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

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

2025/7/1
logo of podcast A Bit of Optimism

A Bit of Optimism
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Gordon Schmidt
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Simon Sinek
以真诚和学习态度著称的领导力专家和激励演讲者。
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Gordon Schmidt: 我认为理解团队的感受是激励团队并帮助他们发挥最佳水平的关键。在海豹突击队的训练中，团队合作是成功的关键，这与赛艇运动的本质相同。我尽量将我的身份与我的工作分开，不完全认同自己是海豹突击队队员。退役后我感到失落，是因为我意识到海豹突击队是我生命中很重要的一部分，并且失去了战友之间的情谊。我必须接受失去战友的痛苦，不再麻木自己，而是拥抱它。指导年轻人很有意义，但我必须接受失去战友的痛苦。我发现自己比想象中更有耐心，也喜欢执教，也喜欢指导年轻的海豹突击队员。我仍然热爱海豹突击队，并且随时愿意为他们效力。赛艇队和海豹突击队有很多相似之处，包括男性自尊和协调性。我从这件事中看到了海豹突击队的精神，以及在逆境中奋起反击的力量。 Simon Sinek: 我发现Gordon现在很开心，他找到了归属感和身份认同。所有退伍军人都会怀念在军队中的战友情谊，特种部队的这种情谊更为强烈。Gordon颠覆了人们对海豹突击队的刻板印象，他在领导中展现出人性，而不仅仅是坚韧和力量。你不必是最强的、最快的或最好的射手，重要的是团队合作。强大的团队比强大的个人更重要，这是私营部门最常被误解的事情。私营部门经常试图将从海豹突击队学到的经验应用于个人，但实际上，团队才是最重要的。即使被调到不同的项目或团队，也要努力做到最好。如果他一直怨恨，他就会一直平庸下去。团队文化很重要，即使落后，也要有信心赢得比赛。

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Chapters
Retired Navy SEAL Gordon Schmidt transitioned from a military career to coaching high school rowing. He discusses the challenges of this transition, including the initial difficulty of leaving the military and finding a new sense of purpose. He reflects on the unexpected patience he's developed as a coach.
  • Gordon Schmidt's 20-year career in the Navy SEALs
  • His transition to high school rowing coach
  • The unexpected development of patience in his new role

Shownotes Transcript

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.

Gordon Schmidt is a retired Navy SEAL with enough combat experience to understand that empathy is an operational advantage, not a weakness. After 20 years of military service, he started his second act as a high school rowing coach. According to Gordo, be it coaching rowers or leading soldiers, the emotional lessons he’s learned about leadership apply just the same.

In this conversation, Gordo shares with me how to move on into a new chapter in life and why emotional intelligence in high-stress situations is often a leader’s only way out.This…is A Bit of Optimism.For more on Gordon and his work, check out:San Diego Rowing Club)