S5E42🎙️ LIVE with Marcus A. Canady

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The Kennedy Leadership Group is changing leadership thought processes throughout the world. You can be assigned a leadership position, but if you're not doing these things, chances are you are just managing. And there is a difference between management in leadership. Managers think about what they can get from people, as leaders think about what they could be doing for people. If you are put in position where you are in charge of people, then the expectation is that you will be willing to make the concerted effort to make sure that everybody that works for you feels valued and supported in their authentic self. I am not saying this is a leadership style that you do for minorities. What I'm saying is that this is a leadership style that you do for everyone, because everyone deserves to be valued and supported at the workplace and work for someone that has built up trust with them. That they feel cared for as a whole person. I am not saying that this leadership style is a replacement for the mental health professionals, but what I am saying is that we need leaders that understand their people well enough that they can pick out who needs a hotline, who needs to go talk to a mental health professional, and is willing to walk with them every step.

All right everyone, uh, today is going to be a very special edition of the Leadership and Success Podcast. I have a very special guest with us today. And what I am going to do, as you guys know, we always start the show with our moment of gratitude. So that's where we just take a moment to be grateful. And part of the reason why we do this is because, as you know, in the military, it's about 21 service members and veterans who commit suicide every day. And we believe that it's not possible to be suicidal and be grateful at the same time. And as you also know, every single day this month, February, which is Black History Month in the US, I am grateful for the contribution, outstanding, excellent contribution of African Americans to building this country, making America what America is today. So I love this book and I've been recommending it every single day this month, African American First. It's about famous, little-known, and unsung triumphs of Blacks in America. And if you follow me on LinkedIn, you will see every single day this month, I am highlighting some of the first in the American military. So, again, that's something I'm extremely grateful for. So, let me see if I can properly introduce our guest today. So, today I am really honored to be able to host the person you're gonna be seeing in just a moment, because I believe there are managers, but then there are leaders, right? And then there are leaders who are willing to intrude Not to control, but to care. So today I am honored to host Captain Marcus Kennedy, US Coast Guard helicopter pilot, former commanding officer of Coast Guard Air Station Houston, National War College graduate, and founder and CEO of Kennedy Leadership Group. And he's also the author of Intrusive Leadership: How to Become That Leader. And we're gonna be talking about that book today. And I must say that Captain Kennedy is right now on the Leadership Success Podcast on his personal capacity. Not in any official capacity. He's going to give you a disclaimer as well. But Marcus Kennedy has led life-saving search and rescue missions, counter-narcotic operations, and high-performance aviation units. But what makes his leadership unique is not just operational excellence, but his philosophy of intentional, courageous, intrusive leadership. So he challenges leaders to ask a simple but powerful question: Are you okay? In a world where burnout, retention challenges, mental health strain, and cultural friction are real, this conversation matters. So without any further ado, please help me welcome Marcus Kennedy to the Leadership and Success Podcast. How are you doing today, sir?

I'm doing wonderful. Thank you for that great and warm introduction. I am happy, I am honored, and I am excited to be with you today and engage with you on a very important and passionate topic, intrusive leadership.

Yes, sir. And we were saying in the green room, you are going to be only the second 06 in the entire military. I'm going to be calling by first name. The first one is my primary mentor in the IP community. He is my sea daddy, but after he retired, he doesn't want me to call him Captain anymore. So it took me almost a year, but now I can call him by his first name. So Marcus, maybe you have a disclaimer to give to the audience before we get started.

Yeah, it was kind of what you just mentioned. I'm still serving active duty in the Coast Guard, but today I am here in my personal capacity representing the Canady Leadership Group as the CEO. I do not want to make it seem like that this is an official endorsement from the organization of the Coast Guard or anything like that. I do not want to have the appearance of me using the uniform or my title to have some sort of personal gain. So for you and for your audience, just know this is today. For right now, I am just Marcus Kennedy, CEO of the Kennedy Leadership Group. Once again, there is no official endorsement from the organization, from the Coast Guard, or the federal government.

Thank you so much for making it crystal clear. So, Marcus, to get started, what is, uh, one thing you are grateful for today?

What I am grateful for is simply the opportunity. The opportunity to connect with people, the opportunity to put a smile on somebody's face. The opportunity to address somebody's concern. I think that we cannot overlook the opportunities that we have every single day to be able to have a positive impact on others. That is something that I do not take lightly. That is something that I'm really passionate and fortunate to be able to be in those positions. But I don't take those opportunities for granted. You never know when that simple moment could be the difference between someone being here or not. It could be the difference between someone realizing their full potential or not. Or just simply be the difference of them smiling on the way home or not. So that opportunity to have a positive impact on others, is something that I'm truly grateful for.

Wow, thank you so much for sharing that. I guess it goes in alignment with your philosophy, "Are you okay?" It's only 3 words, but it could make a big, big difference. Especially, I remember in my unit when we went through the pandemic, some people just were not okay at all. And just picking up the phone and calling a shipmate and just making sure they are okay really meant a world of a difference. Thank you for sharing that, sir. Is there maybe something about you that most people may not know when they Mitu, that you're willing to share?

Yeah, so I think that people that know me, or they might see me, they see me, you know, hustling, they see me grinding, right? Always doing something, whether it's at the job, I put a lot of time and effort into my career, into my profession, into my passion. I don't think a lot of people know that I have a secret dream. I really want to be a househusband.

Okay, guys, you've heard it for the first time on the Leadership and Success Podcast.

Yes, yes. And so I have this dream of me, yes, being there every day when my beautiful wife comes home from working and battling this world. And I am there with the house clean and dinner being made. You know, I have this secret that I really want to be the world's best househusband.

All right, I better make sure my wife doesn't listen to this podcast. But that is wonderful. Thank you for sharing, sir. And I guess to guess started. I believe, based on my research, you grew up in Savannah, Georgia. So what early leadership experiences shaped the man you became?

So yes, I, uh, I went to high school in Savannah, Georgia. My father was a member of the Coast Guard. Alan Kennedy, uh, did 29 years in the Coast Guard, retired as a chief warrant officer. So I actually moved around a lot.

Right?

When I think about my experiences growing up, moving around a lot as a kid, I had to learn how to make friends. Yes, quick, right? But I also had to get used to being alone, or being okay being by myself. Right. And so I think that very early on, my upbringing, my upbringing allowed me the ability to really find ways to connect with people. There are very few people that I cannot connect with, have some sort of connection with. You know, I lived— I was born in Boston. I lived in Hawaii for a little bit. I lived in California, Ohio, Savannah. You know, my family's from Texas. So it's like no matter where people are from, 9 times out of 10, there's almost a connection there with somewhere I've been. But just being able to really connect with a wide range of people is something that I learned very early on.

