S4:E18🎙️ Live with Coach BZ: Think, Act, Lead

Hi, I'm John Maxwell. When the top companies in the world are looking for trainers, speakers, and coaches, there's one name that stands above the rest, and that's Maxwell Leadership. Our certified team members have gotten proven results for companies all over the globe, and our reputation I'm proud to say, is second to none. Some of our members have risen to the top of their profession, including the one you're going to meet today. I proudly introduce you to my friend, Bob Fabien Zinga.

Welcome to the Leadership and Success Podcast with your host, Coach BZ. If you need to develop into a better leader, this podcast is for you. If you want to achieve a greater level of success, this podcast is for you. His mentor, Dr. John C. Maxwell, said it best: everything rises and falls on leadership. We hope to inspire you today and provide you with an insight that has the potential to positively impact the trajectory of your life. Welcome to the Leadership and Success Podcast.

Imagine gaining the leadership skills that could redefine your career. Join Coach BZ in the Leadership and Success Podcast, where you'll discover practical insights from renowned speakers and industry experts. Each episode dives deep into essential topics like building resilient teams and navigating complexity, all designed for aspiring leaders like you. Don't miss our upcoming live sessions. Watch our recent sessions with Michelle Hayward on building diverse technical teams, Ron Carpenter AI exploring faith and leadership through innovative AI perspectives, and Chris Robinson leading from drift to drive. Ready to elevate your leadership journey? Tune in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and LinkedIn Live. Join the movement towards leadership excellence. Listen now and transform your success.

Hello everyone, this is Commander Bob Fabien Zinga, Coach Bizzy. Thanks so much for being with me right now, and if you haven't already, please let me know where you are coming from. Which region. And also, please, if you have a question for me, make sure to type it in the chat. I also would like for you to please like this post on LinkedIn and share it with someone you think may want to benefit from this podcast. And you should be able to listen to this podcast on all major podcast platforms within an hour or two. And again, if you would like and share, I would Very much appreciate that. Okay, uh, today I'm gonna be, uh, talking about something that's pretty important, and I think it, it can make a difference in your life. It's the article I wrote about Think, Act, and Lead, right? Lesson from a Navy Information Warfare Commander and Tech Executive. So the gist of this is, as a leader, not only do you have to think, right, but most importantly, you need to take Action, right? I believe my mentor Tony Robbins says it best, right? Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible. However, the path to success is to take massive, determined action. That is really where things start to, to, to happen. You have to take action, right? Another one of my mentors used to, to tell me, right, as a leader, it really starts by the way you think, which affects how you feel, which then affects what you do. But what you do daily and consistently will then predict your destiny or help you achieve your purpose. So it's all about taking action. So, uh, like I mentioned before, I'm going to have the help of my AI agent. Uh, you're gonna see, uh, Mary AI and Joe AI breaking this down for you for about 40 minutes or so. So make sure again to let me know where you are coming from. Type any question you have for me in the comment, and I will be able to see it, whether on LinkedIn or YouTube. And also, uh, like and share and, uh, uh, invite in, uh, anyone you know who might benefit from today's podcast. Thanks again for being here. All right, Mary and Julie, you guys are next.

Have you ever found yourself caught in that loop, you know, stuck somewhere between endless planning, like meticulously plotting everything out, and then that overwhelming urge urge to just do something.

Or maybe the other way around.

Exactly. Or maybe you've been the one who just jumps in headfirst, you know, full of passion, full of zeal, only to realize way down the line, oops, I missed some really crucial steps.

Steps that could have saved you a ton of time, effort, maybe even some serious consequences.

It's a real tension, isn't it? It feels like this fundamental dilemma we all face. Doesn't matter if it's our careers or maybe personal projects or shoot, even just daily decisions.

Yeah.

When do we stop thinking and actually start And then maybe just as critical, when do we need to hit the brakes, take a breath, and just think a little more deeply before we leap?

It's a tough balance to strike.

Well, today we're diving deep into an incredible piece of writing that really unpacks this exact dilemma, and it does it from a, well, a truly unique perspective. Our source material is LED: Think.

Act.

LED. Lessons from a Navy Information Warfare Commander and Tech Executive. It's by Bob Fabien Zinga. Most people know him as BZ.

Ah, BZ's work. Yeah, what's really captivating there, and I think what makes this deep dive so interesting, is how he pulls together insights from these two, like, totally different worlds, but they're both incredibly demanding.

Right. Military leadership.

Yeah. High-stakes military leadership as a Navy information warfare commander. And then he layers that with his experience from, you know, the high-pressure executive roles in Silicon Valley cybersecurity.

Two very different pressures.

Totally different, yet strangely similar in some ways. It ends up being this amazing synthesis of, like, deep strategic foresight, the kind you absolutely need in military command, and that rapid, agile execution that Silicon Valley demands.

So it's not just one or the other.

Not at all. He shows how these principles— disciplined command and, you know, cutting-edge tech leadership— they don't just coexist. They actually merge to create something really powerful, really effective leadership.

Okay, so our mission for this deep dive today is exactly that. We want to pull out the most important nuggets of knowledge, the real actionable insights from Beezy's experience.

