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The story of America is the story of getting punched in the face and choosing to come back stronger. That is not just history. That is leadership. As the country turns 250, BJ sits down with Army Colonel Steve Messenger to unpack what that actually demands of you. Steve teaches a class called Failing with the Stoics and has spent his career building leaders inside the military's deliberate, hierarchical, brutal development system.

In this episode, Steve and BJ get into the BRAG framework for servant leadership, why solid citizens and learners need totally different things from you, the three ropes every leader has to bounce off of, the moment a major stepped into a combatives ring and got slammed in the face, and the identity lie most leaders quietly believe. The line that stuck with BJ: chase people, not badges.

Topics discussed:

00:00 - Reagan, freedom, and the 250th birthday setup

01:13 - Why America's story is the story of getting back up

07:25 - Doing your best when life has split priorities

10:07 - The Failing with the Stoics class

11:04 - Solid citizens vs learners and what each one needs

14:01 - The BRAG framework for servant leadership

19:00 - The major who stepped into the combatives ring

24:29 - Jack Hughes and the gold medal goal that says it all

27:11 - The three ropes every leader needs to bounce off of

35:02 - The identity lie most leaders quietly believe

Connect with Stephen Messenger: