S4:E105AI RECAP🎙️LIVE with General Glen VanHerck (Multi Tracks Audio)

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Welcome back, friends, to the Leadership and Success Podcast with Coach BZ. Today I have the extraordinary honor of sitting down with a true American leader, a man whose career has defined service, innovation, and courage at the highest levels of Command. My guest is General Glen D. VanHerck, United States Air Force, retired, the former commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command . Throughout his 37-year career, General VanHerck led missions that safeguarded millions, from defending North American skies to coordinating joint operations with our Canadian allies. He's a command pilot with over 4,000 flight hours in some of the most advanced aircraft ever built, including the F-15, F-35, B-1B, and the stealth B-2 Spirit bomber. He's briefed presidents, advised Secretaries of Defense, and led teams through some of the most complex crises of our time, from global pandemics to drone incursions to great power competition. Now, as founder of Glenn VanHerck Advisors, he continues to serve, guiding organizations in AI, data strategy, and homeland defense innovation. His vision for Golden Dome, a Manhattan Project-level initiative to secure America from evolving threats is reshaping how we think about deterrence, industry, and readiness in the digital age. But what inspires me most about General VanHerck is his leadership philosophy. He often says, "It's not about planes and places; it's about faces." He reminds us that leadership is not just about the mission; it's about the people who make the mission possible. So whether you're a Naval junior officer preparing for command, a Silicon Valley engineer stepping into leadership, or a lifelong learner committed to growth, this episode will challenge how you think about defense, innovation, and leadership in a rapidly changing world. Please join me in welcoming General Glen D. VanHerck, a guardian of the homeland, a visionary of the future, and a servant leader for our time.

And then preparation. Get yourself as ready as possible for potentially all outcomes. Where are the questions going to go? What am I likely going to be asked? What does my boss care about? What is Congress concerned about? For me, I stayed in the military dimension. I did not get worried about the politics. My job was to give military advice, military options, and that's where I Tried to focus clear, concise communication when talking, especially to that level of a senior leader. And I tell folks, communicate on an 8th grade level. You know, I hate to say that. It's not demeaning to anybody, but if you can communicate effectively at that level, remove the military jargon and put it in clear, unambiguous terms. Then you'll be much more successful. It's key to be able to articulate options and risk. Risk is almost the most important thing to understand, uh, so they can understand to make their decision what risk they're inheriting. Risk at the strategic level.

Yes.

Risk at the tactical level. Risk to the forces they may be committing. All of those. You have to be prepared for. Another thing is always be prepared to say, I don't know the answer. Our actions, especially as senior leaders, carry more weight than anything that we can say. What you do matters, and people will follow that.

Wow, that is so true, uh, because one thing I've definitely learned as a junior officer, even when I was enlisted You want to get to work before your boss and then leave after your boss has left. But maybe it's just a mindset. But wow, I really do appreciate that. I wish I had more bosses like you during the service because it is true. People who serve under you, they will try to do everything you do and not always listen to what you say. I guess just like children. I guess my Gen Z kids have taught me that. But wow, that's—

Yeah, you can never underestimate the influence you can have, especially as a senior leader, with your actions. And so, you know, when you have thousands of people working for you, you don't know all of them. You've likely seen them. So you're downtown at a store and you know this person works in your organization. A 1-minute investment of stopping, especially if they have their kids and their family, just to say hello, how are you doing today? How's your family doing today? You wouldn't believe the doors that opens, especially for a spouse.

So what about life and work balance? When I'm dealing with my mentees, junior officers, that's usually the number one thing they ask me because, you know, many of them are still going to school to get their master's, which is not quite required for the Navy, but many of the service corps really rewards that. So they're going to school, many times they're married, they have children, and then they have to do this Navy thing at the same time. What is your advice for junior officers so they don't burn out?

First of all, don't lose leave. I never lost a day of leave. Okay. And people go, that's crazy. But no, I didn't take, take that leave, go to the soccer games, the dance recitals. I did those things and balance your life. If you go talk to the people that work for me at NORAD and NORTHCOM, I didn't come in at 4:00 AM or even 6:00 AM. Now that doesn't mean I wasn't up. I had a suite at home where I could do things, but I came into the work, to the office around 7:45 and I tried to go home by 16:30 to 17:00. Wow. I realized that if I was there, there was hundreds, if not thousands of people that I was impacting as well. So I tried to stay grounded.

What everyone, this is Coach BZ. Happy holidays! Today is the day after Thanksgiving in the US, and I just showed you 3 short clips from the hour-long leadership conversation I had with the one and only General Glen VanHerck, US Air Force retired, former commander NORAD and US NORTHCOM. So I'm encouraging all of you to go back and, uh, really listen to the entire Episode, that was Season 4, Episode 105. Today is going to be Episode 105 AI recap, meaning I will use my AI agent to give you a 10-minute brief recap of the hour-long conversation. But before we do, I'm reminded to do our moment of gratitude. So this is a moment, it takes less than a minute. Every time we meet, we want to do that. We want to be reminded to be grateful for one thing. Every single day. And today, I am grateful for my wife, Demetriah Zinga, because I really don't know what my life would be without her, right? Her unconditional love and her support. I think the way I look at success now, when I first started, when we first got married, my idea of success, no, I need to make money, I need to provide for my family and all of that. But after a while, you know, you get a house, you get a car, and you get all of this stuff. It really doesn't mean much after a while. But what really means the most to me, what the true definition of success is, I think I borrowed this from my primary mentor, Dr. John C. Maxwell, is it's really the way the people I care about the most, my wife, my kids, and the few friends I have, right? Friends who are closer than a brother, those people I care the most about. How do they view me? Do they respect me? My wife, when I look at her eyes, can I still see that delight, that hope, that admiration, that encouragement? That's really what success means to me today. As long as my wife is on my corner, everything is all right, no matter what's going on. On the outside. So whatever your definition of success, today I am really, really grateful for my partner in life, Demetria Brown Zinga. Actually, she didn't have a middle name when we first married, so I sometimes joke that I gave her a middle name. So her middle name became her middle name. But no, I really owe everything I am and everything I've got to that woman. So let us know what you are grateful for today. And also, where are you joining us from? What city? What state? And if outside of the US, which country? And after you listen to the 5, 10-minute AI recap of the conversation I had with General Glen VanHerck, go ahead and also type in the 2 to 3 highlights, takeaway from podcast. All right, so what I will do now is I'm going to play the 2 5-minute AI recap. But before I do, let me share my screen because I also want you, after you listen to this, to actually read the summary article I wrote after my leadership conversation with the general. It should show up on the screen here in just a moment. Okay, let me make this bigger. Here we go. All right, so here you have it, Commanding Change, General Glen D. VanHerck on leadership, innovation, and defending the homeland. So the link should be in the notes for the podcast. So I would like for you to take a moment to read that article, and then you can also, after you read it, replay the full hour-long podcast on LinkedIn, on YouTube, on Spotify, and on all major podcast channels. And after I have recorded this AI Recap, the link of the AI Recap are going to be here as well. I also would like for you to please follow the General is available on LinkedIn. Let me put this LinkedIn URL here. That's on linkedin.com in General-ITforRetire-Glen-VanRock. So follow him on LinkedIn, he's still pretty active. And the last thing I'd like to mention is at the end of the podcast, we are going through 21 Days Grateful Challenge, and today is going to be on day number 2. So I'm gonna let you know who I'm gonna select and challenge for that. So for the time being, let's go ahead and watch the 10 Minute AI Recap.