Wow, that is so powerful. Because my, my wife was an Air Force brat. So just like you, she grew up all over the place, so she speaks English without an accent whatsoever. And she, she was a son— her dad was a son, uh, in England too. And she said, we, we remember that. What's really funny is she told herself she would never marry a military man because she didn't like, you know, traveling every 3 to 5 years, changing, uh, countries or states or whatever. But, uh, at least the good thing is when I did ask her to marry me, I wasn't in the Navy. But, uh, it did happen much, much later, after 9/11. I felt like I had to do something, but And anyway, I guess if everybody was in the military, will definitely relate, relate to that. And all of this experience, no, having to move, making friends, and learning to be by yourself— what do you think that really taught you that you still kind of can lean on to even today?

Well, As a leader, I feel like it is very important for leaders to be intentional in connecting with everyone that they are leading. Right?

Yes.

They need to find ways, they need to find opportunities where they can build a real and authentic relationship with everyone. Right? I think a lot of leaders, they just think that since they're in the leadership position, how their people feel about them doesn't matter. It's all about how they feel about their people. And I think that's wrong. As a leader, you need to be intentional in earning the trust of the people that you are leading. You need to be intentional in making sure that everyone that works for you knows that you care about them individually, as a whole person, not just as an employee, but you care about them as a person. And that goes for everyone. Because some people, you know, I've heard the phrase, you know, hey, if you don't watch football, then you need to pick a team so that when the boss starts talking about football, you can engage in a conversation, right?

Yes.

But what you're telling somebody is you need to figure out a way how you can connect with your supervisor. The supervisor doesn't need to do anything. It's on you to connect with the supervisor. I think that's wrong. You know, I like football, but guess what? If I find out you like baseball, then guess what? We're going to talk about baseball, and I'm gonna find out why you like baseball. If you like gardening— I don't garden, but guess what? I'm gonna ask you, you know, what is it about gardening that you like? I am, as a leader, I am going to find a way to connect with you so that we can start to build that relationship so that I can end up finding out the best way to lead you.

Wow. That is so simple, but so profound. I guess we are already starting to get into some of the things you talked about in your book, Intrusive Leadership, and I want everybody to get a copy of that. But when did you realize that leadership was more than just your rank or your position?

Who, um, I think that goes back to really my time at the Coast Guard Academy. And I ended up my senior year, I ended up being in a position where in my class, I was the only African American male in my class.

Yeah, I've been there many times before.

So as a senior, you know, I end up basically being the person that was looking out for everybody else, all the other African Americans at the school, making sure that they were okay. If they were dealing with an issue, a lot of times they came to me. And so very early on, I realized that me being in a position of leadership, the power behind that was being able to help support, forge an easier path for the folks that were coming behind me.

Hmm.

And so that kind of started there. And throughout my career, That's just something that's been always important to me. Yes, I am going to use my position of power, not for my personal gain, but to be able to protect the people that need protecting the most. And that goes for everyone. You know, I talked about my experience being the only African American, but That goes for everyone. Because there's been plenty of times that whether it's been African Americans, Hispanics, Asian, or even white males, they've needed someone that truly cared about them.

Hmm.

And being able to be in that position has always been gratifying. So for me, the power behind leadership is being able to protect those that are following you.

Wow. Powerful. Because another thing about your book, which I also love, even in the title, you say, How to Become That Leader. So meaning there are people who may be a leader because they have a title, because they have a job, because they have a rank, but they are not the kind of leader you want to emulate, you want to become. So when did you realize that there were those leaders that really were impactful transformationals that you really wanted to be like or try to emulate? Which experiences kind of led you to that realization?

Yeah. So for me, it was when someone was that leader for me. What does that mean? That leader that even though I stopped working for them 10, 15 years ago, I still talk to him. That leader when I'm going through difficult times, and I really need some advice. That's the leader that I think about. Right? That leader that made a positive impact and made a difference. That's when it's, it's, you know, how do you become that leader? It's how do you become that leader for everyone, right? And so I think about leaders that really got to know me as Marcus, not just Lieutenant Kennedy, not just the Coast Guard pilot,. But they got a chance to know Marcus, right? Yes. They knew me as an individual. They, they understood where I was trying to go in life, right? But I have so many stories. My very first executive officer, Commander John Fitzgerald, he ended up becoming a captain. But, you know, I graduated the academy 25 years ago. And I still talk to my very first XO.

Wow.

He cared about Marcus. He didn't just care about Ensign Kennedy. He cared about Marcus, right? I think about Captain Aaron Roth, who, you know, invited me out for dinner. And I talked about this in the book. He invited me out for dinner and He was a captain in the Coast Guard. We were working close to each other. I wasn't working directly for him, but he wanted to sit down and have dinner and talk to me.

Hmm.

And so I was prepared for a career counseling session. And the first thing he said was, you're about to have your first child, and I want to talk to you about how becoming a father is going to change your life. Wow. I still talk to him today. Matter of fact, you know, I called him on the way home to do this podcast just to check in. Yes, because he cared about me as a father.

Hmm.

He cared about me as a person. He didn't just care about what I was doing as an officer, what I was doing for the organization. That's why he became that leader for me.

Wow.

And I just want that sort of experience for everyone.

Wow. That is really, really powerful. Again, it's simple, but so impactful because one thing it makes me, um, reminded of, especially with junior officers, why sometimes we kind of have difficult time balancing the mission of the organization and then taking care other people, we feel like it's two separate things, maybe opposite. But when did you realize that mission success and people care really were not competing priorities, but they were actually fully aligned? I know in the Navy, we normally say, no, mission first, people always. I think we borrowed that from the Army. But I guess because Guard kind of under times of war usually falls under the Navy, we may have affected your culture too. But I think that is an issue some leaders really have difficulties not showing too much care and then making sure that the mission gets accomplished. How do you feel about that, sir?

So I think that line, mission first, people always— I've heard that. You know, we say that, but I don't think our actions always back that up. Yes. So a lot of times, you know, once again, people have heard that phrase before. But then they've also heard the phrase, hey, if the Army would have wanted you to have a family, they would have issued you one.

Yeah, yeah, I've heard that.

Though those two, those two phrases don't align. Yeah, you know, when you're telling someone if we wanted you to have a family, right, then the Army would issue you one. What, what you're telling that individual is that your family problems are your problems. It's not the Army's problems. The problems that you're having at home, don't bring those into the job. Right? That's what we're telling And it's an interesting thing because when we put this uniform on, we're willing to sacrifice everything.

Yes.

For this country. So imagine telling someone the part of you that is a mother.

