Shows / Commander's Intent
Commander's Intent
Commander's Intent with Derek Oaks
When the pressure’s on, can you make the call? Commander's Intent helps leaders at every level make confident, timely decisions that drive real results. Hosted by Colonel (Ret.) Derek Oaks, former Air Force fighter pilot and leadership mentor, this podcast blends stories from combat and business to teach you how to lead with clarity, courage, and purpose. Learn to define your mission, empower your team, and execute with confidence.
Episodes
- Commander's Intent
Do I want Facts or Feelings When Trying to Win
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…
- Commander's Intent
How to Make Decisions Under the Microscope in a High Stakes Environment with Steve Young
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…
- Commander's Intent
Why Leaders Fail Without the Golden Rule
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…
- Commander's Intent
Is an MBA Really Worth It?
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…
- Commander's Intent
Can AI Replace the Value of Networks with Judd Borakove
As AI becomes more powerful, will technology eventually replace the value of human networks, relationships, and experience? In this episode of Commander’s…
- Commander's Intent
Are You Busy or Are You Actually Moving Forward?
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…
- Commander's Intent
Why Does Language Matter So Much in Leadership with Becky Kemp
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…
- Commander's Intent
How Far Are You Willing to Push Yourself?
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…
- Commander's Intent
Maverick or Iceman: Who Do You Want on Your Team?
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…
- Commander's Intent
Is Confidence Overrated? What Great Leaders Should Build Instead with Heather Jo Kennedy
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…
- Commander's Intent
Who Is Garcia and Why Does His Message Still Matter to Leaders?
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…
- Commander's Intent
How to Lead When the Budget Changes but the Mission Doesn’t with Max J. Stitzer
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…
- Commander's Intent
Why Great Leaders Ask for Input Instead of Having All the Answers: Lessons from a U.S. Navy Attack Submarine Commander with William Spears
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…
- Commander's Intent
AI Won't Replace Leaders... But It Will Replace the Unprepared with Richard Webb
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…
- Commander's Intent
How Great Leaders Thrive in Challenging Situations with Theresa Carpenter
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
Innovating in Aviation: How Michael Duke Is Redefining What's Possible
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…
- Commander's Intent
The Decision-Making Principles That Made America Different
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
Gaming, Strategy, and the Future of Leadership with Gayle Dickie
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…
- Commander's Intent
The Power of Human Connection with Jason Wright
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…
- Commander's Intent
Why Trust Matters More Than Talent with David Bickel
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…
- Commander's Intent
The Leadership Secret Fighter Pilots Call "Motherhood"
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…
- Commander's Intent
How to Lead Inside a Large Organization
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…
- Commander's Intent
The Most Powerful Leaders Make People Feel Seen
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…
- Commander's Intent
How to Live With Gratitude When Life Gives You a Second Chance
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…
- Commander's Intent
How High Performers Stay Focused When Everything Feels Urgent
In this episode, Derek Oaks shares powerful lessons from flying combat missions, training fighter pilots, and navigating high-pressure environments where one…
- Commander's Intent
Mission First or People First? The Leadership Truth No One Tells You
Mission first… or people first? What if that’s the wrong question entirely? In this episode, Derek Oaks dives into one of the most debated topics in leadership…
- Commander's Intent
How Robert G. Novotny Makes High-Stakes Decisions: Fighter Pilot Leadership Secrets
Have you ever hesitated in a critical moment—knowing a decision had to be made, but unsure if it was the right one? In this high-impact episode of Commander’s…
- Commander's Intent
From Fighter Squadrons to Ninja Warriors: What High Performance Really Looks Like
In this powerful episode of Commander’s Intent, retired Air Force Colonel Derek Oaks sits down with entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and author Ty Bennett to…
- Commander's Intent
Structure vs. Chaos: The Leadership Framework That Determines Success with Jerry Cook
What separates high-performing teams from complete chaos—and why do even experienced leaders get it wrong? In this powerful episode of Commander’s Intent…
- Commander's Intent
From Data to Dominance: How Elite Leaders Make Game-Changing Calls
What separates great leaders from everyone else isn’t just experience—it’s how they think and act when the pressure is on. In this episode of Commander’s…
- Commander's Intent
Why Most Companies Fail at Scale (And How This CEO Is Fixing It)
What does it really take to step into a CEO role and lead when the stakes are high, and the answers aren’t clear? In this episode, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Mike…