Makes sense.

We're going to explore how you can cultivate that crucial balance, that sweet spot between thoughtful planning and, well, decisive action. We want to help you become what he calls a thinker who acts and a doer who plans.

And we're not just gonna, you know, scratch the surface here. We'll really dig into the why behind these principles. We'll break down why they're so important. Oh, and we'll give you practical real-world tips, stuff you can actually apply right away. The goal is for you to gain this knowledge quickly, but, you know, thoroughly, so you feel equipped, empowered, not just overwhelmed with a pile of information.

Right. Moving beyond just knowing to actually doing.

Exactly. It's about putting it into practice in your own life, your own leadership journey, starting today.

All right, let's dive right in then. Let's talk about what BZ sees as the foundational challenge here. That timeless tension, thinking versus doing.

Yeah, it's classic.

He quotes Reverend W.A. Nance, who apparently observed Failure can be divided into those who thought and never did, and into those who did and never thought. That's pretty stark.

It really cuts to the chase, doesn't it? And BZ uses that to set up these two traps of failure.

Okay, what are they?

Well, on one side, you've got what his mentor called paralysis by analysis. This is where people get completely stuck. They're just overthinking everything endlessly.

We've all seen that or maybe done it.

Well, absolutely. They're always needing more data, waiting for that mythical perfect moment, or they're just, you know, crippled by the fear of making a mistake of imperfection.

So they just don't act.

They don't act. Imagine someone with a brilliant idea spending years tweaking the business plan, analyzing every possible risk down to the decimal point, but the product never actually launches.

Or the engineer who keeps optimizing in their head but never ships the code.

Precisely. The sheer volume of thought, ironically, leads to total inaction. They have these great ideas, maybe, but they never take that essential leap.

Okay, so that's trap number one. What's the other side?

The other side is the act now, consequences be damned approach. And Bizzy's really candid here. He admits this was kind of his own tendency when he was younger.

Oh, really?

Yeah. As a junior officer or young tech professional, he says he was full of zeal and passion, but lacking in knowledge.

Been there.

Right. He wanted to take massive action and change the world like yesterday without first thinking and being mature enough to have a plan. It's that impulsive rush. Just do something, anything, without really thinking through the strategy or the potential fallout.

Can you give an example?

Sure. Think of a manager rolling out some complex new software system across the whole company without planning for proper training.

Chaos, right?

Total chaos. Or launching a product with zero market research.

Exactly. You might get lucky, but more often than not, it leads to costly mistakes, unintended consequences, and you end up paying a much higher price down the road than if you just paused to think first. So it really forces you, the listener, to reflect a bit. Which way do you lean? Are you more the meticulous planner who maybe hesitates too much?

Letting good ideas just kind of wither.

Or are you the eager doer? The one who jumps in full of enthusiasm, but sometimes maybe overlooks those crucial details or the ripple effects?

Understanding your own default setting, your natural inclination, that's really the first critical step. It's essential for finding that balance Beezy talks about.

And that self-awareness leads us right into Beezy's core premise, the foundation of his whole philosophy. He says, "Leadership demands both clear thinking and decisive action. Note that the thinking comes first." That's the key phrase, isn't it?

"Thinking comes first." He's not saying pick one.

No, it's about integration but also sequence. Strategy first.

Precisely. That initial caution, the careful planning, it's vital. You know, like Confucius said, "The cautious seldom err." This isn't about being slow or indecisive, though.

Right, it's about building a solid foundation.

Exactly. Thinking through the angles, mapping out potential problems, really clarifying your objectives. But, and this is Beezy's point, caution alone is not enough.

You can't just stay cautious forever.

No way. Once that thoughtful foundation is laid, you need the courage, the commitment to actually move forward with purpose.

Hmm.

Tony Robbins nails this next step, doesn't he? Setting goals is a first step in turning the invisible into the visible.

That's the thinking part, making it clear in your mind.

Yep.

Defining success, visualizing it, making it tangible mentally. But then comes the action. Turning that well-defined vision into reality.

Mbizi emphasizes this isn't just a straight line, is it? Plan once, act forever.

Not at all. And this is really important. He sees it as a dynamic cycle. It's iterative. You plan, you execute, you learn from what happens, the good and the bad, and then you refine your plan based on that new information. So it's a feedback loop, a continuous feedback loop. Thinking, doing, learning, adapting over and over. That's how leaders navigate uncertainty and keep getting better.

And it's in that iterative process where the strategic advantage of really planning well and also setting high standards really pays off.

Absolutely.

Brian Tracy's principle here is, well, it's kind of mind-blowing. Every minute you spend in planning saves 10 minutes in execution. This gives you a 1,000% return on energy. Plan, plan, plan.

1,000%. It sounds almost unbelievable, right?

It really does. Like, how is that even possible?

But Beasy shows it makes perfect sense. That 1,000% return on energy, it's not just about saving time in a linear way. It's about exponential impact.

Okay, unpack that.

When you invest that time upfront in deep planning, you drastically cut down on errors later. You build way more confidence in your approach, both for yourself and your team. And ultimately, you just get much more successful outcomes, right?

