
- The Marine Corps in the Pacific… how is it doing
- Ukraine
- Israel’s war against Hama, Hezbollah, Houthis and Iran
Always an interesting guest… Grant Newsham is the best I’ve heard when it comes to frank assessments of the Western Pacific.
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TALKING POINT: Never has the Marine Corps needed its Company Grade SNCOs more than it needs them now
NEVER in the history of the Marine Corps has it needed the leadership abilities of its Staff Non-Commissioned Officer corps more than it does today. In today’s “Talking Point,” Mac expands on the theme of “It’s not my job to parent and life coach young Marines” — something he hears wherever he goes to speak to Marines, Sailors, and leaders.
In today’s “Talking Point,” Mac discusses the Post-Traumatic Winning Leader Class he’s given for the past three years to officers and staff non-commissioned officers wherever he speaks. The class attempts to develop a “terrain model” for leaders… explaining to them the world they lead in. Here are the components of the PTW Terrain Model:
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- The prevalence of childhood trauma (adverse childhood experiences – ACEs) in the All-Volunteer Force in general and in the Marine Corps in particular.
- How the environment young Americans grow up in today contributes to their greater fragility, and how digital technology promotes individual isolation.
- How leaders are unsure where the leadership line ends and the mental health line begins, which begets the phrase “it’s not my job” when Marine Staff Non-Commissioned Officers speak to Mac.
- Finally, Mac discusses how the most senior leader who is with junior Marines has grown in importance due to the greater fragility of young Americans.
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The Book is DONE — “FROM TRAUMA TO JOY” is available on Amazon + LtGen Furness, USMC (ret) and MajGen Alford, USMC (ret) react to leaders who say: “Parenting and Life Coaching is not my job anymore”
IT’S OUT! Mac’s first book… click HERE! “From Trauma To Joy” — Mac’s first book has been published and is available on Amazon.com!
ALSO… LtGen Dave Furness, USMC (ret), and MajGen Dale Alford, USMC (ret) join Mac to discuss their reaction to something Mac hears enlisted leaders say wherever he speaks around the world: “I’m their parent, and I’m not their life coach. I’ve been told that’s not my job anymore and to get them to mental health and butt out.” Which is an absolutely stunning thing to hear in an organization that read General John Lejeune’s message every November 10. We’ll talk about that.
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ALL MARINE RADIO: MajGen Dale Alford, USMC (ret) & LtGen Dave Furness, USMC (ret) — Israel vs Iran update
MajGen Dale Alford, USMC (ret), and LtGen Dave Furness, USMC (ret), join Mike McNamara on ALL MARINE RADIO to give us their updated thoughts on the situation in the Middle East.
MajGen Alford and LtGen Furness are experienced and insightful leaders with close to 80 years of service between them, and this is a great discussion about the nuances that go into Israel’s complex task of dealing with Iran and its proxies (Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen). read more…
ALL MARINE RADIO: MajGen Dale Alford, USMC (ret) & LtGen Dave Furness, USMC (ret) discuss Israel vs Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas & the Houthis
Two decorated Marine Corps General Officers join Mike McNamara on ALL MARINE RADIO to discuss the events that have the world watching the Middle East. MajGen Dale Alford, USMC (ret) and LtGen Dave Furness, USMC (ret) discuss (1) The geography of the region and the criticality of three chokepoints to world economics — the Straits of Hormuz, the Bab el Mandeb, and the Suez Canal; (2) Israel’s actions against Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen and (3) How will Israel respond to Iran’s attack?
MajGen Alford and LtGen Furness are experienced and insightful leaders with close to 80 years of service between them, and this is a great discussion about the nuances that go into Israel’s complex task of dealing with Iran and its proxies (Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen). read more…
POST-TRAUMATIC WINNER: Wade Cates… former Marine NCO, the “Socrates of the Semi” & father of Juan… who took his life last May
At 10:09 PM on June 6th of 2022, I received a long email from a guy named Wade Cates. At 11:15 PM, I woke up, read the email, and told him to call me if he was still awake. We spoke the next day.
Wade is a former Marine NCO, he drives a semi-truck for a living… hauling a lot of steel between Jackson, Tennessee, Birmingham, Alabama, and Savannah, Georgia. He is rightly proud of his beautiful family and more than loves a good cigar.
The story that you will hear Wade tell is not an easy one to listen to; it’s the story of Juan’s suicide and just some of what his family has dealt with in the aftermath. But in that story, I know you will hear Wade’s depth, his resolve to exit the Valley of the Shadow of Death with his family and ultimately live a great life.
I am proud to call him my friend.
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THE ALL MARINE RADIO HOUR: Grant Newsham talks balloons, the Philippines, and his new book — “When China Attacks: A Warning to America”
Grant Newsham is a senior research fellow at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies, a senior research fellow at the Center for Security Policy, and a retired United States Marine Officer. He was the first US Marine liaison officer to the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and was instrumental in promoting the JSDF’s initial moves toward an amphibious capability. He joined ALL MARINE RADIO today to talk about:
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- What is this balloon thing about?
- The Philippines — President Marcos has turned the former western ally west again… probably not enough has been made about this decision and how it impacts the South China Sea, the “First Island Chain” and the China vs the West equation
- His book: When China Attacks: A Warning to America — to be released on March 28, 2023
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