In this episode of The Science of Leadership, host Tom Collins welcomes back retired U.S. Navy Admiral Scott Swift, former commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Together, they tackle a fundamental leadership failure: the tendency to treat every operational hiccup as a five-alarm fire. Admiral Swift shares his "don't run, it startles the horses" philosophy, arguing that leaders who thrive on constant firefighting ultimately fail to build sustainable, strategic organizations.

The conversation explores the difference between being a first responder and a strategic leader, emphasizing that true leadership investment must be focused on long-term trajectory rather than day-to-day turbulence.

Key topics include:

• The Firefighter Trap: Why organizations that focus solely on crisis response eventually lose the ability to focus on fire prevention.
• The "Why, How, and What": A framework for moving beyond immediate incidents to identify systemic failures.
• Delegation vs. Responsibility: The critical need to delegate authority down while the leader retains ultimate responsibility.
• The Science of Stress: How chronic "crisis mode" elevates cortisol, reduces cognitive flexibility, and leads to team burnout.
• Signal to Noise Ratio: Protecting your team's attention and emotion by maintaining a calm, methodical presence.
• The Eisenhower Matrix: Using the "urgent vs. important" framework to categorize issues and prevent organizational "brain lock".

"It is so easy to judge because it is so hard to understand." Learn how to step out of the "crisis corner" and start leading with the foresight and composure required for elite operational success.

Also, I want to remind listeners about the release of my book, "The Four Stars of Leadership," a culmination of over three years of dedicated work, and I'm confident it will be an immensely interesting and helpful guide on your journey to becoming a better leader. Don't miss out on this essential resource—order your copy today at Amazon or Barnes & Nobles and share your thoughts with me!

Sharpen your leadership skills: Subscribe now on your favorite podcast app to ensure you don't miss an episode dedicated to helping you become a better leader.

To learn more about the Science of Leadership, visit https://www.fourstarleaders.com/

References

Avolio, B. J., Gardner, W. L., Walumbwa, F. O., Luthans, F., & May, D. R. (2004). Unlocking the mask: A look at the process by which authentic leaders impact follower attitudes and behaviors. The Leadership Quarterly, 15(6), 801–823. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2004.09.003

Bligh, M. C., Kohles, J. C., & Meindl, J. R. (2004). Charisma under crisis: Presidential leadership, rhetoric, and media responses before and after the September 11th terrorist attacks. The Leadership Quarterly, 15(2), 211–239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2004.02.005

McEwen, B. S. (2006). Protective and damaging effects of stress mediators: The good and bad sides of the stress response. Metabolism, 55(2), S20–S23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2005.09.008

Weick, K. E., & Sutcliffe, K. M. (2007). Managing the unexpected: Resilient performance in an age of uncertainty (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.

In this episode of The Science of Leadership, hosts Tom Collins and Justin Hamrick dive into a deceptively simple principle that separates elite leaders from the rest: giving the credit and taking the blame. While many in leadership positions are quick to do the opposite, high-trust leaders understand that shining the spotlight outward during success and stepping forward during failure is a recipe for team excellence.

The discussion moves from the historical battlefields of D-Day to the modern medical workroom, exploring the psychological and strategic impact of ownership.

Key topics include:

• The Eisenhower Standard: A look at the two letters General Dwight D. Eisenhower wrote before the D-Day invasion—one praising the troops for success and another accepting sole responsibility for failure.
• The Science of Ownership: Why taking responsibility isn't just "noble"—it’s backed by research that shows it increases psychological safety, learning, and team adaptability.
• Trust and Motivation: Examining studies that prove leaders who acknowledge the contributions of others are rated as more trustworthy, ethical, and effective.
• Leadership in Practice: Tom shares a personal story of defending a trainee against a berating colleague, illustrating how "having the team's back" transforms culture.
• The Contagion of Behavior: How leadership habits propagate through an organization, either creating a "foxhole mentality" or a culture of self-protection.
• Strategic Humility: Why four-star generals and admirals view giving credit as a strategic tool to empower people and ensure they feel safe reporting small mistakes before they become disasters.

