S4:E104AI🎙️LIVE with CDR James Seddon, U.S. Navy (Ret.) (Multi Tracks Audio)

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Hi everyone, I'm James Seddon, Commander, U.S. Navy, retired. I'm also a retired IT director. I'm now a freelance writer and activist. I started working when I was, uh, 12 years old selling Grit magazine door-to-door, and I've been working ever since. I got my first leadership responsibilities in 1991. I led sailors, soldiers, airmen, and Marines for 21 years. Outside the Navy, I led in IT as the head of enterprise networking for a major research university, as well as in industry. I did that for 25 years. I started learning about leadership in 1990, often the hard way. I thrived under great leadership and suffered under terrible leadership. I made a ton of mistakes, and I learned from all of it. After over 30 years in nonstop leadership positions, I'm still learning. I've never felt like I made it. Many civilians are surprised to hear about how important soft skills are in military leadership. They often wrongly think that an officer gives an order and that's that. They don't know the importance of trust in the military, of empathy, of the critical role, the critical role that emotions play, people's emotions play. And how the mission gets accomplished or not. All of that carries over very nicely to the civilian world. Now I'm on my third career. Uh, I'm a writer, I'm a speaker, and an advocate for veterans and Afghan wartime allies, uh, working for a coalition known as Afghan Evac. We're working to ensure that every verified and vetted Afghan wartime ally who wants to escape the Taliban, uh, has a chance to, uh, Today I use storytelling to help people see the hidden human impact of policies and events, and not just for entertainment, uh, but to change how we act, to change how we treat others, and yes, to change even which government policies we support or oppose. So whether you're a junior, uh, officer, uh, looking forward to your next rank and preparing for it, or Silicon Valley engineer stepping into your very first leadership role. I hope I can share what I've learned along the way and what I'm still learning. So I'm, I'm honored to have Coach BZ invite me to the Leadership and Success Podcast to talk about what has meant to me to lead in uniform, in life, and beyond. I'm really looking forward to it, and I will see you there.

All right, everyone. This is Coach Bizy. Thank you so much for being with us on this day. Today is Thanksgiving, so it's a very special day in the USA. And thank you for watching. So today we're going to have a 10-minute AI recap from the leadership conversation I had with Commander James Seddon. So he's a retired US Navy commander, just like me. And we had a wonderful— and I'm so grateful— we had the leadership conversation a couple of weeks back. So today my AI agent will give you a 10-minute recap. But before I do, let's have our moment of gratitude, which is something we do here as a custom every time we meet. So today I think I am just grateful for a country like the US. I think only the US and Canada, I believe, have a Thanksgiving holiday. I think it's so wonderful to have a national day, a holiday where we can all be on the same page and give thanks for the blessing we have. And I think with that blessing also comes responsibility. And you've heard Commander Seddon talked about Afghan Evac, so I'm going to be asking everybody who is watching right now to please consider making a gift to Afghan Evac today. I'm not asking for a lot of money, just $5 is what I am asking for. Let me see if I can share my screen and I'm going to show you their website. And again, they really do a very, very important job, right, trying to bring to the US anyone who's our ally in Afghanistan so they can escape the Taliban, right, because their lives really are in, in danger. So if you go to the website AfghanEvac, and I think I have a link here, let me show that, AfghanEvac.org. And go to Donate, and you can make a donation. Again, I'm not asking for you to give $50 or $100 or $2,500, just $5. Go to Other and type $5 here. I think the work they do is really, really important, right? And it's a 501 tax-exempt organization as well, so you are going to get some tax benefit by giving. But since 2021, they've really worked hard and formed a lot of collaboration with the U.S. government and other nonprofit organizations to help relocate and resettle over 195,000 eligible Afghan allies. And I know Commander Seddon has actually helped resettle at least a couple of those families, and that really means a lot. So if you would please, again, go to afghanevac.org. Bit.ly/donate and just give $5, right? The price of a Starbucks cup of coffee. That's what I am asking for. Thank you. Thank you so much. Okay. So today then let's go and I'm going to play a couple of clips from the hour-long leadership conversation I had with Commander Seddon. And then I am going to play the 10-minute AI recap. Here we go.

