Ice Cold Leader

CHAPTER 15Managing the Extremes and the In-betweens—Being in the Moment

BY 2017, I HAD LEFT THE FBI AND STARTED MY LEADERSHIP consulting firm. I arrived at a client meeting in the city of brotherly love (Philadelphia) a little early, so I ducked into a coffee shop to kill some time and read a book by Simon Sinek called Leaders Eat Last.

The book began with a story of a pilot whose nickname was Johnny Bravo. In the story, Johnny Bravo was providing air support for a Special Operations Unit patrolling in Afghanistan. As the story moves along, Johnny Bravo describes how the unit he was supporting patrolled into a narrow canyon that left them dangerously exposed to all manner of enemy aggression. What's more, a fog had settled over the top of the canyon, which obstructed Johnny Bravo's view of the patrol and his ability to properly support them from his aircraft.

As Johnny Bravo deftly maneuvered his aircraft underneath the fog over the canyon to get a better view of the patrol, he realized he was witnessing the patrol in a gunfight. They had been ambushed. From there, I was enthralled with Johnny Bravo's ability and bravery as he maneuvered underneath the clouds inside the narrow canyon to provide fire support for the Special Operators fighting for their lives on the ground.

I was immersed in the story. First of all, how can you not love a story about somebody nicknamed Johnny Bravo? But mostly, I was enjoying the story because it was familiar to me. I recognized all the elements ...