Sergeant Major Carlos Ruiz - Culture, Communication, and Modern Marines

Leadership is often viewed through the lens of decisiveness. Direct orders and quick thinking. But the most impactful modern leaders are those who prioritize collaboration, and remain present in their leadership roles. I’ve been thinking about the future, and today’s junior Marines are different: researchers, thinkers, and seekers of authenticity. They aren’t afraid to ask the hard questions. In this candid conversation, Sergeant Major Carlos Ruiz and I explore why leaders must shift from issuin

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May 18, 2026

Sergeant Major Carlos Ruiz - Culture, Communication, and Modern Marines

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April 7, 2026

CMSSF John Bentivegna - From Imposter Syndrome to Chief of the Space Force

John Bentivegna didn’t plan to spend 30 years in the military. He joined the Air Force with a simple goal: serve a few years, earn veteran’s preference, and come back to New Jersey to become a firefighter. Instead, that four-year contract turned into a career that eventually led him to become the Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force, the senior enlisted leader of the newest branch of the U.S. military. In this conversation, Bentivegna looks back at the moments that shaped how he leads. The e

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March 16, 2026

Rear Admiral James R. McNeal - Leadership Behind the Mission

Most leadership conversations center on the person out front. The one giving the orders. The one standing on the stage. I’ve always been fascinated by another side of leadership. The people who make the mission possible long before anyone sees the result. In this conversation, Rear Admiral James McNeal and I talk about a career spent supporting complex missions across the Navy. Logistics rarely grabs headlines, yet every operation depends on it. Ships move, teams deploy, and missions succeed bec

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Feb. 16, 2026

Mr. Vic Minella, Former Under Secretary of the Navy - From Enlisted Sailor to the Pentagon's Second-Highest Civilian

Former Under Secretary of the Navy Vic Minella shares his remarkable 38-year journey from enlisted sailor in rural Mississippi to the Department of the Navy's second-highest civilian position. We discuss how 9/11 rewired his approach to leadership and personal responsibility just three months into his naval intelligence career, what it was like managing dual Pentagon roles during a presidential transition, and the moment he found out about his promotion while sick in bed. Vic offers hard-earned

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Dec. 28, 2025

Senior Advisor to SecNav, C. Scott “Sonny” Duncan, LtCol, USMC, Ret: A Career Shaped by Conviction, Culture, and Courage

Lieutenant Colonel retired C. Scott “Sonny” Duncan joins me for one of the more thought-provoking conversations I have hosted on Moments in Leadership. Sonny’s path is anything but typical. He enlisted in the Navy, earned an ROTC scholarship, commissioned as a Naval Officer, transitioned into the Marine Corps, became an F/A 18 pilot, graduated from Top Gun, instructed at NAWDC, and was slated to command an F35 squadron before the COVID mandate brought his career to a crossroads. We cover how he

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Oct. 30, 2025

CSM Joanne Naumann, U.S. Army - Leading at the Edge of Trust and Accountability

Command Sergeant Major Joanne Naumann, Senior Enlisted Leader for U.S. Army Special Operations Command, shares hard-earned lessons on humility, trust, and leadership in high-pressure environments. She joins Moments in Leadership for a powerful conversation about what it means to lead when the stakes are highest. Currently serving as the Senior Enlisted Leader for U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) , CSM Naumann has spent nearly three decades guiding and mentoring soldiers in the Army’

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