Leadership Under Fire

Doug Kechijian is a physical therapist and CEO and co-founder of Resilient Performance Systems. Resilient seeks to systematically explore the continuum between acute rehabilitation and athletic performance. Resilient’s clientele includes athletes and operators from Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA), professional mixed martial arts, X Games, Winter and Summer Olympi...

On Thursday, May 5, 2022, US Marine LtCol, attorney and veteran advocate Justin Constantine passed away at the age of 52 after a long bout with cancer. While on a combat patrol with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines in October 2006, Justin was severely wounded by an Al Qaeda sniper’s bullet which inflicted devastating damage to his face. Through teamwork, mental fortitude, the gifted hands of surgeons an...

In this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast, you’ll hear from American climber and author, Ed Webster. This recording of Webster reflecting on risk and resiliency took place in Pennsylvania in October 2012 at the first Leadership Under Fire Making Yourself Hard to Kill Conference, which paved the way for future Leadership Under Fire conferences and events. Web...

In this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast, we welcome back to the show LtCol Charlie Black, USMC (Ret). Black was featured on the podcast in early February 2020 in episode #27 where he discussed leadership in a rapidly changing environment. Shortly after the episode aired, all of our lives were drastically impacted by world-changing events including the trag...

This is the second and final installment of our Leadership Under Fire Fireside Chat Series featuring FDNY Chief Jack Pritchard (Ret) and Captain Tommy Gardner. Both individuals have worked in some of the busiest companies in the FDNY and served in the United State Navy prior to joining the Department. This conversation affords seasoned leaders the opportunity to candidly reflect on leadership less...

On September 11, 2021, Wendell Stradford marked his 63rd birthday, the birth of his granddaughter, and the end of his nearly forty-year career with the NYPD. Detective Stradford aged out of service after having spent the bulk of his career working and solving cold cases. There were many successes in the detective’s time on the job, but there were many challenges that came along with it. He joined...

This episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast is hosted by Jim McNamara and features FDNY Battalion Chief Jack Pritchard (Ret) and Captain Tommy Gardner. Both individuals have worked in some of the busiest companies in the FDNY. Chief Pritchard started his career in 1970 in Squad 4. During his career he went on to work in Rescue Co. 2, Rescue Co. 5, Engine Co. 255,...

Deputy Chief Jim Ginty is a 37 year veteran of the FDNY. Assigned as a probationary firefighter to Einge Co. 43/Ladder Co. 59 in 1984 to the war ravaged Bronx. Upon promotion to Lieutenant, an assignment to Ladder Co. 28 in Harlem. As a Captain, he served in Ladder Co. 147 in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Upon yet another promotion, Chief Ginty returned to Harlem in Battalion 12. Chief Ginty capped off his...

Leadership Under Fire founder Jason Brezler hosts this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast. Our guest in this episode is Captain Brian McNulty of the Milwaukee Fire Department’s Rescue Company 2. Capt McNulty joined the ranks of the Milwaukee Fire Department in 1999. In addition to serving as the company commander of Rescue Co. 2, McNulty is a co-director for...

In this episode, listeners will hear the final installment of a recording captured in 2019 at a Leadership Under Fire Summit in Annapolis, Maryland. This talk is a departure from the interviews featured on this podcast and offers a glimpse into how the LUF team approaches advancing leadership and optimizing human performance under fire during scheduled events and seminars. The presenter you'll hea...

FDNY firefighter Brendan Cawley is a survivor of the horrific Black Sunday Fire which occurred in the Bronx on the morning of January 23, 2005. Brendan is one of six members who jumped from the top floor of a 4-story apartment building on E. 178th St. Thirty-four months later, he returned to full duty status after a miraculous and grueling recovery from the physical and mental injuries he sustaine...

2022 marks the 110th anniversary of the Equitable Building Fire in New York City. On January 9, 2012, the Equitable Life Assurance Building located in Manhattan’s Financial District caught fire after a match was carelessly thrown into a trash can. Within minutes, almost the entire building was engulfed in fire. Outside, the wind was howling at nearly 40 miles per hour–with gusts of up to almost 70...