Hmm.

Don't bring that into the job. The part of you that is a wife. A husband, right? A child caring for an ailing parent. Those issues and concerns, don't bring those into the job. But then we turn around and we expect them that when the time comes and the situation dictates that they sacrifice all of them for the mission. You can't just sacrifice part of you for the mission. We expect you to sacrifice your whole life if the mission calls for it. So we're telling people, we expect you to sacrifice your life, but we're only willing to lead a small slice of that.

Wow.

That's wrong. For me, when I'm leading someone, I'm letting them know that I'm leading the whole person. Yeah, I'm leading all of them. Because what I tell people is that I might like Lieutenant Smith, but I love John. John to be great. I mean, I need John to be okay so that Lieutenant Smith can be great. See, people can't realize their full potential. Wow. Issues at home or in their personal life. And sometimes those issues are too great for them just to compartmentalize. Now, don't get me wrong, there is a necessity for compartmentalization. There are times that you do need to focus and just lock in on the mission, right?

Yes.

But leaders need to understand that people are people, and sometimes folks need some grace. They need some time. It might just be 10, 15 minutes of just talking through something. But once again, when you give that person 10, 15 minutes and you let them know how much you care about them, they will remember that 5 years from now.

That is so powerful. I think it was Maya Angelou who first said, right, people will forget what you tell them, but they will never, never forget the way you make them feel. And we've all had those leaders that we would follow to the end of the earth just because we knew she cares about me, he cares about me as an individual, not just as, you know, a member of the unit who has some work to do. Wow, that is really powerful. Now, so you've also been an aviator, a pilot MH-65 and Flying Star and counter-narcotic mission. What type of leadership lesson you think can only be learned in the cockpit?

Oh, that is a, that is a good question. Um, only be learned in the cockpit. Um, wow, that's a, that's a tough one. Only, you know, because you put only, right. I do think that one of the things that being in a helicopter crew, and I got to make sure it's known that I'm a helicopter pilot, because we have a rivalry with fixed-wing pilots.

Yes.

I know I'm a helicopter pilot.

Well, so I must tell you, I think it's the secret dream of everybody listening right now, all of the males, to be some type of pilot, helicopter or fighter pilot or something. Yeah, it's their secret dream. They don't want everybody to know. But yes.

But I think that when we fly and we do missions, we let everybody know that everyone has a voice.

Yes.

One of the things, even when we have someone that is on a familiarization flight, like someone that's just riding along with us, We let them know, you see something, you say something. Yes, your voice matters.

Hmm.

Do not think that just because you don't have the amount of flight hours that we have, that doesn't mean that you can't add value to what we're doing.

Wow.

Don't think that because I'm the aircraft commander, and I'm in charge, that you can't end up adding value or sharing a perspective that we need to listen to. Right. And so I think being a helicopter pilot, part of a crew, understanding that, hey, I'm up front. Yeah, we're about to, we're about to do this search and rescue mission. Where we are hoisting to a merchant ship, right? I'm in charge. But it's the flight mech behind me that has a better perspective on the mission that needs to be done.

Wow.

So I need to trust him that he's able to pick out where he needs to position the helicopter I'm listening to him say, 'Forward and right 40, forward and right 20.' I'm not exactly seeing what's going on. Yeah, trusting this junior member because he has a better perspective than what I do, even though I'm in charge. Wow. And so that communication, that trust going back and forth, understanding and being able to communicate that everyone, regardless of experience, regardless of their position, can add a perspective that is valuable.

So what does that teach you then about leading with humility?

So that humility is the same in the aircraft, it's the same in the boardroom. A lot of times executives, vice presidents, they're sitting around the table. But the subject matter experts are actually the people that are sitting in that back bench.

Yes.

Those— the people that are around the table, sometimes they need to realize that, hey, the person that actually has the better perspective on this issue is sitting behind me.

Yes.

Let me bring this person from the bench to the table.

Hmm.

Because even though position-wise, they don't have a seat. Yes, we need to have their perspective. And sometimes that perspective is what needs to be at the table, not just the positional rank.

Wow.

Individual.

That is quite powerful. And I want to acknowledge Gregory Lewis from Georgetown, West Virginia. Thank you. And Gregory, let us know one thing you are grateful for, and also if you have a question for Marcus Kennedy. We will be answering all of those questions live. Everything you are saying, sir, it's really not that complicated, but I guess maybe the gap, the issue is really in the execution. Isn't it?

Yeah, in the execution. Yes, yes. I mean, that leadership is an action, is not necessarily a position. Right. And it's so it's really in how you act. That's really where it comes in. If your leadership is solely based off of your positional authority, then chances are you are just managing.

Yes. Wow.

Leaders, they lead by action, they lead by influence. They don't lead by power.

Right.

And so, you know, you threw me off talking about Greg Lewis, Chief Warrant Officer Greg Lewis. And so me and Greg Lewis, we served together on my very first station.

Wow.

You know, 25 years ago, I had hair on my head. And my knees worked a lot better. But we served together. We, you know, he saw me when I was fresh out of the academy, just getting my feet wet. But it's a very interesting thing. Once again, that humility. Yes, I graduated the academy. I showed up to the mighty warship La Guerre as an ensign. I have the positional rank, right?

Yes.

But who knew the ship better?

The warrant for sure.

Yeah, well, he was a seaman at the time.

Yeah.

Or, you know, striking BM. And so when I needed to learn my job and learn the ship, I needed to listen to the person with the right perspective. Hmm. The fact that I had positional rank authority.

Yes.

He had the knowledge that I needed to gain. And so I need to go to him and say, hey, Seaman Lewis, show me how to, you know, the draw the water main system.

Yes.

That I can get qualified, right? You know, that's a humbling thing. I need someone that was junior to me in order to qualify so I can be successful in my career. I think a lot of times people get senior and they forget that the only reason why they're in that position is because of the people that are following them in the work that they are doing.

Wow, that is really quite powerful and humbling. I think, you know, I had the great privilege of being a commanding officer in the Navy, and I think that's the number one lesson I really learned out of my tour, is to really lead with humility. Because just as a human being, sometimes you get the big head. Hey, I am a commander, I am commanding officer, or I am at the top of my game, and And you take yourself way, way too seriously. And I guess that's part of the reason why I have a family. My wife definitely humbles me at times and I need it, but really keeps me having the right perspective in life. But it really makes a big, big difference when you have a boss who actually cares about you and who also listens, not just listen because they feel like they're checking a box, but they actually care about what you have to say, and they consider that even though they may not do what you, what you end up saying, but they take the time to consider it before they make the final decision. That is so powerful, isn't it?

