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 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.
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.
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.