I can still learn from it. I need to tolerate that discomfort. I need to look for the hidden gems, right? And if I succeed in, if I succeed in learning from this failure, I'm going to be better set up for successes in the future. And so anyway, that's how I try to, and I'm a work in progress. Sometimes I do that better than others. Sometimes I fail and I'm completely bitter and I don't learn a thing. But I, so you might say, you might say, well, is aspirational, right? But I think that that's the way that leaders ought to approach failure.

Well, that is so great. And two things you said, definitely believe in extreme ownership. Now, if anything is wrong, you have to look in the mirror. Right? Like that old song, it's me, it's me, it's me, oh Lord, looking for— it's not my brother, not my sister, but it's me, it's me. So that's very, very important. I think in the military, we pretty much teach you how to take responsibility. But at the same time, though, I'm going to push just a little bit back. I think sometimes you can be a little bit lucky too, right? Because sometimes in life, somebody else can have even better skills or education, certification, or similar background maybe, but you get the job, you get to be CEO, and they don't. And that pretty much separates who's going to become a captain or a one-star and who is not. So sometimes I think you just get lucky. But yeah, I love everything you've said. So let me ask you this.

Sorry to interrupt you. I didn't mean to interrupt you, but before we move on from that point, I didn't mean to suggest that every failure is your fault. Right? It's true in chess. It's not true everywhere. You know, it's absolutely true that sometimes the failures that you're experiencing were not avoidable. I still think, you know, even in those cases though, I think the right strategy is to tolerate the discomfort and look for lessons.

Absolutely. Okay. So let me ask you, I guess this is meant to be one of the last questions. If you had one and only one day to live, What would you have liked your final contribution to be?

Yeah.

So like, I think this is something also important for leaders to keep in mind. If I had one day left, it's going to be all about my family that day. And I think that's an important, an important thing to remember for leaders is that not only are you much more than your job, but all of your people are much more than their jobs. And Another, this was actually on my first midshipman cruise, the commanding officer of the submarine I was on gave us some advice as officer trainees. He says, "Let me tell you, there's gonna be pressure to put in insane amount of hours. Don't. Put in an honest day's work and go home." And I thought that was great advice for a commanding officer of a submarine, which tends to be kind of a workaholic community to offer. Uh, so I think, you know, if I had one day left, it's going to be about my family. And, you know, there's been some interesting books and articles written by hospice workers who are— their, their profession is spent with people who are in their last days. And uniform— uniformly, those workers tell us that nobody, as they approach the end of their life, not one says, I wish I had spent more time at work. Not one, not one, right?

The same way, it's really amazing how you can be in the Navy and actually for 20 years, you retire, then you have another 20 years to do some, something else. So it's, uh, it's, it's really a great opportunity. So for those who are thinking about joining the military service, I highly, highly recommend it. And in my opinion, really, the Navy and all of the other branches of the military is really all about leadership. So it's not about your title or how many people report to you, but it's really the impact, right? I think you start by leading one, that's yourself, and whether you have direct reports or not. But okay, cool. So now I guess you've been retired for about 10 years now, right?

From the military, yes.

Wow. So for those meeting you for the first time, how do you describe your journey from Navy commander to author, advocate, and storyteller? And by the way, you're working on your first book Once you get it published, I definitely want you back on, uh, the podcast.

Oh, that'd be great. That'd be great.

How, how, how would you just describe your, uh, journey?

Yeah. So, you know, as, as a reservist, uh, you know, I was running two careers simultaneously.

Mm-hmm.

And so when I retired from the, uh, the, the military, I continued on with my civilian career, which I'd already, you know, I was already well on my way with. Um, so that, that just kind of continued, and I was fortunate to work for an organization that was very supportive of reservists and you know, my, my career was always there for me when I came back from being recalled to active duty and whatnot. So that was of great benefit to me. And, you know, I knew, like, I mean, like, like a lot of us that were joined the military, we do see it, feel a sense of duty or a call to service. And, you know, one of the things I really enjoyed about working for the university was it was an organization that had a mission that was, it was, that was admirable. And so I enjoyed being, you know, working for an organization that was trying to further that mission. So that was important to me. And, you know, I— I knew—