Yeah, no, definitely. I think that humility is a, is a, oh, it is an underrated superpower for leaders. I have the first edition of the book, I had characteristics for intrusive leadership. The second edition, I added two: courage and humility.

Wow.

Because what I end up finding out is that with intrusive leaders, or people that were missing opportunities to really connect with their people, a lot of times it came down to a lack of humility, right? Once again, listening, right? Humbling yourself to talk about your failures, being able to be transparent and say, hey, I don't have the right answer right now, but together we're going to get through this, right? And also simply just saying, hey, Gray, how can I be a better leader for you?

Yes.

Like, that's a powerful question. There are people that have been leading for years, and they just say, hey, I got this leadership thing down, right? I don't need to ask this person how I can be a better leader for them.

Wow.

I'm the one that's the vice president, right? And so, but that is something that you should ask because every person has a little different need. Yeah, a little different, you know, different concerns, different situations. So leaders need to humble themselves by asking their folks, how can I show up better for you? As you know, I noticed you, you mentioned John Maxwell. Um, in the lead-in. You know, he has that great book, uh, Good Leaders Ask Great Questions.

Yes, right.

Um, but he talked about the feeling of being heard.

Hmm.

He talked about the fact of, uh, he was talking to someone else. It wasn't his quote, but he was quoting somebody, and what he said was that The feeling of being heard is so close to the feeling of being loved.

Wow.

As people can't even tell the difference.

That's powerful. And when you say that again, sir, please say that one more time. Wow.

The feeling of being heard is so close to the feeling of being loved.

Wow.

Most people can't tell the difference. Now if you think about it, how many times, especially as husbands, right, we've been told, hey, I don't need you to solve the problem, I just need you to listen?

Yes, yes.

But think about it in a work sense. People are willing to accept whatever answer, whatever response they get from a senior person As long as they know that their concerns and their perspectives have been heard and been taken into account. It's when they don't feel like they've had a voice, when they don't feel like they've heard, they have a tough time following the direction that is being given.

Wow.

That is quite powerful. And I believe so one thing you said, what, even asking How can I be a better leader? I think in the 21st century, which we are in now, more and more we see how in most workplaces, even in the Navy, you get like 3, 4, 5 generations working together at the same time. We have politicians now who pretty much die in office. They don't want to leave. They don't want to give a chance to the next generation. So you have very, very old people who don't want to retire, and then you have young people like my, my two daughters, right, Gen Zs, maybe out of high school, out of college, just getting started in their career. Like even when I was a CEO, one challenge I had was dealing with these Gen Zs because they're not made the same way as Gen Xs are. I mean, they're completely like almost an alien at times. I didn't know how to lead them, how to motivate them. And my daughters had to become my teachers, my mentors to tell me exactly, hey dad, this is what you need to do in order to motivate people my age because it's completely different. Ways of looking at things, mindset, and like, no, they want timeout and all kinds of stuff. It's like, man, this is crazy. But I guess going back to what you said, sir, why is it so important to even ask the question you asked, how can I lead you, especially when we live in a world where we have people from different ethnicity, gender in the workforce, and even now, 3, 4, 5 generations working at the very same time?

Yeah, well, I think it's just that diversity that everybody's bringing to the table. And that can be, you know, the diversity is where they grew up, diversity of experience. It could be race, it could be gender. But it all leads— those— the diversity that we bring to the table all leads to that diversity of thought. Right. And the research has been done. Everybody understands, everybody knows, mm, that diverse teams outperform non-diverse teams, right? But it's not just simply the fact that you have people that are diverse on the team, but then you force them to think and talk a certain way. Yes, you allow their diversity, their, their difference in thoughts, right? Their different perspectives to play into how the team works. So now they bring their full self, right? So you can have that junior person that says, hey, we can actually streamline this process by using this new technology. Yeah, right. But then you also have the person that's been there 20, 30 years and they can say, hey, the reason why we don't do that idea is because we tried that 15 years ago and this is what end up happening, right? Or I have this relationship with this supplier that I built over the last 15 years And this is how we can leverage it. Right?

Yes.

So that is where, you know, once again, and I've always said, intrusive leadership is going to be the most critical leadership style for the future. Because this younger generation is not going to stand for— they're not going to put up with some of the things that we did coming up through the ranks.

Wow.

They don't want to enter the workforce and just be told, be quiet, sit in the corner and learn, right? They want to come in thinking that they can add value.

Yes.

They want to ask the question, why? You know?

Yes.

Yes, they do want time off, because they're passionate about things that are going on in the community.

Yeah.

Right? As a leader, if you end up not understanding how to connect with this younger generation, you are going to always be in a transactional relationship with them. And they will have no problem taking their talent and going somewhere else. Yeah, this younger generation, they have no problems moving jobs every 4 or 5 years, looking for a better opportunity. Yes. Older generation being in some place 15, 20 years. That's what we thought we were supposed to do. Right. So the, this global competition is going to make it more and more important.

Yes.

To retain quality talent. Wow. Only way that you're going to be able to retain quality talent is being able to connect with people personally. Hmm. I've said the more and more our intelligence becomes artificial, the more and more our personal connections have to become authentic. Because the importance of those relationships, yes, are never going to go away.

Wow, I'm glad you brought that up, sir, because your book, just the title, Intrusive Leadership, I think many people when they read the word intrusive, they kind of get uncomfortable. Why did you intentionally choose that word?

Yeah, well, I choose it for a couple of reasons. One, you mentioned the fact of being uncomfortable. People that understand what real leadership requires, it requires you to get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Yes. Right.

Intrusive. So intrusive leadership, what exactly is it?

Right?

Intrusive leadership is a leadership style that uses intentional actions to inspire, motivate, develop, and support people by caring for the whole person through a trusting relationship. That addresses professional as well as personal interests, desires, and concerns.

Right?

That's the definition. That is actually the definition that I came up with, because when I was doing my research, nobody had actually defined intrusive leadership, right? So that's the definition. What does that mean? Why is it intrusive? Right? Because you have to be intentional if you want to connect. You have to be intentional if you want someone to trust you. Yes, you have to earn that trust with intentionality, right? In order to become that leader that people want to reach out to, right? When things are going tough, you have to be intentional in how you connect with them, right? And make sure that they feel valued. But think about this. Have you ever suffered in silence? Yes, we all have. It is in those moments that you don't need a leader sitting behind their open door waiting for you to come in. You need a leader that understands, that knows you well enough, that can tell us something's off. You're not your normal self.

Hmm.

And they have the courage to go to you and be a little bit meddlesome, a little bit invasive, a little bit intrusive and say, hey, BZ, you don't— you're not yourself today. What's going on?