Compared to rushing in.

Compared to rushing in without a solid plan, you're constantly doing rework, wasting resources, dealing with miscommunication, hitting dead ends. That upfront thinking, that investment, it prevents all that wasted effort, that frustrating cycle. Of fixing mistakes that shouldn't have happened.

It's like measure twice, cut once, but on steroids.

Exactly. And remember Tony Robbins' warning: if you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten. Rigorous, thoughtful planning is the only way to break out of old patterns, to introduce genuinely effective actions, and set your team up for real success.

It's about using your brain to multiply your effort, not just working harder.

Precisely. Leveraging intelligence for maximum output.

And Brian Tracy adds another critical layer here. He says leaders set high standards, refuse to tolerate mediocrity or poor performance. This seems directly linked to the planning piece.

Oh, absolutely linked. Setting high standards isn't just saying we should do better. It fundamentally forces you to think deeply about what excellence actually looks like in practice.

You have to define it first.

You have to define it. Set specific benchmarks, clear success metrics, articulate the quality you expect. Then you can take deliberate action to hit those standards. It's that consistent, meticulous execution grounded in meticulous planning, plus an unwavering commitment to quality. That's what separates leaders who just talk about standards from those who actually achieve them.

So it creates a culture where thinking comes before acting almost automatically.

Ideally, yes. It fosters a culture where detailed thought precedes every significant action, making mediocrity basically unacceptable because the standard, the plan, is so clear.

Okay, that leads nicely into another really powerful idea BZ highlights: the compounding effect of small, consistent steps.

Ah, yes. This is huge.

Darren Hardy, you know, the habits guy, he teaches that small, seemingly insignificant steps completed consistently over time will create a radical difference. We hear about massive action all the time, and it sounds great, but—

It could feel totally overwhelming, right? Like trying to climb Mount Everest in one leap. And BZ really clarifies this. He shows that massive action isn't always some single heroic sprint. More often, it's the quiet, often kind of boring accumulation of those small steps taken day after day and crucially taken thoughtfully.

So each small step is planned.

Each small step is a product of prior thought. It's that relentless consistency of these tiny, deliberate actions that builds unstoppable momentum. Think about like a river carving a canyon.

Not one big flood, but constant flow.

Exactly. Constant flow over ages. Or trying to lift a huge weight versus building muscle incrementally every single day. Each small planned step builds towards something massive, something transformative.

And B.C. gives a really practical tip for this, doesn't he? Something from his own routine.

He does. It's beautifully simple but really effective. He says each morning, write one specific goal or idea that you will execute today. Just one specific thing, right? By doing something, anything really consistently, a genuine small step, You start building momentum. But then, and this is key, you follow up at the end of the day with a quick review.

The reflection part.

The reflection. What worked, what didn't, and what you'll do next. This is how you cultivate that habit of doing thoughtfully. Your actions stay aligned with your intentions.

So this really begs the question for anyone listening, especially if you feel stuck or overwhelmed, how do you build momentum?

Beezy's tip: doing something, anything consistently. Is the starting point. But he adds that critical layer: thoughtfulness. It's not just busywork, right?

Doing for the sake of doing doesn't really help.

No, it's doing thoughtfully. Each small action follows a clear goal, and then vitally, it's followed by reflection. This creates this powerful loop: planning informs action, action provides data, and that data refines future planning.

So you're always moving forward, always learning, always thinking and doing.

Never getting trapped in just one mode.

And this disciplined, cyclical approach, this blend of thinking and doing, it leads directly to what Beezy sees as the core of leadership, which is solving problems and building unwavering trust. Perfect transition. Let's move into Section 2: Leadership Redefines Solving Problems and Building Trust. General Colin Powell's quote here is just—

wow.

Leadership is solving problems. "The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them." Powerful stuff. He continues, "They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership." That really reframes leadership, doesn't it? It completely reframes it. It shifts it from being about authority or position to being about function and service. Leadership isn't about having all the answers or, you know, skillfully dodging problems.

It's about being the go-to person for solutions.

Exactly. It's about actively creating an environment where people see you as a reliable, capable source of support. When people bring you their problems, whether they're soldiers, employees, teammates, whatever, it's actually a huge sign of trust.

That's a counterintuitive way to look at it. Problems are good. In a way, yes. They trust you can and will help them navigate the rough spots. So, the presence of problems coming your way isn't a burden; it's an indicator of a healthy, trusting dynamic.

And the flip side is— pretty chilling.

The flip side is the scary part. When the problems suddenly stop coming, that's a silent screaming alarm bell. It means trust has likely eroded, or worse, your team thinks you just don't care enough to even listen, let alone help.

Which Powell calls a profound failure of leadership.

Because it breaks that vital connection. That trust is gone.

BZ lived this, didn't he, in his Navy career?

Oh, absolutely. He talks about being hand-selected for a really demanding command role at NETWARCOM, the Naval Network Warfare Command. Specifically, the Global Network Operations Security Center, or GNOSC.

Sounds intense.

72 people. He says he inherited this constant stream of really complex challenges: major cybersecurity incidents, urgent training needs because the tech was always changing, and the heavy responsibility of sending sailors into harm's way on deployment.