- Commander's Intent
Why Great Leaders Step Outside Their Role
What if the biggest thing holding you back… is thinking “that’s not my job”? In this episode, we dive into the real difference between leaders and…
- Commander's Intent
The Golden Rule of Leadership: Why Great Teams Put People First
In this episode of Commander's Intent, retired Air Force Colonel and fighter pilot Derek Oaks explores how the Golden Rule—treating others the way you want to…
- Commander's Intent
Why Integrity Is the Foundation of Great Leadership
In this episode of Commander's Intent, retired Air Force Colonel and fighter pilot Derek Oaks explores the true meaning of integrity in leadership—and why it…
- Commander's Intent
Never Leave Them Behind: Leadership in the Face of Loss
In this episode, retired Air Force Colonel Derek Oaks, special operations veteran Dan Laguna shares raw, unforgettable stories of leadership under fire. From…
- Commander's Intent
You Don’t Control the Plan — But You Own the Outcome
In this episode, retired Air Force Colonel and fighter pilot Derek Oaks tackles one of the toughest leadership realities: What do you do when your boss makes a…
- Commander's Intent
Risk Is Not Certainty: How Leaders Decide What’s Worth It
In this episode, Derek Oaks sits down with retired Air Force General Jim Slife to answer a critical leadership question: Who actually owns risk? From young…
- Commander's Intent
From Fighter Pilot to Strategist: Applying Covey’s 7 Habits to Leadership
In this episode of Commander’s Intent, retired Air Force Colonel and fighter pilot Derek Oaks and Rob Powell explore a powerful question: Can Stephen Covey’s 7…
- Commander's Intent
What’s the Point of a Plan? Why Planning Still Wins When Everything Falls Apart
In this episode of Commander’s Intent, retired Air Force Colonel and fighter pilot Derek Oaks breaks down a hard leadership truth: plans rarely survive first…
- Commander's Intent
Facing Risk with Clarity, Not Fear
In this episode of Commander’s Intent, retired Air Force Colonel and fighter pilot Derek Oaks and co-host Rob Powell break down how leaders should think about…
- Commander's Intent
Is Hesitancy Costing You Results?
Hesitation isn’t harmless—it’s expensive. In this episode of Commander’s Intent, retired Air Force Colonel and fighter pilot Derek Oaks breaks down how…
- Commander's Intent
A Daily Roadmap to Triple Your Productivity and Success
In this episode of Commander’s Intent, retired Air Force Colonel and fighter pilot Derek Oaks challenges a question many people secretly ask: Why even bother…
- Commander's Intent
How Chaos Destroys Teams and How to Get Them Together Into the Jet Stream of Success
In this episode of Commander's Intent, retired Air Force Colonel and leadership mentor Derek Oaks breaks down one of the most overlooked but critical…
- Commander's Intent
Why With Bombs, Bullets, and a Raging War Was Rescuing One Person So Important
In this powerful episode of Commander’s Intent, Derek Oaks and his guests unpack the true significance behind the rescue of Private Jessica Lynch—and why it…
- Commander's Intent
What Being Deployed for Christmas Taught Me That Will Last a Lifetime
In this heartfelt episode of Commander’s Intent, Derek Oaks and Rob reflect on choosing gratitude even during holiday separation—whether caused by military…
- Commander's Intent
Why Making a High Stakes Decision is the Difference Between Success and Disaster
In this episode of Commander’s Intent, Derek Oaks and former senior diplomat Bart Marcois break down how high-stakes leaders make decisions knowing they’ll be…
- Commander's Intent
AI is Disrupting the Future Of Work – What are Your 5 Keys to a Successful Career?
In this episode, Derek Oaks breaks down the five essential keys to building a successful career—no matter your field. Drawing from his experience as an Air…
- Commander's Intent
Can You Trust AI With Your Important Decisions?
In this episode, Derek and Rob break down what AI really is, how it functions as a decision-support system, and why leaders must be cautious about trusting it…
- Commander's Intent
Are You a Narcissistic Leader or an Empathetic One?
In this episode, Derek Oaks unpacks one of the most defining traits of great leadership—empathy. Through a deeply personal story about nearly losing his son…
- Commander's Intent
Can I Really Make Better Decisions Faster?
This episode dives into the life and legacy of Colonel John Boyd—the fighter pilot and strategist behind the revolutionary OODA Loop. Derek Oaks breaks down…
- Commander's Intent
What Should Be the Chief of Staff’s Commander’s Intent?
“The money goes to the trusted and prepared.” In this candid conversation, Colonel Derek Oaks and General Mike Minihan dissect what it truly takes to rebuild…
- Commander's Intent
What Is a Fighter Pilot Debrief & Why Would I Use It?
In this episode of Commander's Intent, retired Air Force Colonel and fighter pilot Derek Oaks reveals the real reason U.S. fighter pilots stay at the top of…
- Commander's Intent
Are You More of a Commander or Follower?
True leadership isn’t about authority — it’s about responsibility. In this episode of Commander’s Intent, retired Air Force Colonel and Fighter Pilot Derek…
- Commander's Intent
Are You a Wimpy Leader or a Confident One?
In this episode of Commander's Intent, retired Air Force Colonel and leadership mentor Derek Oaks reveals what it truly means to be a confident leader — not…
- Commander's Intent
What Is Commander’s Intent & Why Should You Care?
In this premiere episode of Commander's Intent, retired Air Force Colonel and fighter pilot Derek Oaks shares how confident decision-making separates great…