Hmm, that is really powerful. But let me ask you this. Some people listening to you, they may say, okay, what about micromanagement. And many people don't like to be micromanaged. How is intrusive leadership different from micromanagement?

Because really, it's the, it's the intention. And trust me, this is not something that every hour you're going around. Right?

Yes.

That's not it. Um, but it's under, it's really understanding how individuals like to be led. There are some people, hey, let me know what you want at the end goal and I'll give it to you, right? Don't— I don't need to go back and forth every day. Tell me what you want, I'll bring it to you by the due date. There are other people, they do want that. They want to constant check in. Hey, is this— I'm at this step now, everything good, right? People have different leadership styles that work best for them.

Hmm.

Only way you are going to be able to provide a person the personalized leadership style that works best for them is by you truly getting to know them. The only way that you're going to truly be able to get to know them is by being intentional in asking them and developing a relationship with them. I don't want micromanagers either. Right? That's not what this is. This is not about micromanaging. This is about being the leader that is willing and ready to address any situation. Yes, professionally or personally. But the key thing is understanding that where this relationship is going to go is where the individual wants it to go.

Hmm.

As the leader, I can't press this on someone. Yes, it is up to them. People have different experiences, they have different varying levels of trust. There are some people that are open book, there are some people that are closed book. It might take somebody a week to open up. It might take someone 3 years to open up. Hmm. Whatever it is, it is, it is the decision of the person being led to be able to communicate and decide where this relationship is going to go. Yeah. As an inclusive leader, what is required of me, what I say What is required of the intrusive leader is that everyone knows that you are available to them.

Mm-hmm.

They ever need something.

Yes.

Whether that's professionally or personally, that you will be willing and ready to have that critical yet difficult conversation. It doesn't matter their race. It doesn't matter their religion. It doesn't matter their sexual orientation.

Yes.

They know that they're on the team and they are cared for.

And they're—

Wow, that is so powerful. And Gregory Lewis said, Marcus has challenged me to be a lifelong learner. To lead, you have to mentor. Now, back to what you said earlier, sir. You've said intrusive leadership is built on trust, emotional intelligence, and committed effort. Which one of those three you believe is the hardest for leaders?

So I think, well, let me answer this. Trust is the most important characteristic for intrusive leaders. In order to be able to do this, you have to earn the trust. Yes, of someone. This leadership style is not going to work People are not going to open up. People are not going to talk about what issues and what problems they have if they don't trust you. Even if you ask them, how are you doing? Hmm, they're not going to trust you enough to give you an honest answer. So trust is the most important thing. I would venture to say that emotional intelligence might be the most difficult thing for leaders.

Hmm.

A lot of leaders know the definition of emotional intelligence. A lot of leaders can tell you it's important to understand your emotions and how to manage them and the emotions of other people and how to manage those as well. Every leadership course talks about emotional intelligence.

Yes.

But how many of us have worked for someone with some low emotional intelligence?

Hmm.

Wow.

Too many people are in leadership positions, and they know the definition of emotional intelligence, but they don't know how to display emotional intelligence. So I think one of the more difficult things for leaders to do is actually display emotional intelligence in their leadership style, right? Here's an example. There was a young member of my organization that was facing some punitive actions because of some performance issues. Right? He wasn't performing up to standards. That was the issue at the job. His direct supervisors, they were addressing the issue at the job. That's all they were doing. They were managing the issue at the job. The problem was that he was a son struggling with the loss of his father. Hmm. And they didn't make the connection, even though they had allowed him time off for the services.

Yes.

They didn't have— they didn't display the emotional intelligence to think about how that would impact his emotions well beyond this, the time that the services concluded.

Yes.

And when his performance started to decline, they tried to manage the issue instead of leading the individual really connecting with him as a son.

Yes.

Now when that happened, when I was able to talk to him, have a conversation and address those— once those concerns as a son was addressed, he was now ready to address his issues at the job. And the great thing, uh, once again we talk about gratitude is I remember like it was yesterday, even though it was, it was December, a couple of months ago, watching him get another promotion.

Wow.

Because he had turned things around.

Yes.

Right. But it was that displaying of emotional intelligence that his first line supervisors wasn't doing, understanding where his emotions were at.

Wow, that is really powerful. I mean, when we get the chance to become a commanding officer, vice president, and really have the opportunity to lead, it's really to lead, to serve people, isn't it?

100%. 100%. It is all about your ability to make the people that are following you make their lives better.

Yes.

Make sure— I always tell people, I don't— I, you know, my mentees, people that are junior to me, people that I'm fortunate enough to be in leading leadership positions, I don't want you to be like me. I want you to be better than me.

Yes.

I want you to go farther than me. You know, we, we, we train our replacements, right?

Yes.

We I don't want you to go through the same struggles that I had to go. So I'm going to be a blocker for you, so that you have an easier path, because I want you to go further than what I thought. Right? And so that's what it's about. Now, what's the difference between servant leadership and intrusive leadership? There's a lot of parallels, right? There's a lot of parallels with what I'm saying intrusive leadership is versus servant leadership. But I always say that the difference that I like to, to highlight is that intrusive leaders are very intentional about serving the whole person.

Wow.

At the job, outside the job. See, as a servant leader, I can make sure that you have your safety equipment. Make sure that if you're training, you need some training, I can get you the right training. If your, if your computer is not working, I'll make sure IT gets down here, right? If you, you having some lower back pains, I can make sure that you have a good office chair, right? I can serve you as an employee and never really get to know you as a person.

Wow.

Intrusive leaders.

Powerful.

Yeah, intrusive leaders are servant leaders on steroids.

Yes.

So they go above and beyond at the job and also making sure that you're good as a person.

Well, so I am pretty good at research, but it looks like there are many, many, many books about servant leadership. I know my primary mentor, Dr. Maxwell, probably has written more than 70 books about that. But intrusive leadership, there is one and only one. You are the first and still the only one in 2026. I can't believe it. First, how does that make you feel that you are the only person in the entire world who's speaking about this intrusive leadership, or at least published a book about it.

Yeah, it makes me feel good because it means I'm a better expert on it.

Absolutely. This is just incredible. And I feel like, in my opinion, the military, whether it's the Coast Guard and the Navy, the Army, even the substandard Army— don't tell them that— the entire DOD, we are really like a leadership school on steroids. Even at the lowest, lowest rank. I remember even when I was an E-1, Seaman Recruit, you know, lowest rank in the entire Navy, still they were trying to build me as a leader. But I guess the, the question I have for you, sir, is what inspired you to write this book? Why did this book have to be written?