So problems were just part of the daily reality.

Constant. But his approach wasn't just to fix them one by one. Like whack-a-mole. He saw each problem as a learning opportunity for the whole team.

How so?

He gives this great example. Say a sailor deployed in a combat zone has a critical network outage. Lives could literally be on the line.

Yeah, that's serious.

His point is, telling them too bad isn't leadership. You don't just say fix it. You actively solve the immediate problem, then you dig in to figure out why it happened, and then you improve the systems to prevent it from happening again.

So it's problem-solving plus systemic improvement.

Exactly. Moving from just reacting to proactively strengthening the whole operation. And crucially, reinforcing that trust, showing your team you have their back, especially when things get tough.

This ties into another idea he emphasizes, drawing from Brian Tracy again: leaders don't use the word failure; they see setbacks as learning opportunities.

This reframing is so critical for building resilience and innovation. BZ uses the example of getting their unit back up and running after the huge disruption of the COVID pandemic.

That must have been incredibly complex.

He calls it rebuilding a ship in motion at sea. Think about it— remote work issues, staffing gaps, plus the usual relentless cyber threats. But they didn't panic.

They applied the Think First principle?

They did. They cautiously reassessed everything— procedures, protocols, communication. Remembering the cautious seldom error, they planned meticulously before executing their return to operations strategy.

And when things inevitably went wrong, tech glitches, maybe.

Right. When tech deployments had hiccups, the response wasn't blame or despair, like, oh no, we're defeated. It was a very pragmatic, okay, noted, adjust the plan.

That sounds like a much healthier environment.

Totally. It created psychological safety. People weren't afraid to experiment, to report mistakes, because the focus was always on what can we learn from this, not Whose fault is this? It fosters that culture of continuous improvement.

Which brings us to Tim McClure's insight. The biggest concern for any organization should be when their most passionate people become quiet. That links right back to Powell, doesn't it? Silence isn't always good news.

Not at all. Especially silence from your most engaged, most passionate people. It usually isn't a sign that everything's perfect. More often, it signals something much deeper. Much more troubling.

Like a loss of confidence.

A loss of confidence in leadership, a breakdown of trust. Or maybe they're just suppressing critical insights because they feel ignored. Or worse, they fear negative consequences for speaking up.

So the passion just fizzles out.

It disengages. They take their energy, their ideas, their crucial observations, and they just kind of check out mentally or maybe even physically leave. And Biggie Z would say that's a massive leadership failure because it cuts off the organization's lifeblood. Open, honest feedback and the courage to flag problems.

So for everyone listening, it's worth thinking about your own team or workplace. When a problem comes up, do you lean into it, try to understand and solve it, or do you kind of hope it goes away? And maybe more importantly, are you creating a space where people feel genuinely safe bringing you bad news, bringing you issues, or are they walking on eggshells, afraid of reaction?

Because as Beezy and Powell show, true leaders use problems as the primary way to build that deep, lasting trust.

Okay, so if leadership is really about about attracting problems, solving them, and building trust in the process, how do you actually become that kind of leader?

That's a million-dollar question, is it?

And Beezy's own journey, his career path, offers some really fascinating clues. It's a great real-world roadmap.

Yeah, his story is pretty remarkable.

Let's dig into that in Section 3, the journey of growth from technician to leader. Beezy describes his career as, as much an adventure in leadership as it has been in technology. And I love this part. He says, "I didn't start with a C-suite title. I started at the bottom and learned on the job." That's so relatable for most people.

Very few start at the top. Yeah. His path really shows the power of continuous learning and just deliberate evolution.

Talk about his military path first.

Okay. So in the Navy, he didn't just join as an officer. He enlisted as a seaman recruit. That's E-1, the absolute starting point. Wow.

Really started at the bottom.

Really at the bottom. And he worked his way up through the enlisted ranks before eventually earning a commission as an Information Professional Ensign. That experience, learning the ropes at every single level, gave him this incredible ground-level perspective.

He knew what his people were actually doing and facing.

Exactly. He understood the realities from the lowest levels up. That builds a different kind of leader, one with deep empathy and practical understanding.

And remarkably, he built a parallel tech career at the same time.

Yeah, it's pretty impressive. He started as a PC tech assistant, climbed up to IT director in the civilian world, but then driven by this growing passion for cybersecurity, he actually pivoted.

How so?

He went back, studied more at the University of Alabama, retrained himself and became a security engineer, then eventually Director of Cybersecurity and Privacy at the Defense Language Institute.

He was constantly learning and adapting.

Constantly. And what's crucial is that each of these roles—military, civilian tech, cybersecurity—taught him different vital lessons. He learned the nuts and bolts of securing networks, yes, but also the strategy of managing budgets and, maybe most importantly, the art and science of managing people. So it wasn't just tech skills. Not at all. It was this integrated learning experience. He became adaptable, understanding both the deep technical stuff and the complex human dynamics needed to make it all work effectively. It was holistic.

Then he moves to Pivotal Software, which later became part of VMware Tanzu, big tech territory.

