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, how small daily rituals create 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.

Brad shares how to:

• 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
• Recognize when to lead and when to follow inside a partnership
• Rethink comfort, resilience, and decision making during hard seasons

Dig Deeper

F-35

U.S. Marine Corps

Ball State University

Harvard Graduate School of Design

How to Build Extreme Willpower | David Goggins & Dr. Andrew Huberman

Hood’s Gardens

Picture by Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock

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