What does leadership look like when the mission is your family and the stakes are emotional, not tactical?

Brad Leeman is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel, combat aviator, and F-35 test pilot who spent nearly two decades leading in environments where preparation, clarity, and execution were non-negotiable. After transitioning out of the military, Brad became an entrepreneur and founder of SwingSesh, a company built around a simple belief: parents should not be spectators in their kids’ lives.

This conversation explores how elite performance principles translate and sometimes fail to translate into fatherhood. Brad shares why presence matters more than intensity at home, how small daily rituals create lasting connection, and why modeling behavior shapes a child’s inner voice far more than lectures ever could.

Brad walks through how he and his wife intentionally design family rhythms, why play is a serious leadership skill, and how dads can rethink fitness, work, and ambition without sacrificing their kids’ formative years.

Brad shares how to:
- Apply leadership lessons from the military without turning home into a boot camp
- Build daily rituals that anchor presence and connection with kids
- Use play as a tool for bonding, modeling health, and emotional regulation
- Shape a child’s inner monologue through actions, not instructions
- Balance ambition, fitness, and family without chasing perfection
- Recognize when to lead and when to follow inside a partnership
- Break big personal goals into small, sustainable habits
- Rethink comfort, resilience, and decision making during hard seasons
- Create core memories without spending money or overengineering experiences

Brad’s perspective is practical, thoughtful, and deeply human, especially for dads navigating leadership beyond the workplace and learning how to show up fully at home.

Dig Deeper
[F-35](https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/f-35.html)
[U.S. Marine Corps](https://www.marines.com)
[Ball State University](https://www.bsu.edu)
[Harvard Graduate School of Design](https://www.gsd.harvard.edu)
[How to Build Extreme Willpower | David Goggins & Dr. Andrew Huberman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84dYijIpWjQ)
[Hood’s Gardens](https://www.hoodsgardens.com/)
[Picture by Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock](https://youtu.be/rKFx0MMqb48)

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On his website: https://www.swingsesh.com
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On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SwingSesh/

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