Right. Senior information security engineer. And he gets thrown into this massive data migration project. Global team, people in Ireland, India, China.

Sounds like a coordination nightmare. Huge complexity.

And this is where he consciously decided to lean on John C. Maxwell's wisdom. A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. Meaning he couldn't just dictate. No way! Especially with highly technical peers across the globe. He says he collaborated closely, asked questions, listened to ideas, and made adjustments. This shows that shift from being the tech expert to leading through influence and collaboration.

Guiding the experts, not just directing them.

Exactly, facilitating their expertise. That's a key transition in leadership. Especially in tech.

And this collaborative approach then led him to Groupon, his first public company role, as an information security manager.

A big leap, moving from mostly engineering to pure management. Suddenly, he wasn't just solving tech problems. That was the shift. He was helping set policy, mentoring a global team of security pros, and crucially, aligning security work with the bigger business goals. That alignment piece is huge.

And the journey continued. Oh, yeah.

Fractional CISO roles. Well, that's Chief Information Security Officer at Truvantis, Head of Security and IT at Directly, overseeing security for Santa Clara University.

Wow. So each step required a different way of thinking.

A significant readjustment of thinking, as he puts it. He talks about going from coding one firewall rule to crafting a 5-year security strategy. It perfectly illustrates that evolution leaders need from tactical details to broad strategic vision.

Exactly.

Growth isn't just adding more skills; it's expanding your capacity to think systemically, lead people effectively, and connect your specific area—in this case, security—to the overall mission. His journey really embodies being that thinker who acts and a doer who plans.

Now, through this journey, he had a key realization, something he calls the Law of the Lid, from John C. Maxwell again. Yes, this one's powerful. Maxwell says, "How well you lead determines how well you succeed." If my leadership was a 6, the team's output couldn't exceed that. That sounds humbling. It's definitely humbling.

But Deezy calls it a crucial wake-up call for constant self-improvement. The Law of the Lid basically means your personal leadership ability, your skills, your knowledge, your influence sets the ceiling for your team's potential.

So your team can only be as good as your leadership.

Pretty much. If your strategic thinking is, say, a 6 out of 10, No matter how brilliant your team members are individually, their collective output, their overall success, is going to struggle to get past that 6. Your leadership is the lid.

So what did BZ do about that?

He took immediate action. He actively sought out advanced training, got more certifications, invested heavily in his own development specifically to raise his lid. He understood his growth was directly tied to unlocking his team's potential.

Which connects to another Maxwell principle: The Law of Influence. The true measure of leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. Exactly.

It's not about the title on your business card. It's about your actual impact.

How do you gain that influence according to Beezy or Maxwell?

It's earned, built brick by brick through consistently demonstrating competence, having deep knowledge, and crucially, having a spirit of service to others. It's not about position. You lead by being a trusted example. Someone who doesn't just point the way but actually walks the path, models the behavior, and makes it clear for others. It's that earned respect that truly amplifies your impact.

This understanding that leadership is a lid and influence is the key pushed BZ towards a daily practice, something he believes can raise anyone's lid. Right.

And this is where we get really practical. It leads us to John C. Maxwell's Rule of Five.

Okay, let's break that down in Section 4. The Blueprint for Continuous Growth: Maxwell's Rule of Five. BZ says Maxwell advocates for consistent growth through these 5 daily actions.

What are they again?

They are: Read, Write, Think, Ask, and File. Sounds simple, almost deceptively so.

Read, Write, Think, Ask, File. Okay. But BZ explains that practiced consistently, day in and day out, these 5 things collectively build greater clarity, consistency, competence, and character. He's a living example. He committed to writing about leadership and tech every single day for over 5 years to embody this rule.

Wow. Every day. That's commitment. It really underscores that leadership growth isn't about some big dramatic transformation. It's the compounding effect of small, intentional disciplines applied relentlessly.

All right, let's deconstruct each one. How can someone listening apply these? Let's start with Read. Okay.

The practical tip BZ offers is Spend time with a leadership or cybersecurity book article. Could be Maxwell's 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, an industry report, whatever fits your field. He even says follow experts like me on LinkedIn.

So intentional intake of new knowledge. Daily conscious intake.

It's not just passively scrolling. Dedicate, say, 15-20 minutes each morning to really engage with something new. Remember Jim Rohn's line? Miss a meal if you have to, but don't miss a book.

Treat intellectual fuel as essential.

Exactly. Feed your mind with things that elevate you, challenge you, not just distract you.

Okay, next is "write." This one feels like it could be intimidating. Do you have to write an essay every day?

Definitely not. Beezy's advice is practical. Take notes or blog about what you learned. Writing deepens understanding. Even reading something like this deep dive and writing a comment or short post about what resonated counts.

So the act of writing itself helps immensely.

Writing forces you to clarify your thoughts, to process ideas, to figure out what you actually believe and stand for. It helps crystallize your thinking, turns fuzzy ideas into something concrete, right? Whether it's a private journal, notes from a meeting, or a quick blog post, externalizing your thoughts organizes them, deepens understanding, and lets you build on them later.

Third is think. Sounds obvious, but maybe it's the hardest one in our busy lives.

