Commander's Intent

When making tough leadership decisions, should you trust the facts or protect people's feelings? In this episode of Commander's Intent, retired Air Force Colonel and fighter pilot Derek Oakes shares a powerful lesson from his military aviation career about leadership, accountability, and accepting difficult feedback. Through an unforgettable fighter pilot training experience, Derek revea...

What does it take to make the right decision when the pressure is on and everyone is watching? In this episode of Commander's Intent, host Derek Oaks, retired Air Force Colonel and fighter pilot, welcomes Steve Young, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback, Super Bowl champion, and two-time NFL MVP, for a powerful conversation about leadership, preparation, accountability, and making decisions in high-...

What if the biggest threat to your organization's success isn't your competition, but how you treat your people? In this episode of Commander's Intent, host Derek Oaks, retired Air Force colonel and fighter pilot, explores why the Golden Rule remains one of the most powerful and overlooked principles of effective leadership. Through military history, real-world business examples, an...

Is an MBA worth the time, money, and investment, or is real-world experience the better business education? In this episode of Commander’s Intent, Derek Oaks and Rob examine both sides of the MBA debate. An MBA can provide valuable knowledge in strategy, finance, operations, marketing, and business decision-making, but can a classroom really teach judgment, courage, culture, and leadership under p...

As AI becomes more powerful, will technology eventually replace the value of human networks, relationships, and experience? In this episode of Commander’s Intent, Derek Oaks sits down with Judd Borakove, a six-time C-suite executive, three-time exit leader, growth advisor, and co-founder of Talent Fueled, to explore why human connection may become even more valuable in an AI-driven world. Judd exp...

A packed schedule can make you feel productive, but are the things filling your day actually moving you toward your vision? In this episode of Commander’s Intent, Derek Oaks and Rob Powell use a lesson from their military aviation careers, “cube out before you gross out,” to reveal what happens when leaders fill their time, teams, and organizations with tasks before prioritizing what matters most....

Can changing your words change the way you lead? In this episode of Commander’s Intent, Derek Oaks sits down with speaker, author, leadership consultant, and podcaster Becky Kemp to explore the power of language in leadership. They discuss how our thoughts and words influence emotions, actions, decision-making, and results, and why great leadership begins with learning to lead yourself. Becky shar...

What are you truly capable of, and how will you ever know if you never push yourself far enough to find out? In this episode of Commander’s Intent, retired Air Force Colonel and fighter pilot Derek Oaks shares the remarkable story of WWII fighter pilot JM Taylor, a member of the legendary Flying Tigers who survived being shot down, captured, and held as a prisoner of war. But it’s a story from Tay...

Would you rather have Maverick or Iceman on your team? In this episode of Commander’s Intent, retired Air Force Colonel and fighter pilot Derek Oaks and co-host Rob Powell explore one of leadership’s toughest challenges: balancing dependable rule followers with innovative thinkers who challenge the status quo. Discover why great organizations need both, how to recognize a true Maverick from a trou...

Is confidence really the secret to great leadership, or are we spending too much time chasing something that should be the result of other things? In this episode of Commander’s Intent, Derek Oaks sits down with author, speaker, consultant, and productivity expert Heather Jo Kennedy to challenge conventional thinking about confidence. Heather argues that confidence is valuable, but often a byprodu...

What does a leadership essay written in 1899 have to teach today’s leaders? In this episode of Commander’s Intent, Derek Oaks and Rob Bau unpack A Message to Garcia, the famous essay written by Elbert Hubbard in 1899 about personal initiative, duty, reliability, and getting the job done. The story follows Lieutenant Andrew Rowan, who was tasked with delivering an important message to Cuban rebel l...

How do you lead a team when budgets change, contracts disappear, or rapid growth forces you to rethink who does what? In this episode of Commander’s Intent, Derek Oaks sits down with retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Max J. Stitze to discuss how leaders can build, grow, and even shrink teams without destroying trust and culture. Drawing from nearly four decades of military leadership, Max s...