So what does it really take to lead when the stakes are, you know, literally defending an entire nation? Well, today we're diving into a masterclass in leadership, one that was forged over a a 37-year career at the absolute highest levels of command. We're gonna unpack the core philosophy that guided every single decision this leader made. And really, at the heart of everything we're about to cover is this single powerful idea from General Glenn VanHarck. Now, this wasn't just some catchy phrase. For him, it was a guiding mantra. It's what completely reshaped his entire understanding of what it means to be in command. It's this very human-centric philosophy And trust me, we're going to see it play out again and again. And just to give you a sense of the weight of his experience, I mean, just look at this resume. This isn't some kind of theoretical advice, right? We're talking about a 4-star general, the guy who commanded NORAD and U.S. Northern Command. You know, that means he was literally the person responsible for defending North America. On top of that, he's a command pilot with over 4,000 flight hours and has nearly 4 decades of service under his belt. So, yeah, The lessons we're about to explore, they were earned under the most intense pressure you can possibly imagine. So, a philosophy like "Faces, not places"—where does that even come from? Well, I can tell you it wasn't something he learned in a classroom or a flight simulator. Nope, it was forged in one single moment of crisis, a moment that would fundamentally change his perspective on leadership forever. Okay, let's set the scene. The date is October 5th, 2001. We're just weeks after the 9/11 attacks, so the entire nation is on high alert. He's the operations officer for a B-2 stealth bomber squadron. And this, this was the day he had to send his pilots into combat for the very first time. And this right here, this shows the huge fundamental shift that happened in that single moment. See, before that day, he would have told you he served the airplanes. His whole focus was on these incredible high-tech machines. But watching his pilots walk to their jets, it suddenly hit him—he wasn't just sending equipment. He was sending someone's son, someone's daughter, into harm's way. In his own words, that was the day he felt like he truly joined the Air Force. His responsibility just completely flipped—from the hardware to the humans. Okay, but a philosophy is only as good as its application, right? So the real question is, how did this focus on faces actually translate into making those impossible decisions in the most high-stakes environments you can think of. Well, his leadership really rested on 3 core pillars: accountability, communication, and— this one might surprise you— empathy. And he argues really passionately that empathy isn't a weakness. It's not some soft skill. For him, it's a legit operational strength. It's the key to truly understanding your team, to building trust, and to getting people who think differently to all pull together for a common goal. He also warns against a trap that leaders in any field can fall into. And it's called paralysis by analysis. So on one side, you've got this idea of waiting for 100% of the data, but by the time you get it, the decision is irrelevant. The moment is gone. What he championed was the other side—decisive leadership, acting with clarity. It's about focusing on being respected for making the tough call, not worrying about being liked for delaying it. Why? Because your people are counting on you to actually lead. And The crucial takeaway here is this quote: For General Van Herk, delaying a decision is a decision. Choosing not to act is a choice in itself, and he believes it's almost always the wrong one. Why? Because all it does is create confusion and slowly chip away at the trust your people have in you. So, this leadership philosophy, it wasn't just for the past; it's absolutely crucial for the challenges of today and tomorrow. I mean, the threats to homeland security are no longer just about bombers and missiles. We're talking about mindset, drones, and AI. I mean, think about it for a second. If you were the person responsible for defending all of North America, what's the one thing that keeps you up at night? Is it a new hypersonic missile? A massive cyberattack? What do you think it is? Well, his answer wasn't a specific weapon. It was this. A cultural problem. His absolute biggest fear was that our institutions, our very mindsets, are simply too slow to adapt to how fast the environment is changing around us, from something as small as a drone to something as complex as artificial intelligence. So, for a problem that big, you need an equally big solution, right? He calls for what he's termed the Golden Dome Initiative, and he compares it to a modern-day Manhattan Project, but for homeland defense. And trust me, that comparison is very intentional. He's signaling the need for that same level of urgency, that same national focus, and that same collaboration between government, industry, and academia to tackle this critical threat. But, you know, great leaders aren't just defined by their successes. A lot of the time, they're shaped by their failures. And General VanHerck was incredibly open about the moments that taught him the most, the ones that came from a place of humility and having to make really tough calls. I mean, just try to imagine getting this feedback from your mentor, who, by the way, just happened to be the future Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General C.Q. Brown Jr. And Van Hurk's reaction? He said he was right. He realized he was candid, sure, but he wasn't self-aware. That one brutally honest conversation taught him just how critical communication style and relationships really are. And what's really telling is that when he's asked about his biggest failures in command, it always, always comes back to the faces. He said he failed when he didn't trust his gut on personnel issues. Waiting too long to make those tough people decisions, he reflected, wasn't just a disservice to that one individual, it was a disservice to the entire organization. So after a career filled with such immense responsibility, what does it all boil down to? In the end, what does he believe is the ultimate measure of a leader's true legacy? Well, it really all comes down to these 4 key takeaways. Number 1, lead people, don't just manage a position. 2, act before you have perfect information. 3, you've got to find that perfect balance between empathy and accountability. And finally, number 4, never ever stop learning and never stop serving the people you lead. He concludes with this really powerful metaphor he learned from a former boss. He said, think of this whole journey like a long train ride. And in the end, all the titles, the awards, the planes and places, they all just fade away. What truly matters most, what really defines your legacy, is who gets off at that very last station with you.