So what does it really take to lead? Is it just about barking orders or is it something, well, something much deeper? Today we're diving into a leadership philosophy that was forged over 30 years on the deck of a Navy destroyer, in the high-stakes world of corporate tech, and even on the front lines of a humanitarian crisis. Let's unpack the lessons from these incredibly demanding environments. This quote from Commander James Seddon, Wow, it really gets to the very heart of what we're talking about today. It's not about how loud you are, but about the quiet foundation of character you build day in and day out. It's a whole philosophy that sees leadership not as a title you hold, but as a daily practice of trust, of humility, and, you know, just profound humanity. Commander Sutton's journey is pretty fascinating. We're talking about a 30-year career that kicked off in the Navy, really driven by this deep sense of service. But his story didn't stop there. He made this huge leap into the civilian world, and get this, he ended up leading a 77-person IT department at UC San Diego, managing a cool $30 million budget. So, this isn't just a military story; it's a story about the human side of leadership, no matter where you are. Okay, so, this slide right here, it just shatters a common stereotype. On the left, you've got what a lot of people think military leadership is all about—giving orders, Raw authority, total control. But on the right, you see Seddon's reality: building influence, earning trust, and leading with empathy. He makes the case that the mission succeeds or fails based on those human connections, not just some top-down command structure. So, how do you build that kind of influence? Well, for Seddon, it all starts with one single non-negotiable principle: Radical Trust. This is it. This is the bedrock of his entire leadership philosophy. Everything else we're gonna talk about today is built right on top of this one crucial idea. And let's be super clear about what he means by trust. This has nothing to do with being popular or making sure everybody likes you. Nope. It's about unwavering, radical honesty. It's built piece by piece, brick by brick, over hundreds of tiny moments where you just choose to tell the truth, especially when it's the hard thing to do. This quote just drives the whole point home. Seddon is absolutely crystal clear on this: you never, ever lie to your team. No half-truths, no convenient omissions, because the second you do, that foundation of trust? It cracks. And once it's gone, man, it is nearly impossible to get back. Honesty isn't just a policy; it's your single most valuable asset as a leader. Okay, so if trust is the foundation, What's the next layer? For Seddon, it's humility. And he doesn't see humility as a weakness or some kind of soft skill. He actually views it as a powerful tactical advantage for any leader. This is such a simple statement, but it's so profound. Think about it. In a world that often rewards people for acting like they know everything, the ability to just pause and say, "You know what, I might be wrong here," that's a total game-changer. It opens the door for your team to speak up, it makes you more approachable, and, funnily enough, it actually makes you way more credible. And this isn't just some abstract idea for him. Early in his career, Sutton got passed over for a major promotion to commander. He was devastated. But instead of blaming the system or making excuses, he owned it. He dug into his own record, found his weak spots, and just worked to fix them. And the next time, He earned it. It's such a powerful example of how failure doesn't define you, your response to it does. As a chess player, Seddon learned that you learn way more from your losses than your wins. This quote just sums that up perfectly. That uncomfortable, pit-in-your-stomach feeling you get after you fail? That's not a signal to panic. That's a signal that you're learning. That's the classroom where real growth actually happens. Alright, now we get to a story that brings all these principles—trust, humility, empathy—to life in the most dramatic way possible. When Afghanistan fell in 2021, Sultan's leadership was tested like never before. Long after he'd hung up his uniform, he felt this moral obligation to act. His former allies, people who had literally fought side by side with Americans, were now being hunted. So, he joined a coalition of veterans and civilians called #AfghanEvac, and they started working around the clock, trying to get these families to safety. This was leadership when the stakes were quite literally, life and death. He shared one particular story that is just— it's gut-wrenching. It was about a female Afghan prosecutor. Her entire job had been putting Taliban commanders behind bars. So now, with the Taliban back in charge, she and her family were being hunted because of it. The threat was horrific and just brutally specific. They targeted her daughter, who has Down syndrome, telling the mother that she deserved to be beheaded. I mean, it's almost impossible to even comprehend that level of terror. But here's the amazing part—the story has a powerful, triumphant ending. Seddon and his team, they got them out. Today, that family is safe here in the United States. Her daughter is going to school, and her mom, she's working in a prosecutor's office, still fighting for justice. That is the real-world impact of leadership in action. So, after hearing these incredible stories and principles, what are the big takeaways? What can we apply to our own lives, whether we're leading a company, a small team, or even just our own families? Let's break it all down. It all boils down to these 5 core principles. This is the essential toolkit for the kind of leadership we've been talking about. This is what it all builds towards. First, trust is sacred—that non-negotiable foundation we started with. Second, humility builds credibility. Admitting you're wrong makes you stronger, not weaker. Third, emotions matter. People are not robots. Emotional intelligence is absolutely mission-critical. Fourth, service never ends. Leadership is a purpose you carry with you. It's not just a job title. And finally, number 5, empathy is power. It's what connects us and allows real leadership to actually happen. And to ground all of this, Seddon offers this one last piece of wisdom. It's just a powerful reminder that leadership, at the end of the day, is in service of people. Our teams, our communities, our families. It really puts everything into perspective, doesn't it? So we'll leave you with this question to think about. True leadership, as we've learned today, isn't about having all the answers. It's about creating an environment of trust where the best answers can come to the surface. So when was the last time you did that? So, what does it really take to lead? Is it just about barking orders, or is it some—

Where we dive into the dynamic journey of trust, humility, and humanity, as exemplified by one visionary leader.

Absolutely, it's fascinating how these principles shape leadership, yeah?

Right, so, um, starting with trust. This leader emphasized, "Your team must trust you." But trust doesn't mean you have to be liked. It's really about absolute honesty, never lying to your team, even when it's tough.

That's a bold stance, trust based strictly on honesty.

Yeah, and it's like, it's like every little interaction builds that credibility over time. Think of it like stacking bricks, each small act of truth piling up until you have an unshakable foundation. Yes, exactly.

And that ties neatly with humility, doesn't it? Being open to being wrong is a key part of that.

Exactly. Humility really plays a pivotal role here. He mentioned, "No matter how high you climb, always remain a student. You never really 'make it.'" Mm, that's a powerful message. It shows that leadership is an ongoing, evolving journey.

I love how that perspective counters traditional notions of leadership, where power is all that counts. Absolutely.

And another turning point in his career came when he shifted roles, from naval command to IT executive, and then later to a voice for veterans and our Afghan allies.

Right, that broadens leadership beyond just one realm. Yeah, it's about translating those core principles into every field— military, tech, or humanitarian work.

Very true. What's compelling is his view on emotional intelligence, recognizing that, um, emotions matter as much as operational decisions. Yeah, emotions are like, well, gravity.

Ignore them, and everything might just collapse. Exactly.

And he even compared it to, um, a chess game. Every decision is like a move on the board, where even failure is just a lesson in disguise.

I like that analogy, but don't you think in some cases the weight of failure can be paralyzing rather than educational?

That's a fair point. Yet he argued that, um, failure often gives you more insight than success ever could. It's all about how you respond. I see what you mean. It's like, upon reflection, every misstep refines your strategy for next time.

That's a great way to approach challenges. It makes you resilient and continuously learning.

Right. And speaking of learning, his recommendations on reading also offer a roadmap. Books like Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning" and Crucial Conversations really underscore the importance of understanding human behavior in leadership.

Absolutely. Books are like mentors sometimes. It brings up an interesting point. Sometimes technical leadership overlooks the emotional side, but here we see integration of both.

Yes, and he highlighted that in technical fields, people often forget that everything revolves around people. Even if your technology is failing, remember, It's the human element that both creates and resolves the problem.

Mm-hmm. Very insightful. He really makes a case for servant leadership, doesn't he? Leadership that's not about control, but about influence and empathy.

Exactly. Servant leadership is all about putting the welfare of your people first. He said, "Mission first, people always." Right. Absolutely. That's what builds a culture of trust and long-lasting impact.

And his work with Afghan allies is just admirable. Helping those who stood by him in adversity.

Right. His transition into advocacy for allies amid heartbreaking circumstances shows that leadership extends beyond the uniform. When he said, "I didn't go looking for this work, I was forced into it," it really underscores that sometimes, service calls unexpectedly, and you have to answer.

Yes, indeed, that's quite moving. It also teaches us that leadership, in any context, requires moral courage, and the willingness to step up when things get tough.

Exactly. And what's more, his story is a transformative journey from a military commander to an IT leader, proving that principles like truth, humility, and empathy are universal, transferable to any field.

That blend of discipline and compassion truly sets a standard. Though I wonder, do you think in a high-stress IT environment there's as much room for Um, vulnerability, as in the military?

That's a valid challenge, but his experience shows that admitting mistakes and being transparent is actually what earns respect in both fields.