Yeah, well, it's interesting because that goes back to the previous question. That was a little bit of a joke about me, you know, feeling good But what's unfortunate is because it's only one book, because right now the Kennedy Leadership Group is the one group, leadership group, that is, that has specific training on inclusive leadership. There's a lot of people that are not getting the training. Yes, there are a lot of people that are not having the discussions. There are a lot of people that are not walking away with the understanding of the true impact that they can have on people's lives. So opportunities are being missed every single day of people that aren't actually looking to be very intentional.

Yes.

You know, when it comes to being the leader that people need, that people really want to follow, right?

Yeah.

So I wrote the book because I don't want those opportunities to be missed. And I will tell you, even for me, you know, I felt like I've always led this way. But even after studying it, writing on it, having conversations. I've actually— I've actually can identify opportunities that I would have missed in the past.

Yes.

To connect.

Wow.

I've actually discovered more ways in order to have a positive impact on people. And so I just think, you know, If, if I'm missing opportunities, even though I have always felt this way and felt like I've led this way, yes. How many other people are missing these opportunities? Because they haven't had an opportunity to be trained on intrusive leadership?

Wow, that is really, really profound. Looks like we are already running out of time. Can I get 5 more minutes? Okay. This is such a very important discussion. And by the way, we have Adrian West says outstanding dialogue. Thank you, Adrian. Let us know, Adrian, if you have a question for Marcus Kennedy. We're going to try to answer it while we are still on the show. Yes, sir.

By the way, Adrian West is my senior vice president of the Kennedy Leadership Group, so he's a little bit biased.

Okay, nice to know.

I will tell you though, uh He's biased because this is the way that he leads. Yes, he is a couple of years older than me, even though he has a head full of hair. I'm jealous. But this is the way that he leads.

Yes.

And so when I started this journey, and I thought about people to put on this team, Adrian West was one of the first people that I thought about because this is the way that he leads. When he does presentations and he talks about intrusive leadership, he tells his own stories. He doesn't just regurgitate the stories that I— he has his own stories.

Yes.

This is the way that he leads. Just like my other Senior Vice President, Hans Goversen. Right. I met him summer of '96, 30 years ago.

Wow.

As a freshman. And he, he was very intentional, right, in getting to know people and really having difficult conversations throughout my career. Me and him have had some engaging conversations about life.

Hmm.

And he did that because he valued my experience and my perspective as an African American.

Yes.

He knew that he wanted to be the best leader for anyone, for everyone. So he wanted to get to know that African American perspective. He used me to kind of help help him understand that so that he could be a better leader for the African Americans at his unit. Right?

Powerful.

And so, you know, phenomenal. But those are the people, you know, I just had to make sure that I give a shout out to my two senior vice presidents. And once again, this, this is how, this is how they lead at the core.

Yes. Wow. But I believe Adrian said it best. This is the best quote, I believe. From the entire discussion, "Being heard is so close to being loved that most people cannot even tell the difference." Well, I do have to ask you one more question. For somebody who just picked up your book, what is one concept from the book that most— Well, no, let me put it this other way. If they can only implement one and only one chapter, which chapter should it be?

Oh, well, I would say the characteristics. Yes. Right. Because if you understand the characteristics of intrusive leadership, down deep, right, then you can start doing it. Wow. And the characteristics those ends up being the actions, right?

Yes.

Leading with emotional intelligence, earning trust, active listening, concerted effort, being transparent, leading with humility, leading with courage.

Yeah. And humility and courage are the two that you added from version 2.

Those were the two that I added later, right? If you understand those characteristics and how they play into intrusive leadership, If you do those, then you're going to end up realizing the impacts. Hmm. Right. The impacts of increased employee satisfaction, increased workplace unity, increased retention, right? How it impacts diversity, equity, and inclusion, making sure everyone feels valued, right?

Yes.

How you actually create a psychologically safe environment. All of those things. If you do the characteristics, and you actually put those in action, yes, then you're going to end up realizing the impact.

Wow. That is a great leadway. The last question I'm going to ask about the book before we get to our closing is someone who's listening right now, they've heard everything you've said, they really want to become that leader. What is one thing you recommend they start doing first thing tomorrow morning? Everything we've talked about, what is the one thing you believe will make the biggest difference?

Stop talking so much and listen more.

Yes, I love that. Listen more. My mom used to say, God gives you two ears and one mouth, so use those in that proportion.

People will tell you what they need from you as a leader. If you just give them the opportunity to tell you. Now, you also got to give a safe space, right, for them to tell you the truth.

Yes.

But a lot of times people that are in senior positions, they simply talk too much and listen too little.

True, true.

And so, you know, I was— real quick, because I know we're running short on time— but I was part of an organization, um, dealing with, you know, I mean, I heard about an organization, they were dealing with some issues with discrimination, uh, sexual harassment, sexual discrimination. And in talking to some of the women at this, in this organization, what was interesting was how many, how many of them had never been asked by their supervisor or the people around them, how their experience was in that organization as a woman. Wow. Like, just think about that.

Hmm.

Do these leaders just know? No. Do they feel like they don't need to ask?

Hmm.

Are they afraid to ask because they're afraid of what they're going to hear? Wow. But imagine being in an organization as a woman, and the organization is facing an issue with sexual harassment, you know, sexual discrimination, and nobody asking you your experience at the unit.

Wow.

And they work around you every single day. Now, that's not to say that obviously it's not only women that deal with sexual harassment and the sexual discrimination. I'm not saying that at all. But studies show that it's the majority.

True.

And so I just use that example, like, ask the question.

Wow, man. Willie, I can see it takes intention to be an intrusive leader. But it also takes courage, which you added, because sometimes people may not feel uncomfortable. And like we mentioned earlier, as a leader, you have to learn to be okay with being uncomfortable and dealing with real issues, don't you?

And, and I want to make sure we don't, we, we don't skip this point. Part of that courage is knowing that if that person opens up and tells you what's really going on, and you are in position that you have to hold somebody else accountable, yes, that you will have the courage to go do it.

Yes.

And a lot of times, we know some of this toxic leadership is going on. But people don't have the courage to actually hold those toxic leaders accountable. Wow. Imagine how much distrust is built up when someone tells you I need to be protected. Yeah, this situation is going on. And they tell a leader that is in position to protect them. And leader does not have the courage to do so.

That's right.

Because that person that they need to be protected from might be a peer. Hmm. It might be somebody senior.

Yes.

Right. I say, you know, I, you know, people laugh, but I say I treat, I treat my employees like they're my kids. If you, if you mess with one of my kids, yes, I'm not gonna worry about your rank.

Yes, sir.

I'm gonna worry about how you feel about me. Yes, I'm protecting my kids. And so if you're being toxic If you're exhibiting some behaviors that are not in line with the values of the organization, yes, I'm gonna hold you accountable.