Welcome everyone, let's jump right into a discussion that's as rich as it is thought-provoking. We're talking about a leader whose journey spans from humble beginnings in Missouri right up to commanding NORAD and US Northern Command.

Yep. Right, so what's striking here is the way his philosophy is crystal clear. It's not about planes and places, it's about faces.

What do you make of that? Yeah, that's the heart of his message. He emphasizes that leadership isn't defined by high-tech gear or fancy titles, but by the people you serve. It's like, it's like focusing on human connections rather than just the tools at your disposal.

Mm-hmm. I love that. It really shifts the focus from abstract power to genuine empathy and accountability. And speaking of accountability, how does he stress that?

He says, hold yourself accountable before you hold others accountable. It's a powerful reminder that leadership starts with personal integrity and responsibility. It's almost as if he's saying you need to walk the talk, Or else your words won't matter.

Yeah, that definitely resonates. But I was thinking, isn't it risky to place so much of the emphasis on personal accountability when, in a crisis, decisions need to be rapid and collective? That's an interesting point.

But his experience teaches him that when you model accountability, you create trust. And trust is what unites a team to make fast, effective decisions. It's like a balancing act. You must be quick but also thoughtful.

Right. True. And he really dives into decision-making under pressure, doesn't he? He warns against paralysis by analysis and stresses that delaying decisions can actually be a decision in itself. Absolutely, yes.

In his view, clarity and consistency in messaging are paramount. He's all about eliminating those gray areas so that every team member understands the intent without any guesswork.

Yep, that kind of clear communication is critical, especially when lives are on the line. And I love how he ties that to his personal motto of "grow where you're planted." It really bridges military leadership and civilian management.

Exactly. It's a reminder that leadership transcends roles. Whether you're on a runway or in a boardroom, you need to keep learning, stay humble, and serve with conviction.

Yeah, he also talks about balancing empathy with accountability, right? Seems like a complex balancing act.

Right, and he makes a compelling case that empathy is actually an operational strength. It's not a sign of weakness at all. By listening and understanding, you build a culture where every voice is valued, which in turn boosts morale and effectiveness.

Absolutely. I do wonder though, some might argue that too much empathy could lead to leniency or even indecisiveness. How do you see him addressing that concern? Well, he's very clear.

Accountability delivered with compassion creates loyalty, not fear. So he's advocating for a leadership style that treats people with care and respect, which, by the way, is far more effective in the long term than strict authoritarianism.

Yeah, exactly. Moving into the tech side of things, I noticed he has strong views on artificial intelligence. What's his stance there?

