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THE ED MYLETT SHOW

Leadership & Valor: A Conversation with Vice Admiral James Crawford

THE ED MYLETT SHOW

Ed Mylett

Education, Entrepreneurship, Self-improvement, Business

4.914.1K Ratings

🗓️ 24 February 2026

⏱️ 64 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What does real leadership look like when the building is on fire…literally? In this episode, I’m joined by my good friend and guest host Michael Savage and a man whose life defines servant leadership at the highest level, Vice Admiral James W. Crawford III. Jim was inside the Pentagon on 9/11 when it was struck. He later helped advise on some of the most consequential military decisions of our generation. And today, he serves as President of Texas Southern University, shaping the next generation of leaders. This conversation is not about flashy leadership. It’s not about titles, money, or Instagram fame. It’s about character. It’s about humility. It’s about what you draw on when all eyes turn to you and the pressure is on. Jim said something that stopped me in my tracks. In times of stress, you either become who you are or you revert to your training. That day in the Pentagon changed the trajectory of his life. And yet, when he talks about it, you hear gratitude, not ego. Service, not self. We went deep into what leadership really demands. Humility as a shield against ego. Authenticity in unguarded moments. Mission first. People always. Jim opened up about imposter syndrome, about looking in the mirror at three stars on his uniform and still being astounded it was him. He shared how working on his grandfather’s tobacco farm shaped his values, and why he chose education over seven figure corporate roles after retiring from the Navy. His answer was simple and powerful. Service does not end when the uniform comes off. If you are an entrepreneur, a founder, a CEO, a parent, or someone who simply wants to lead your life better, this is a masterclass. We talked about raising agile thinkers in an AI driven world. About how fear can freeze you if you let it. About why the best leaders are not the smartest person in the room, but the one who knows where their reservoir of strength comes from when the storm hits. Jim’s reservoir is his faith. Yours might be something else. But you better know what it is. This episode reminded me why I started this show in the first place. Real leadership is about people and for people. And when you get that right, everything changes. Key Takeaways: Why humility is the leader’s greatest shield against ego and arrogance What it means to be authentic in unguarded moments Mission first. People always. How to integrate both without burning out How to lead through crisis by reverting to your training and values Why constant learning and agility are essential in an AI driven world The importance of identifying your personal reservoir of strength before the storm comes How service can and should continue long after titles and uniforms are gone Share this with someone who wants to lead better, serve deeper, and live with greater purpose. Let’s Max Out. Also don’t miss out on MAXOUT2026: Once a year, I open my home for an intimate one-day experience unlike anything else I do. This year, I’m making it even smaller, just 15 to 18 people. Together, we’ll dive deep into the exact strategies I use to plan, visualize, and design the best year of my life and yours. If you’re ready to Max Out your future, join me at Maxout2026.com for a life-changing day you’ll never forget. 👉 SUBSCRIBE TO ED'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW 👈⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   → → → CONNECT WITH ED MYLETT ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ← ← ←  ➡️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   ➡️⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FACEBOOK⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   ➡️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LINKEDIN⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   ➡️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  ➡️ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WEBSITE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:32.9

This is the Edm Island Show. Welcome back to the show, everybody. So, you know, this year you're going to see some enhancements to the show that I'm really excited about. One of those things you're going to see is we're going to add additional content to the channel, meaning you're going to see a few other hosts on the show that have been friends of mine for a long time and that I think will bring things to the table potentially that I can't. And so you're going to get extra stuff this year on the show. And I know a lot of you have been excited about that.

0:56.9

And so I'm going to get extra stuff this year on the show.

0:55.2

And I know a lot of you have been excited about that. And so I'm officially announcing that

0:58.2

today. And for one of the shows that you did this year, I wanted to do something where we talked

1:03.3

about leadership, but that's sort of a topic that gets beaten up an awful lot, particularly in the

1:08.0

social media age. So today's not about the type of leadership you see on Instagram where it leads to a Lamborghini or a Ferrari or some, you know, big house you own, but the type of leadership that really matters, which is servant leadership. And I want to talk about leadership in the context of valor and service, dedication to a mission greater than yourself. And so I asked a good friend of mine, Michael Savage, who's to my left, and I know a lot of you when you hear that name, you're thinking of some political host on the rate, this is not that Michael Savage, this is a different Michael Savage. This Michael Savage has been involved with Tony Robbins for the last 20 years, working side by side with Tony. He's one of the great minds and personal development and leadership. And when I told Michael, I want to do an early show this year on leadership, valor, dedication to serving other people. He said, I have the gentleman for that. So Michael, I wanted to introduce you first and let you introduce your good friend here today who we're going to visit with for the next hour. Thanks, Ed. You know, leadership, Valor, like you said, it doesn't come with flashiness all the time.

2:06.4

Instagram gives us that.

2:07.6

But real leadership is about servant leadership.

2:10.7

And I'm extremely honored to have Vice Admiral James Crawford, who's now the president of Texas Southern University

2:18.1

to join us. I had the privilege of meeting the Vice Admiral a little over a year ago when I was

2:23.8

visiting Texas Southern and spent some time with the Board of Regents there. Got to go to the Battle of the

2:28.3

Bands, which was an amazing experience to be guided with the president of the college through it was awesome and um you know

2:36.9

i'd asked some friends about uh crawford and i have some friends that we've discussed that are

2:43.6

years and years of decorated service in the navy and everyone said he exemplified leadership

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