That is really, really powerful. Okay, we definitely already run out of time. If you can give me 3, 5 more minutes, we are going to land this plane. One question I do want to ask you, sir, is what do you think is the greatest lesson you have ever learned? In life, in leadership in general?

Hmm. Well, I will tell you a lesson that's on my heart right now. And that is tomorrow's never promised.

Promise no one.

Yeah. Yeah. I just, uh, there was someone that I, that I talked about in the book, Miguel Rivera Cuadrado. He was the head of the protective service detail when I was the Commandant's aide. He took me and my wife out when I first started that job, special assignment. I was nervous. He told my wife, he told my wife that he would not let me fail.

Wow.

And he was true to his word. Um, and I talked about him in the book because that was just impactful. He was junior to me rank-wise.

Yes.

But he made sure that he let me know that he wasn't going to let me fail. Wow. He told my wife that. Unfortunately, I just found out Sunday that he passed away in a motorcycle accident. Wow. And it's been, you know, on my heart great individual. Yes, but it's one of those things that you just don't know. Tomorrow is not promised. You have to take advantage of the moments today. You don't know what people are going through. You don't know when the next time you're going to see them. Hmm. You think that someone's going through a difficult time, reach out. Yes. You haven't talked to somebody in a while. Reach out, check in, ask how they're doing. Time is short, time is precious, and tomorrow just simply isn't promised.

Wow, thank you so much for sharing that, sir. Uh, the other question I was going to ask is, uh, you got in the Coast Guard as an ensign and now you are a captain. That's only one promotion away from becoming an admiral. Why do you think you've been so successful in the Coast Guard, which is extremely, extremely challenging. What do you believe is the secret to your success, sir?

Yeah, mentorship. I have been very fortunate to have a lot of mentors that were very, very energetic in their mentorship. And they showed me the way. Yes, they, they gave me advice. They steered me away from troubled waters. When I needed to be held accountable and have a difficult conversation, they were willing to have it. Yes, I made mistakes. They offered grace. So mentorship, it was huge. Those mentorship and those relations turned into sponsorship.

Yes.

And when I needed someone to speak my name when I wasn't in the room, those mentors are willing to do that. And so mentorship, and then obviously, you know, God's grace.

Yes.

You know, I wouldn't be able to do anything. And I wouldn't be as successful if it wasn't for a number of people that were praying for my success.

Yes.

And so I always have to remember that, you know, I'm successful because of the man upstairs.

That is really powerful. And of course, at the time, Seaman Gregory and Lewis, you were an ensign. He was kind of your mentor, and he did say today, to lead, you have to mentor. And I think that is so true and so powerful. All right, what kind of things are you learning these days, sir? No, leaders are learners. What are you learning?

So I, uh, just finished a book called Big Asian Energy.

Wow.

Yeah, great book. Great book. I read that book because I want to know how to be a better leader.

If it's hidden here. No, it's not on this one.

No, no, no, no, it's— I actually need to do that. That was my reading list for Uh, but you know what, pull that back up though.

Yes, sir, because I felt like we might talk about some of his books today. Great reading list.

Yeah, great, great. Yeah, this is a good one. But, um, you know, I'll get back to it. But yes, that book I just finished reading, uh, but it goes back to that intentionality piece and being the best leader for everyone. Yes, I just finished reading that book. I wanted to read that book because I want to be the best leader for everyone. And so that book is about— it's actually written for people of Asian descent and talk through some of the barriers that they face being successful in the workplace. Wow. And so I read that book because I wanted to be better prepared about the challenges that Asian members go through or have in their careers so that I can be a better leader for them.

That is really powerful. Well, let me turn that around just a bit. Like I said in the intro, we are celebrating Black History Month now in February in the United States. Why should non-Black, white, Asian, Latino, everybody else be interested in Black history?

Well, I think that we should be interested in history, right? Um, this month is Black History Month, but I think that we should just be knowledgeable in the history of this country, all about it. The reason why we have Black History Month, the reason why we have some of the other— Women's History Month, coming up Hispanic History Month, these recognitions is because a lot of times actual factual history has been left out.

Yes.

And it's been void of the history books. So we have to understand that we have to be a little bit intentional in making sure that the stories that were intentionally left out, right? Wow.

Powerful.

And so, but whether it's history, even when it's history and perspectives, right? So for me, Black History Month, right? I'm an aviator. We can spend a lot of time talking about and understanding the trailblazers of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Mm-hmm.

Right. Did a wonderful fly-in 7 years ago to Moton Field, Alabama, where they right? So we can spend a bunch of time talking about what they had to go through.

Yes.

And those are valuable lessons. But at the end of that conversation, what's important is how I'm feeling as an African American today, working alongside of you.

Yes.

And so what it really should lead to is a discussion. It should lead to relationship building. We can both appreciate what happened, you know, in the '40s, in the '50s, in history, but we write the story of tomorrow.

Wow.

And so let's start talking, let's start understanding one another. How do you feel today as an African-American? And I'm very intentional when I say It's not just the minorities. It's not just the women. It's everyone.

Yes.

This includes white males as well.

Yes.

That relationship— they just aren't allies to initiatives when it comes to DE&I. They benefit from it as well because they should be included in that.

Yes.

How they feel, the issues that they are facing. Making sure that they feel valued and supported. Those things are important too. Will we retain quality talent? If the only time that you talk about retention and the importance of it is just retaining minorities or just retaining women, um, you're sending the wrong message. Yes, right, males. Retaining quality talent is important. All quality.

Yes. Wow. That is a powerful, powerful lesson. Thank you so much. Especially now in 2026 in the United States of America, I think we need to hear it more and more. Thank you so much for sharing, sir. And if you could choose 3 people to have dinner with, they could be alive, dead, or even fictitious character, who would you choose and why?

I would choose Martin Luther King.

Don't have to say anymore. Next.

Let me think. Colin Powell.

Yeah. Let me see. Yeah. Right over there. Yeah. Next.

And I would choose General Longstreet.

Okay. Tell me about that. Why?

General Longstreet was a general in the Confederate Army. He was with Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg. After the Civil War, General Longstreet basically came out and denounced the Confederacy breaking away from the Union. He spoke out against General Lee. He ended up going on and basically putting down a revolt in the Louisiana area. Basically what he was doing was he was protecting freed slaves.

Wow.

From the KKK.

That's amazing.

I would love to talk to him because he was putting his life in danger. And what gave him the courage what gave him the clarity to, even though he was part of the Confederate Army and did that, to have a change of opinion and then actually put his life on the line protecting freed slaves.