"What leaders tolerate becomes the culture, but what they celebrate defines the team." Learn four practical habits you can activate on Monday morning to shift your mindset from "me" to "we" and build a team that will walk through walls for you.

Also, I want to remind listeners about the release of my book, "The Four Stars of Leadership," a culmination of over three years of dedicated work, and I'm confident it will be an immensely interesting and helpful guide on your journey to becoming a better leader. Don't miss out on this essential resource—order your copy today at Amazon or Barnes & Nobles and share your thoughts with me!

Sharpen your leadership skills: Subscribe now on your favorite podcast app to ensure you don't miss an episode dedicated to helping you become a better leader.

To learn more about the Science of Leadership, visit https://www.fourstarleaders.com/

References

Avolio, B. J., Gardner, W. L., Walumbwa, F. O., Luthans, F., & May, D. R. (2004). Unlocking the mask: A look at the process by which authentic leaders impact follower attitudes and behaviors. The Leadership Quarterly, 15(6), 801–823. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2004.09.003

Owens, B. P., & Hekman, D. R. (2012). Modeling how to grow: An inductive examination of humble leader behaviors, contingencies, and outcomes. Academy of Management Journal, 55(4), 787–818. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.0441

Silard, A., Miao, C., Rego, A., Akkan, E., Yoon, D. J., & Qian, S. (2025). Leader expressed humility: A meta-analysis and an agenda for future research. Personality and Individual Differences, 242, 113196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2025.113196 OUCI+1

National Archives Website

https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2004/summer/ike-two-d-day-messages?_ga=2.99698398.1527088957.1766662958-894264562.1766662958

In this high-stakes episode of The Science of Leadership, host Tom Collins sits down with Dr. Sofie Morgan, an emergency medicine physician and Associate Chief Medical Officer at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Drawing from her frontline experience in life-and-death scenarios—including managing the influx of victims from a mass shooting—Dr. Morgan reveals the critical communication strategies required when everything is on the line.

The conversation explores how leaders can cut through the "emotional contagion" of a crisis to provide clarity, steadiness, and a clear path forward for their teams.

Key topics include:

• The Anatomy of Crisis Communication: Why effective messaging must be clear, calm, and succinct to regulate the emotional temperature of the room.
• Command and Control vs. Trust: Understanding why directive leadership is essential in a crisis, and how it must be built on a foundation of pre-established trust and psychological safety.
• The "Individual Crisis": How leaders can identify when a team member has "frozen" in the moment and use validation and simple steps to move them back toward action.
• The Science of Stress: Examining research that shows clear communication can reduce time to intervention by 30% and why individuals instinctively seek authoritative cues under pressure.
• Practical Crisis Protocols: Concrete steps for leaders, including the "mini-pause," narrating your thought process, and closing the communication loop to ensure verification.
• The "Cake" Analogy: Why communication is not a "soft skill" or mere icing, but a core ingredient of effective leadership and medical care.

Whether you are leading a medical team, a corporate department, or a community organization, this episode provides a scientific and practical roadmap for maintaining order in the face of chaos.

Also, I want to remind listeners about the release of my book, "The Four Stars of Leadership," a culmination of over three years of dedicated work, and I'm confident it will be an immensely interesting and helpful guide on your journey to becoming a better leader. Don't miss out on this essential resource—order your copy today at Amazon or Barnes & Nobles and share your thoughts with me!

Sharpen your leadership skills: Subscribe now on your favorite podcast app to ensure you don't miss an episode dedicated to helping you become a better leader.

To learn more about the Science of Leadership, visit https://www.fourstarleaders.com/

References

Leach, J., & Griffiths, A. (2014). Restriction in cognitive capacity in emergency responders during critical incidents. Ergonomics, 57(11), 1627–1642. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2014.939244

Mayer, R. C., Davis, J. H., & Schoorman, F. D. (1995). An integrative model of organizational trust. Academy of Management Review, 20(3), 709–734. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1995.9508080335

Street, M. H., Thomas, E. J., Patel, M. B., & Boyle, K. B. (2020). Association of rapid response team communication with time to clinical intervention and patient outcomes. JAMA Network Open, 3(11), e2028735. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.28735