What can business leaders learn from commanding a U.S. Navy attack submarine? In this episode of Commander's Intent, retired Air Force Colonel Derek Oaks sits down with Commander William Spears, a career submariner and U.S. Navy officer, to explore the leadership principles that apply whether you're commanding a nuclear-powered submarine or leading a corporate team. Drawing from decades...

Will artificial intelligence replace your job... or make you dramatically better at it? In this timely episode of Commander's Intent, retired Air Force Colonel Derek Oaks and co-host Rob sit down with software developer, AI strategist, author, and entrepreneur Richard Webb to explore one of the biggest leadership questions of our time: How do we survive and thrive in the age of AI? Rather tha...

How do exceptional leaders make the right decisions when the pressure is high, the path isn't clear, and the stakes couldn't be greater? In this episode of Commander's Intent, retired Air Force Colonel Derek Oaks and co-host Rob Powell welcome retired Navy Commander and Stories of Service host Theresa Carpenter for an insightful conversation on leading through uncertainty, conflict,...

How do you innovate in an industry where every decision is scrutinized, every regulation matters, and failure simply isn't an option? In this fascinating episode of Commander's Intent, retired Air Force Colonel Derek Oaks and co-host Rob Powell sit down with Michael Duke, Founder and CEO of DBT Aero, to explore what it really takes to bring groundbreaking innovation to one of the world&a...

What makes America truly exceptional, and what can today's leaders learn from the principles that shaped a nation? In this thought-provoking episode of Commander's Intent, retired Air Force Colonel Derek Oaks and Rob explore the origins of American Exceptionalism and why its foundational ideas remain essential for effective leadership and decision-making. From the Declaration of Independ...

What if the world's greatest leadership training ground isn't found in the boardroom but inside the gaming industry? In this fascinating episode of Commander's Intent, Derek Oaks sits down with global media strategist and gaming industry expert Gayle Dickie to explore how gaming has evolved into one of the world's most powerful ecosystems for leadership, strategy, innovation, a...

What if one simple conversation could change someone's life? In this inspiring episode of Commander's Intent, retired Air Force Colonel Derek Oaks sits down with bestselling author Jason Wright to explore the profound impact of human connection, empathy, and intentional leadership. Drawing from years of traveling, writing, and meeting strangers from all walks of life, Jason shares powerf...

What happens when trust is the difference between success and failure, or even life and death? In this episode of Commander's Intent, Derek Oaks sits down with retired Air Force JTAC and business leader David Bickel to explore why trust is the foundation of every high-performing team. Drawing from combat deployments, close air support missions, and leadership experience in both military and b...

What if the key to extraordinary leadership isn't found in the big decisions, but in the small things you do every day? In this episode of Commander's Intent, retired Air Force Colonel Derek Oaks shares a heartfelt tribute to his mother and the powerful leadership lesson she taught him without ever stepping into a boardroom or cockpit. Drawing on the fighter pilot concept of "mother...

What does it take to lead effectively when you're caught between executive decisions and the needs of your team?  In this episode of Commander's Intent, Derek Oaks sits down with leadership consultant, author, and former financial executive  Douglas Scherer to explore the realities of leading inside large organizations. Drawing from more than 20 years in a global financial institution, D...

In this episode of Commander’s Intent, retired Air Force Colonel Derek Oaks sits down with keynote speaker, consultant, and ICU Living founder Julie De Jesus for a powerful conversation about leadership, mental health, trust, and the human need to feel seen. Drawing from her own experience overcoming toxic leadership and burnout, Julie shares how one mentor changed the course of her life simply by...

Fifty-eight years ago, a 23-year-old soldier named Larry Weist was stacked with the bodies of the dead after a helicopter was shot out of the Vietnam sky. Then someone saw his hand move.  In this episode of Commander's Intent, retired Air Force Colonel Derek Oaks shares the story of his friend Larry, and the one decision Larry made when he realized he'd been given a second chance at life...

In this episode, Derek Oaks shares powerful lessons from flying combat missions, training fighter pilots, and navigating high-pressure environments where one wrong decision can change everything. Through real stories from the cockpit and everyday life, he breaks down the concept of “focus allocation” and why multitasking is one of the biggest myths sabotaging performance, leadership, and decision-...