Mm-hmm, I've seen that lead to more innovative problem-solving. It definitely does, and it makes the leader relatable. I am particularly struck by his emphasis that leadership legacy is written in the lives you touch, not in accolades or promotions.

Absolutely. He mentioned if given a magic wand, he'd give the world more empathy. That resonates. Empathy is what transforms authority into influence.

That's so true. Seeing people as humans rather than resources is essential in forging genuine connections.

Exactly. And this perspective is reinforced by the broader leadership principles he lives by. Trust is sacred, humility builds credibility, and emotions matter.

Yeah, clearly it all ties together. It really is a comprehensive philosophy that many leaders can absorb, especially in today's turbulent times.

Right. And his approach is a constant reminder that leadership is never a finished achievement. It's a lifelong voyage where we continuously learn, adapt, and serve.

Mhm, absolutely. Takeaway for me is to lead with integrity and never shy away from showing your humanity even when under pressure. Exactly.

And every interaction, no matter how small, is an opportunity to build trust or demonstrate humility. It's like, um, each moment is a step on the bridge between a leader and their people.

That's a great way to put it. Every step matters.

And in the end, leadership is defined by the impact you leave long after the moment has passed. Like he said, leadership isn't about having followers; it's about influencing lives when it counts.

Yes, so true. It certainly makes you reflect on how your own leadership can build genuine trust and foster empathy.

Absolutely. It's about serving beyond the title, continuously seeking to learn, and embracing the humanity in every challenge. Thanks for diving into these insights with me today.

Thank you. This discussion really reaffirms that true leadership is a constant journey of growth and connection.

Indeed, and here's to all of us striving to lead with integrity, compassion, and courage in our own lives.

All right, everyone. So that was the 10-minute AI recap from the leadership conversation. I had with my shipmate Commander James Sutton. So thank you so much for watching that, and again, I would like to really encourage you to support Afghan Evac, okay? The work they do, I think, is critically important. Since 2021, Afghan Evac has worked in unprecedented collaboration with the U.S. government to help relocate and resettle over 195,000 eligible Afghan allies. It's all tax deductible. So I'm asking you to go to afghanevac.org/donate and give $5. That is the amount I am asking for. So thank you so much for that. And one of the books that Commander Seddon did recommend for us to read is Man's Search for Meaning. Actually, this has been recommended at least 8 times this season alone. I do encourage you to check it out on the library or purchase a copy. So thank you so much for watching. Now, I want to continue a tradition which we started about 5 years ago. Let me share my screen, the 21-day challenge. Okay, let me see if I can make it bigger. All right, so 21 days grateful challenge. I started this in 2020. Commander Theresa Carpenter is the one who challenged me, and I accepted the challenge. It was started by Project With It, and James Corbett, who is their CEO, started this project where for 21 days he's challenging you to be grateful every single day for one thing. And that's part of what we do here on the Leadership and Success Podcast. Every single day we meet, we have a moment of gratitude. But more than that, you need to challenge someone in your network to do the same thing for the next 21 days. And then, that's going to kind of be a ripple effect. I like to start this on Thanksgiving. I think it's the best day to start. And I do this every single year. You can record yourself on video, post it on LinkedIn, or just type into a post. But basically, you are grateful for something every single day for 21 days. And each day, you select somebody in your network and you challenge them to do the same. They don't have to accept the challenge, but 9 times out of 10, people will. So what I'm going to do then, I am going to select right now who is going to be the first person for day one, who is going to— who I am going to challenge to— let me address just a second. So we are going to find out Come on, computer. Okay, that's fine. I can see it. So basically I got what, 30,000 connections on LinkedIn and to randomly choose someone which I am going to challenge. Right earlier today, I am grateful for Thanksgiving and I would like to challenge someone. And what I'm going to ask is every day for the next 21 days, be grateful for something on LinkedIn and then in your own network to do the same. So let me spin the wheel and see who's going to be the person I challenge today. Here we go, it is spinning. All right, so today I am CEO of Honor Class Trainer LLC. We connected on, uh, April 9th, 2024, last year. So Doug, I would like to challenge you to the 21 Days Grateful Challenge. If you accept the challenge, Go ahead and create a post today, and you're going to be grateful for something, and then challenge somebody else in your network to do the same thing. And we're going to do it for the next 21 days. All right, this is it for today. Actually, I think I can click on this link and we can now see what Doug looks like. Just a moment. Here we go. So here is Doug. It should be Here we go. Okay, the internet is taking a while today. Man, I love Technology. Let's try this again. So this is Doug, and Doug is a person I have challenged for the 21-day grateful challenge. Here we go. All right, here he is, Doug at I Am challenging Doug from Port St. Lucie, Florida, United States. And again, he's a class trainer, provider, expert, IT trainer, and live custom training solution. And Doug, your last job on LinkedIn, you are the CEO, CIO, CTO, CEO and owner of Last Trainers LLC. All right, so I hope you're gonna accept the challenge, Doug. So this is it for today. Thank you so much Thank you so much for watching and happy Thanksgiving to everyone. And to end the show today, play the Eden track from the conversation I had with Commander Seddon. And the reason why we had the Eden track is because we record this show live and I lost my internet connection. And while my connection was lost, Commander Seddon went on and he shared a little bit more. So I'm gonna let you listen a little bit to what he shared. Again, I want to encourage all of you guys to go back and watch the full episode, Season 4, Episode 104, with Commander Seddon, US Navy retired. So let me play the intro right now.

Thank you for tuning in to the Leadership and Success Podcast with your host, Coach BZ. If today's episode added value to your leadership journey, be sure to And we lost BZ.

Hopefully he'll come back. Until then, we can all share an awkward silence. I guess I just saw something. So we were talking about failure earlier. I think when you gave me some questions to think about ahead of time, one of the things that he talked about was— and maybe I'm telling the story to nobody if it's just me here, but I'm going to tell it anyway in case people are here. You know, talk about a specific failure when we were talking about failure. One of the questions you told me to think about in advance was think about a specific failure in my, you know, for me, and that refined my leadership and deepened my maturity. And so I failed to select for O-5 the first time up, and that really broke my heart a lot. I thought I had a great record. I thought I had done what I needed to do. I had checked all the boxes and when the O5 list came out, I was not on it. And what, what made that even worse was there was a complete knucklehead in my unit, uh, who I, I still think this, uh, wasn't half the officer I was, uh, that, that, uh, you know, had not accomplished the things I had accomplished, didn't have the fit reps that I had. Uh, and he got selected for O5. So that was a big blow to me. Not just that I didn't select for O5, but that this officer who I didn't have a great opinion of did get selected. For O-5. That really put a blow on me, especially when I knew that the second look of O-5, the selection percentage for second look O-5s is tiny. So, you know, the chances of getting picked up for O-5 if you fail to select the first time are somewhat dismal. But I did try to learn from that experience and I did try to, you know, it was like I said, it hit me hard. So there was a lot of discomfort. I tried to remind myself that I can tolerate that discomfort. And I really dug into my officer record, really dug into all of that guidance to say about reviewing your record before the board review and a bunch of stuff that I didn't think mattered. You know, I made some, I've made some changes to my, to my record. I got some additional documentation. I got some additional letters from, from prior COs to explain comments in fit reps. I did, I did a bunch of stuff. In the second look, even though the chances were against me, I did get picked up for O5. So anyway, that's, that's a, a story. If, uh, if I'm not the only one here, uh, talking about a specific failure and how it helps me, uh, refine my leadership and my maturity. It really helps with my maturity. It was probably good for me in the end not to get, uh, not to get selected, uh, to make sure, uh, I keep displaying that humility, right? You know. Uh, yeah, it was definitely a lesson in humility. All right, well, I'm not sure Bizzy's coming back, so I think I'm going to drop. If you're still here, thanks for sticking with me. It's been fun having this conversation. Hit me up on LinkedIn and we can talk more.

All right, all right. Uh, James, this is what you do when you do your show live. I completely lost my internet. It is back now, but actually we were at the very end. I normally do not edit this, but I will just edit that with what you said and then my outro. So this is pretty much it. The very last question I had for you was one word.

Thank you for tuning in to the Leadership Success podcast with your host, Coach BZ. If today's episode added value to your leadership journey, be sure to subscribe, share, and join us again for more wisdom nuggets on how to lead better and achieve greater success. Remember, leadership is the most critical skill of our time. The world will always need leaders to inspire others, drive innovation, and execute meaningful strategy. So why not count yourself among the bold leaders shaping the 21st century? Until next time, stay inspired, stay committed, and keep leading with excellence.