In this episode, host Patti Murphy is joined by LUF Founder Jason Brezler and LUF’s Human Performance Advisor James McNamara. If you’re tuning into this podcast for the first time, you can listen to episodes no. 5 and 12 to learn more about each of them. Since this is our year in review episode, the team covers a lot in just a short amount of time. 2021 seems to have been a long, divisive year whe...

Commander David Sears (Ret) served twenty years of active military duty as a US Navy SEAL officer. He served on multiple east coast SEAL Teams, Naval Special Warfare Development Group, various Joint Commands, and Headquarters United States Special Operations Command. Commander Sears has participated in a number of conflicts and contingency operations in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. He...

In this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast we welcome back to the show renowned clinical psychologist and breathing expert Dr. Belisa Vranich. Since we last featured her on the podcast in early 2019, Dr. Vranich has expanded her work with athletes and first responders and has published a new book titled Breathing for Warriors. In the previous episode, we unpa...

This episode of the Optimizing Human Performance Podcast is hosted by Leadership Under Fire Founder Jason Brezler. Our guest is Shuan Cullen, a native New Yorker who graduated from Iona College in 2001 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and International Business. He played Division 1 water polo and swam for the Gaels while attending Iona. Upon graduation, Shaun went to work for...

This is the second and final installment of our second Virtual Fireside Chat. The conversation affords seasoned leaders the opportunity to candidly reflect on leadership lessons and human performance principles resulting from the many wins and losses they’ve experienced. This conversation is hosted by LUF Senior Man Jim McNamara and features FDNY retired Deputy Chief Joseph DiBernardo and retired...

Leadership Under Fire Human Performance Data Analyst Timothy Clarke guest hosts this episode of the Optimizing Human Performance Podcast featuring Brad Snyder. Brad is a multi-time Paralympic Gold Medalist in swimming and triathlon. In September 2011, while serving in the US Navy, Brad stepped on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan rendering him completely blind. It wasn’t long before Br...

This episode is part one of two, and is a recording of a live event. The “Fireside Chat” has become a staple of Leadership Under Fire leadership development and human performance resident programs. In early 2021, the LUF Team decided to launch a Virtual Fireside Chat series where LUF Senior Man Jim McNamara hosts candid conversations with seasoned leaders and human performance thought leaders. Lea...

According to psychologist and emotions expert Dr. George Bonanno, all of us share a surprising ability to be resilient. The interview you will hear in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast featuring Dr. Bonanno was recorded in early 2019 at a Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Summit, in Annapolis, Maryland. The event was devoted to the conc...

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. To mark this anniversary on the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast, we are honored to tell the valiant story of Captain Patrick J. "Paddy" Brown, compliments of the insight of his family, closest friends and fellow firefighters who were influenced by his leadership, service, and courage. He...

The original broadcast date for this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast was April 4, 2019. In 2016—after a 108-year wait—the Chicago Cubs finally won the World Series. The Cubs’ journey from being a last place team to one of the most iconic in baseball history is charged with lessons learned on effective leadership, teamwork, culture creation, sacrifice, trus...

The original broadcast date for this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast was January 10, 2019. In 2018, Lieutenant Conboy was recognized with the FDNY’s highest annual award (James Gordon Bennett) for valor he displayed in the rescue of occupants at a fire in the South Bronx. He recently received the FDNY’s most prestigious award for valor – the Dr. Harry Arch...

Co-founders of the Mission Critical Team Institute, Dr. Preston Cline and Coleman Ruiz, are our guests in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast. The interview you will hear was recorded in early 2019 at a Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Summit, in Annapolis, Maryland. The event was devoted to the concept of resilience - the ability to nav...

This is the second and final installment of our first Virtual Fireside Chat. The conversation affords seasoned leaders the opportunity to candidly reflect on leadership lessons and human performance principles resulting from the many wins and losses they’ve experienced. This conversation is hosted by LUF Senior Man Jim McNamara and features FDNY retired lieutenants Danny Murphy and Dennis Gordon....