Yes. Wow.

I would love to just sit back and talk to him. And when I talk about that history that we don't talk about— yes, that history, those stories that are untold The stories of General Longstreet isn't talked about enough.

Wow, that is powerful. I didn't even know that, so I'm gonna be doing more research. Probably my next leadership article is going to be about him.

There's a great book, Robert E. Lee and Me, by Ty Sidgley. Yes, he talks about it. That, that was my introduction to General Longstreet.

Amazing, because there is also this thing about history when you look back. Sometimes people like to just, you know, focus on quote-unquote good characters, the, uh, heroes, but sometimes you can learn so much more from the villain in history too. And, uh, wow, 100%. Okay, we, we definitely out of time, but let me see if I can ask you 3 more questions and then we are going to end. Uh, if you did have one and only one day to live, sir, what would you have liked your final contribution to be?

A conversation with my kids. Yes.

Yeah.

Just one conversation with my kids to be able to— that they can carry on for the rest of their lives.

Hmm. What do you think you would tell them?

I would tell them to dream big. Dream big and everything you do, do it 100%. And always try to be a positive influence on people.

Now, I usually ask Etta DeVirgian, but I know we completely run out of time now. So I think this is the right time for me to ask, what would you tell your 17-year-old self? At the edge of this incredible career you've had in the Coast Guard and now you have your own business. As well speaking everywhere and making such a huge impact. What would you tell 17-year-old Marcus?

Invest all your money in Google.

That's a good one.

I would, I would tell my 17-year-old self to, you know, just enjoy life. Give people grace, um, and, and, and be a little bit more trusting.

Yes. Wow, wow, thank you. Okay, yeah, I have definitely— we've run out of time. I have so many more questions I wanted to ask, but, uh, okay, can I ask just one, one more if, if I may? This is too good. Wow, I'm, I'm really so Sorry, I guess we've gone almost 25 minutes over, but okay, this is going to be my last question, and then I'm going to ask you what we can do, uh, for you. Uh, if you did have a magic wand and you could solve any problem in the world, what is the one problem you'd like to get resolved first thing tomorrow morning?

The lack of empathy. Yes, I think that a lot of problems will be solved if more people had real empathy for their neighbor.

Yes, so true. Yeah, it goes back to that emotional intelligence we talked about. All right, so, uh, last question would be, what can we do to add value back to you? Thank you, thanks so much for your time and your wisdom today. We really appreciate that.

I think one thing that would be able to help me out is if, um, you really do believe in, in intrusive leadership and what I have what my passion is, is through the Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association, there is an Intrusive Leadership Fund. That fund, the sole purpose of the fund is to purchase books for members when I go to military units. I do not want to sell books to military members. I want to be able to gift them the book. So if you donate to the Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association Intrusive Leadership Fund, your fund, your money, your donation goes to purchasing books for military members. And you can go to the website, kennedyleadershipgroup.com, and the Support Your Troops tab at the top will take you to the page to be able to make that donation.

Perfect. Thank you. Thank you so much for sharing, sir. And also, everybody, please, uh, follow the, uh, Captain on LinkedIn and kennedyleadershipgroup.com, as you can see on the screen. Okay, we are definitely, uh, at the end, sir. Is there a question I should have asked you I didn't get a chance to ask?

No, I think you hit it up. What you failed to ask me— if I would be willing to come back. Answer is yes. Thank you so much, Coach BZ. Thank you so much for this opportunity. Thank you what you're doing, spreading the positive message on leadership. That cannot be spread enough. We have to talk more and more about the positive impacts of leadership. And so thank you for what you're doing. Thank you for offering me and the Kennedy Leadership Group this opportunity. Much appreciated.

Very, very much appreciated. So such a great, great honor. I always like to end with a, on a positive note. So what is one thing you are feeling optimistic about?

The future, the future. I refuse to be pessimistic about the future. I think that better days are ahead. Sunshine will shine again. We control the future, and I think our future will be bright.

I think that is really key right now because I think for the first time in American history, most kids feel like their future is going to be much worse than their parents. They can't afford a home, they can't get a job. I mean, there's a lot of things their parents could do that they just cannot do right now. And I really appreciate that message. We do need to believe that. Definitely not under my watch, right? If that's gonna happen, it's so long after I'm gone, not under my watch. Because I come to America, I was 17-year-old, I'm barely speaking English, but I've always felt like, no, I need to leave this country better than the way I found her in 1996 when I came here as an immigrant. I have to, there is no other way. Same feel I feel about the Navy. After 21 years of service, the Navy's probably gonna kick me out, but whenever they do though, I want the Navy to be better in 2025, 2026 than it was when I joined in 2004. It's, uh, wow. Well, thank you, sir. So this is, this is it. This is the end of the show. So what is one word that represents our shared experience on this podcast today? One word.

Engaging.

Engaging. Well, I am always, always very, very grateful. Thank you. Thank you so much for your time. Captain Marcus Kennedy, really appreciate your time and your wisdom. Thank you, sir. Appreciate that.

Thank you. Take care.

All right, everybody. This is it for the book. Again, get a copy of Intrusive Leadership: How to Become That Leader. Like I said, this is the one and only book in the world about intrusive leadership right now. And also make sure, like the captain said, go to his website and support the foundation. And all of the money you give, I understand, is untaxed. Deductible, so you are doing something good no matter how much you give. I know they give you, like they say you may give $25, $100, $250, but really you can give any amount even if it's $5. And for those who follow me, you understand that $5 could literally change the world. I remember when the war in Ukraine started, we raised over $2 million and All of my followers, I ask them to give only $5, and that really makes a big, big, big difference. All right, this is it. This is the end of the show. Tomorrow I am going to have, I believe, 2 more interviews. I will let you know about that on my LinkedIn feedback later today. And I'm going to have a great interview on Sunday. I'm really looking forward to that. It's going to be another coach mentored by my primary mentor, Dr. John C. Maxwell. She's gonna be on Sunday afternoon, and I can't hardly wait. And one thing about the John Maxwell family, I guess we call ourselves Maxwell Leadership these days, people you've never met, you just met for the first time, but you really have the same leadership DNA as if you've been friends for a lifetime. It's really amazing when you see that. So thanks again for watching. And also I promise I will continue The lesson we did on the Book of Proverbs is not a religious study. It's just about the wisdom and the leadership lesson from the Book of Proverbs. I know I kind of put a pause on that, but we are going to continue that very, very soon. And I will let you know on my LinkedIn feed. Again, thanks again for watching. It's a great honor to be with you, and hopefully we are adding value to you. Bye for 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 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 21st century. Until next time, stay inspired, stay committed, and keep leading with excellence.