It really might be, BZ suggests. Reflect on a quote or situation. He uses his favorite Tony Robbins quote: "In moments of decision, our destiny is shaped. What do you want out of your life?

What are your musts?" So, dedicated time for intentional reflection, not just letting thoughts wander.

Intentional reflection. And BZ makes this crucial distinction between "shoulds," those vague, nice-to-haves that often lead nowhere, and "musts." What's the difference? Musts are your non-negotiables. The goals where failure is not an option. Cultivating that mindset, focusing on your absolute musts, compels you to find a way, no matter what. Thinking time is where you clarify those musts and anchor your actions in them. Okay, number 4 is ask.

This requires a bit of humility, right? Totally.

And it's a critical leadership trait. The tip: have a quick conversation with a mentor or peer. Ask, "How would you handle X?" or "What do you think about this idea?" Tap into outside perspectives. Exactly. Leverage the wisdom of others. Humble inquiry. Good leaders don't need all the answers, but they do need to be great at asking the right questions, listening actively, and seeking guidance.

Building that personal board of directors.

That's a great way to put it. A small circle of trusted advisors for feedback, diverse views, and challenging questions. It strengthens your own thinking immensely.

And the last one, FILE. Seems a bit— administrative.

It might seem that way, but Beezy stresses its importance. His advice: organize your new knowledge by tagging notes, updating your professional journal, or sharing a one-pager. He mentions keeping a spreadsheet of impactful quotes, organized by subject. So it's about making knowledge usable.

Exactly.

Knowledge management for retrieval and application. Learning is only valuable if you can actually find and use it when you need it. Filing helps you curate your wisdom, making it accessible for reflection, decision-making, or just inspiration.

Supports the thinking part.

Precisely. It ensures your learning compounds and doesn't just disappear into the ether.

James Clear's point about daily habits being the key to success, not huge transformations, fits perfectly here.

And Beezy's analogy of chopping down a tree with daily axe swings. Each swing seems small. But done consistently, those small daily actions gradually fell the giant tree. They compound into big growth. They slowly but surely raise your personal lid of leadership.

It's about discipline, not just grand gestures.

Relentless, often unglamorous daily discipline, making growth a non-negotiable habit. Because as Beezy notes, growth often comes from either pain or purpose, and leaders need to facilitate both.

And for deeper dives, Beezy recommends Maxwell's books like The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and the 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth.

Yeah, great resources for reinforcing this mindset of constant intentional learning.

Okay, so these daily habits build your inner capacity, but BZ also emphasizes learning from external sources, from mentors.

Yes, the wisdom of others is crucial.

Which takes us into Section 5: Wisdom from Mentors—Insights for Your Leadership Journey. Robin Sharma's quote is a great starting point here. Remember, every professional was once an amateur. Ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary feats once they've routinized the right habits. I love that quote.

It's so grounding. It basically says, hey, everyone starts somewhere. Mastery isn't magic. It's the result of consistent, thoughtful habits. It makes extraordinary achievement feel attainable. Exactly. It demystifies greatness. The path is through diligent, disciplined routines. Day after day. It's about commitment to the process.

Then Les Brown brings in the element of courage. You must be willing to do things today others won't do in order to have the things tomorrow others won't have. And do what is hard and your life will become easy.

And Beasy connects this right back to the thinker-doer balance. Yeah. It's about planning for tomorrow, yes, but then having the courage to execute the hard stuff today.

Leaning into discomfort.

Leaning into discomfort. Beezy shares personal examples—leading sailors in tough situations, rebuilding complex networks under pressure, learning new skills late in his career. These hardest challenges, he realized, were the ones that prepared him. Exactly. They prepared me for everything that came next. Those demanding, often painful experiences were the crucible where his leadership was forged. Growth often requires embracing that difficulty.

Brian Tracy's perspective on setbacks comes up again, too. Leaders never use the word failure. They look upon setbacks as learning experiences.

It reinforces that growth mindset—shift from "whose fault is this?" to "what can we learn?

How can we improve?" Fosters innovation, reduces fear.

Right. And Beasy even encourages an attitude of gratitude for the lessons learned from those setbacks. See them as valuable data, not defeats.

Jim Rohn's principles also feature prominently. "Miss a meal if you have to, but don't miss a book." "and the big one: you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with." The "don't miss a book" part hammers home that commitment to daily learning.

Treat it like essential fuel. The "average of 5" idea, though? That's profound.

It really makes you think about who you surround yourself with.

It highlights the massive, often underestimated impact of your inner circle. Are they lifting you up, challenging you, or are they complacent, negative?

Have you absorbed their traits? You do.

Yeah. So Beezy advises consciously creating that board for your professional career. 3 to 5 trusted peers or mentors you actively seek advice from. Curating your environment accelerates your growth.

Beezy also draws a line from his cyber and command background directly to trust, saying security isn't just technical. Right.

At its heart, he says, it's also about trust. Trust that your team can do their jobs and trust that leadership will back them up. Help. Solve problems. He brings back Powell's point—silence is a danger sign.

So how does a leader build that security-trust link?

Foster open communication. Be approachable. Instead of barking "just fix it," try saying, "Tell me about the issue." Show genuine curiosity and empathy. Creates psychological safety. Exactly. People feel safe flagging problems, asking for help, knowing you're there to support, not just demand. Trust is the glue.

He shares a really moving story about his own mentor, Captain Joel Rothschild.

Yeah, a senior commander who mentored BZ from when he was a very junior enlisted sailor in IT-3. BZ expresses huge gratitude.

He had a specific habit when with Rothschild. He carried a notebook everywhere.

Every single time I was in the presence of Cappy T. Rothschild and write down every word.

Wow. Diligent capture of wisdom.

It perfectly illustrates the cycle of mentorship. Bezos now sees junior people looking to him that way. His desire to "pass on what I learned" shows that responsibility leaders have.

Learn, grow, teach. Keep the chain going.

It's a continuous legacy.

Okay, so beyond the practical lessons, the career journey, the mentor wisdom, Bezos goes deeper. He explores what he sees as a spiritual foundation for leadership.

Yes, this is where he urges us to "think on these things." He connects ancient biblical wisdom directly to modern leadership challenges.

This gets really interesting.

And these aren't just abstract thoughts. He presents them as actionable principles for building inner strength, making ethical choices, finding real clarity—things every leader needs regardless of their specific role or beliefs.

Let's walk through them. First, Proverbs 4:23: Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.

The leadership insight Beazie draws here is that your heart, your core motives, emotions, values, drives everything. Everything—your thoughts, words, decisions. So guarding that inner life diligently is job one. Self-leadership first. Right. Because what flows from your heart directly impacts how you lead others. So the coaching prompts are: What's influencing your heart right now? Fear? Pride? Peace? Purpose? Are your decisions reactive or rooted in wisdom? How do you actively guard your heart? Next, Proverbs 16:3.

Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.

Here, the idea is that clarity often starts with surrender, with dedication. Great leaders aren't just strategic, they're humble stewards. Aligning your actions with a higher purpose, serving others, honoring a mission, a spiritual conviction, brings focus. Commitment brings clarity. That's BZZZ's take. Vision without commitment leads to confusion. Commitment provides direction. So what major task or burden do you need to commit today? Have you seen clarity follow surrender in your own life? How do you align daily decisions with that higher purpose?

Then Romans 12:2-3: Be not conformed to this world, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, not to think more highly than he ought to think.

Transformational leadership, BZ argues, starts with a transformed mind. Thinking differently, renewing your mindset daily, lets you challenge norms, adapt, and lead with humility.

Avoiding arrogance.

Exactly. The passage warns against pride, invites self-awareness. Great leaders are confident, sure, but never arrogant. A renewed mind embraces feedback, correction, growth. It remembers leadership is stewardship, not an ego trip.

So what worldly patterns are tempting you? How do you practice renewing your mind daily? How do you balance confidence with humility?

Those are the key questions Beezy wants leaders to ask themselves.

Philippians 4:8 is next. Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, think on these things.

Mental discipline as leadership fuel. In our age of constant negativity and distraction, this is a call to curate your thoughts actively.

Because leaders shape culture, and culture starts in the mind.

Precisely. Focusing on excellence, truth, beauty, positivity—it lifts your thinking and, by extension, your team's morale. Leaders who dwell on the noble lead with grace, gratitude, clarity. What you think about, you act on.

So, what thoughts dominate your mental space? How does your thought life affect your leadership climate? What practices— gratitude, filtering media— can help you take control? Important reflections for any leader. Ephesians 2:10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

The insight here is you are made for impact. You're not a leader by accident. You are designed with purpose, and your leadership opportunities are part of a calling.

Seeing work as part of a divine assignment. Yes, every task, team, challenge.

Recognizing this fuels bold action and deep accountability. Leaders don't just work, they walk in the works prepared for them. So are you aware of the specific good works for you right now? How can you walk more boldly in that assignment? How can you help others find their purpose?

James 1:22. But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

This is a direct hit. Knowledge without action is self-deception. Many leaders know the right things but don't do them. Insight must lead to implementation. It's a leadership wake-up call. Being a doer means applying what you learn. Modeling integrity, making tough calls, following through. Influence grows when action matches conviction. So, what truth do you know but haven't acted on? How can you turn knowledge into consistent practice? What does integrity look like for you this week, in action?

And finally, James 2:26. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Belief needs behavior to back it up. In leadership, vision without action is like that lifeless body. Looks okay, maybe, but has no impact.

If you believe it, act like it, right?

If you believe in the mission, the people, the calling, act like it. Passionate leadership isn't passive. It's conviction turned into courageous action. Real leadership breathes through faith-filled follow-through. So what action have you been delaying? Does your behavior reflect your stated faith or belief? How can you better align what you believe with what you actually do? Wow.

That's a really deep foundational layer, he adds. So pulling all this together, what does it mean for you, the listener, moving forward from this deep dive?

It's a lot to synthesize for sure. Our journey today through B.Z.

Zinga's insights. From Navy command posts to Silicon Valley exec suites, it really lights up a clear path, doesn't it? True leadership is about mastering that art of thoughtful action.