He's all for integrating AI and data, but with a very important caveat: humans must stay in the loop. His idea is that machines can help prioritize and analyze, but whenever there's a life or death decision, It needs human judgment. Right.

That's a crucial balancing act, leveraging technology without letting it replace the human touch. And it seems he's very focused on creating decision space, especially in crises.

Exactly. He argues that in every crisis, time is the most scarce resource. AI should streamline processes and free up the leaders to make the tough calls, not limit their ability to think critically.

Yeah, and what about his insights on homeland defense? His views on emerging threats like drones and, um, low-cost technology are quite eye-opening. Oh, for sure.

He points out that the idea of a Fortress America is outdated. The challenges today are asymmetric, small, agile threats that can bypass traditional defenses. He's calling for a whole-of-nation effort, like his Golden Dome initiative to bridge the gap.

Definitely. That initiative sounds ambitious. Essentially, a Manhattan Project-level coordination involving government, industry, and even citizens. Do you think it's practical?

It's ambitious, no doubt. But considering the rapidly changing tech landscape and evolving threats, a unified approach may be exactly what's needed. Sure, coordination can be tough, But the stakes demand it.

Yeah, I see your point. What really struck me was his emphasis on vocational education and restoring pride in skilled trades. How do you think that fits into the big picture?

It's a brilliant insight. He links national security to building a robust workforce. Whether it's welding, coding, or engineering, every skill is a part of the national defense mosaic. It's like saying, every person in the field counts.

Absolutely. Mm-hmm. So his message really spans across personal leadership, technology, and even societal values. And then there's his reflection on mentorship and his own failures. Right.

He openly discusses how being candid, even if coming off as abrasive, taught him the importance of communication and relationships. That sort of self-reflection is invaluable. It's like— Um, you learn more from your missteps than from your successes if you're honest about them. Yep, I appreciate that honesty.

It's refreshing to see a leader admit that mistakes were part of his journey and that learning from them made him better.

Exactly, and it reinforces his core takeaways: lead people, communicate with clarity, act decisively, and balance empathy with accountability. These are not just military pointers. Mm-hmm. Absolutely. They're universal principles.

He even mixes in some personal tidbits, like having 38 years of marriage and a close-knit family as part of his legacy. It really humanizes the whole persona.

Without a doubt. In his eyes, success isn't just measured in command medals or accolades. It's about the people you share your journey with. And that, I think, is the most inspiring part.

Right on! It's like he turns the whole concept of leadership on its head, emphasizing the heart over the hierarchy.

Yeah, exactly! Just imagine it, a train ride with many stations, and what really matters is who gets off at the last station with you. Every decision, every interaction builds that lasting legacy.

Yep, and in today's fast-paced world, that kind of vision is crucial, especially when you're balancing the imperatives of security, innovation, and individual well-being. Right.

And it's a wake-up call for leaders across sectors to keep learning and adapting. He reminds us that resting on past glories is not an option. Change is the only constant. Yeah, mm-hmm.

I also noticed his call for deeper collaboration between the tech community and defense. That cross-pollination seems ripe with possibilities. Absolutely.

He challenges Silicon Valley and the Department of Defense to unite their differing cultures Speed and risk tolerance meet discipline and thoroughness. It's like two worlds that, when combined, could really elevate national security.

Yep, very intriguing. And then, of course, there's the reminder to make decisions swiftly. Act before perfection. That's a lesson that can be applied everywhere, from boardrooms to flight decks.

Yes, delaying decisions only leads to missed opportunities. His advice is to trust your gut, act on what you know, and learn to adapt if circumstances change. It's bold, but necessary in today's volatile environment.

Yeah, exactly. Overall, his journey is a masterclass in humility, courage, and purpose. It's about building trust, leading with compassion, and always staying responsive to change. Exactly.

And whether you're in uniform or leading a tech startup, His reflections provide a roadmap for how to navigate challenges while staying true to your core values.

