The Quiet Power of the Empathetic Leader with Navy SEAL turned rowing coach Gordon Schmidt

A Bit of Optimism

The Optimism Company from Simon Sinek

Self-improvement, Careers, Business, Management, Education

4.8 • 1.9K Ratings

🗓️ 1 July 2025

⏱️ 70 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When morale problems affect a team, some leaders choose to make a big, rousing speech. But quite often, it’s the quiet leader who leads with empathy that sees a better emotional solution.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you by True Classic.
0:02.4	They're a great company, and I love their CEO.
0:05.3	I've actually been wearing their t-shirts long before they became a sponsor.
0:09.4	Their stuff is pretty fantastic, so do check it out.
0:13.4	Do you prefer coaching teens, or do you want to go back and coach Seals?
0:17.8	If the Navy Colgian said, we're looking for somebody to coach Seals, would you
0:21.0	entertain the job if it meant leaving the kids? Oh, if it meant leaving them, I don't know that I
0:27.8	can answer that question. It would be a torturous decision. It would be a torturous decision.
0:34.2	When we try to think of what it takes to inspire a team, we often picture a big, dramatic speech,
0:40.9	or making some sort of bold, powerful move, but sometimes it takes a lot less.
0:47.2	Simply understanding how a team is feeling is all it takes to inspire them and help them
0:53.9	operate at their natural best.
0:56.2	That's what I love about Gordon Schmidt. Gordo is a retired Navy SEAL who spent
1:01.7	nearly 20 years leading teams in combat and has found his second act as a high school
1:07.8	rowing coach. For Gordon, great leadership is not about making a big scene.
1:14.1	It's quite the opposite.
1:15.5	It's about quietly guiding people when it matters most.
1:20.1	This is a bit of optimism.
1:26.4	You had what some people at least from looking from the outside and had one of the coolest
1:32.5	jobs, passion-driven, amazing team spirit.
1:37.3	How long were you in the Navy?
1:39.1	I was in 20 years and six months.
	...

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