And it's about continuously, consciously raising your own leadership lid through that disciplined daily growth we talked about.

It's about weaving together the wisdom to plan deeply with the guts to execute boldly.

And realizing that growth isn't a one-off event; it's a continuous, daily grind, really, anchored by things like the Rule of Five and those deep personal values or principles. It's the small, consistent efforts that make the radical difference over time.

So now it really is your turn. What will you do today that maybe changes the game, even just a little? Here's a challenge, inspired directly by Bizzy. Okay, Hansirot. First, what's one thought or idea you've been kicking around, maybe mulling over, that you can commit to turning into real action this this week? Remember, turn invisible goals into visible steps. Good one. Make it concrete. Second, how can you raise your lid today? Maybe it's just reading one challenging article in your field. Maybe it's asking that tough question in the meeting. Something small but intentional. Push your boundaries slightly. Third, who is actually in your Rule of Five circle? Take a minute, list those 3-5 people or resources that genuinely challenge you, push you to grow. Remember Jim Rohn, you're the average of those 5.

Be intentional about your influences.

And fourth, what leadership quote or law from today really resonated? Maybe Les Brown's "Capable of More Than You Imagine." Maxwell's "Leadership is Influence." Pick one, adopt it, live it.

Make it your own. And here's maybe the ultimate challenge straight from BZ's playbook. Take out a pen, open your notes app, do it right now. Write down your personal Rule of Five commitment for today. Just for today. Just for today. One reading action, one writing action, one thinking reflection, One asking inquiry, one filing action. Commit to doing those 5 things before the day is over. It makes it real.

That's tangible. The future belongs to the competent, as Brian Tracy says. And competence comes from thinking and doing every single day. So as you leave this deep dive, maybe ask yourself this: if you wouldn't follow yourself right now, why should anyone else?

Oof, that's a tough one.

How will you lead the way in your own life? How will you become that thinker who acts and that doer who plans, starting now, not waiting for tomorrow?

And maybe one final thought to chew on: true leadership isn't just about the mission achieved or the target hit. It's profoundly about the people you bring along with you.

The human element.

Right. How will your daily commitment to thinking and doing not only lift your own journey but also intentionally inspire and empower those around you to find and walk in their purpose? Think about that ripple effect, reaching far beyond just you.

That is definitely a deep one to chew on. Until next time, keep thinking, keep acting, and keep leading.

All right, thank you so much, Mary and Julie. I really do appreciate that. And, uh, for everybody else, let me share my my screen one more time. I, um, here we go. So again, the article, Think, Act, Lead. All right, as a leader, you need to lead, you need to take action. But before you do, I say you need to first, first think. Like my mentor Papa John has said, right, every day, every single day, I read, I write, I think, I ask questions, and I So these are the 5 disciplines I practice to keep improving. And if you do that every single day, I'm telling you, in 5 years, even if you are not an expert today, you will become an expert. So when I go through the coaching and I ask you questions, what I really would like for you guys to do is to have a notebook, right, and write down your answers. Think about those. You don't have to share them with me, but if you do, that's fine. Come back into the comment section of the article or the podcast and Let me know what you are thinking and what you are deciding, because that's really how you grow. It's not just what you hear, but it's what you do with what you hear, right? It's not the hearing only, it's the doing. So you have to hear something, but you don't really know what you know until you do what you need to do. Just knowing it intellectually doesn't cut it, all right? So you have to be a doer, all right? You have to be a doer. So you have to put it into practice.. And that's how your life is going to change. That's how you are going to have an impact. Oh, uh, one, one, one quote I just thought, thought about, because, uh, like they said, no, early in my career I used to, uh, take a whole lot of action without always thinking about what I'm doing. Uh, one of my admirals used to say, I'd rather pull back on the rein of a thoroughbred than to spur a jackass. Generally speaking, I think I am still kind of biased to action. I like to do more than just thinking or paralysis by analysis. But now that I'm more senior, I'd like to think more about the second, third, fourth degree order of the impact of what I am about to do. So plan first, like Brian Tracy taught me. Kind of, you know, measure twice and then cut once. But before you do something, think seriously about the impact of, uh, what it will be like once you take the action. Because once you unscramble eggs, right, uh, you— once you scramble eggs, you cannot unscramble them, right? It is, it is, it is done. So think, think, but act. Definitely act, because it's by acting that you can change the world. Okay, we're gonna finish now. Uh, I don't see any question on LinkedIn. Let me triple check on YouTube. Just a second to see if anybody had a question for me. Okay, I don't see any question. All right, until next time, I will be back here tomorrow, uh, 6:30 AM Pacific Time, uh, 9:30 AM Eastern Time. Until then, have a wonderful day, and again, think on those things, and, uh, let's lead together and let's go together. Thanks.

Thank you for listening to the Leadership and Success Podcast with your host, Coach BZ. If you like what you heard, please subscribe to our channels and come back for more wisdom nuggets on how you may develop into a better leader and achieve greater levels of success. Leadership is the most critical skill. The world will always need leaders to lead others, deploy the next disruptive technology, or execute a business strategy. You may as well decide on counting yourself among the 21st century leaders. See you right here next time on the Leadership and Success