Absolutely. Mm-hmm. It really makes you think, how will we, in our own arenas, lead with such clarity and resolve?

Indeed, it pushes you to consider, are you putting relationships and accountability first over titles? Are you ready to adapt and act quickly when the moment demands it? Yep, exactly.

Well, it's been a truly inspiring dialogue, blending military wisdom with insights relevant to any leadership challenge out there.

For sure, it's a reminder that real leadership is a journey of continuous growth and teaching through action, not just words. Thanks for diving deep into these insights with me. Thank you indeed.

All right, so that's it for the 10 Minute AI recap. I'm going to play one more clip at the end, a short clip from our hour-long conversation. And again, I want to encourage everybody to please go to Season 4, Episode 105 and watch the entire thing. So what I'm going to do now, today's going to be day number 2, right, of our 21 Days Grateful Challenge. Yesterday, day number 1, which was Thanksgiving, which is now my tradition, I challenged Doug Edwards. He is one of my connections, and I challenged him to accept the challenge to be grateful every single day on LinkedIn for the next 21 days, and also each day to select a member of his network to do the same thing. So today I am going to select one more person on my network who I'm going to ask to be grateful for the next 21 days and also each day to select a member of their network. So I'm going to go to the Wheel of Names and we're going to click on spin and see who this time. Alright, for day 2, the name is Dietrich, who is a senior executive advisor at GE, and I connected with Dietrich September 1st, 2022, so a few years ago, and here is his LinkedIn page. Let's see what Dietrich looks like. So my friend, uh, uh, Dietrich, today's, uh, part 2 of the 21-day challenge, and I want you to accept the 21-day grateful challenge today. And, uh, what that means, Dietrich, is you are going to, uh, get on LinkedIn every day, create a post or a video, and, uh, be grateful for one thing every day for the next 21 days and each day challenge a member of your network. It looks like you have 2,123 followers, so one of them every day to accept the challenge as well. So I hope you are going to accept the challenge, Dietrich. But this is it. And again, the reason why we do this is because about 21 veterans commit suicide every single day. And we believe it's not possible to be suicidal and be grateful at the very same time. So this is to raise awareness and also to help our mental health, especially for those who've been in the military on active duty. We definitely need to take care of our mental health. All right, thank you so much, Diedrick. Again, I hope you accept the challenge. And according to LinkedIn, you are a Senior Executive Advisor at SardineX LTD. And, um, yeah, we are definitely, uh, looking forward to your post. All right, uh, I am now going to end by playing one more highlight from the leadership conversation I had with General Glen VanHerck. But before I do, I also want to remind you I'm going to be back here tomorrow, and tomorrow we're going to have a 10-minute AI recap from the conversation I had with the one and only Mita Malik. She's a bestselling author, workplace strategist, and top voice, instant bestseller for The Devil Emails at Midnight. I encourage everybody to purchase this book. So that was for Season 4, Episode 106. Again, I encourage you to watch the entire episode, and tomorrow we're gonna have a 10-minute recap of that episode. All right, thank you so much for your time and for watching the Leadership Success Podcast. This is it for now, so I see you tomorrow. Bye-bye. I felt like my career was over. Of course, I didn't do anything wrong and I was completely justified, but just going through the process, just even thinking that somebody in your command may not like you for whatever reason, it's— I didn't sleep for at least a week. But yeah, but it is so true. You have to focus on the mission and some people are not going to be pleased by the decision you make.

Yeah, you're there to lead a mission and the people make the mission happen. If you're worried about being liked and your decisions are influenced by, you know, decision for this individual and then you move to the next individual, what you'll find is you'll have a lack of trust and you'll have confusion across the organization. One of the feedback items I get is I was constant in my messaging constant in my decision-making accountability, and I took the gray out of the equation. It was pretty black and white with me. And what I find is our forces today, what drives stress into their life, what frustrates them, is the gray. It's not operating in black.

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 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.