Resilient leadership lessons from executives, generals, and athletes.
Through the Storm is hosted by Dr. Travis Hearne, an author and leadership expert who interviews executives, military leaders, and athletes on how they navigate crisis, adversity, and organizational change. The show draws on stories from guests including retired four-star generals and former professional athletes to build a practical framework for resilient leadership. It serves business leaders who manage teams through high-stakes uncertainty.
Leadership forged in crisis translates across military, business, sport
Through the Storm assembles military officers, athletes, and entrepreneurs who have navigated high-stakes adversity. Each episode models how discipline, trust, and authentic human connection drive resilience in any sector.
Through the Storm argues that resilience is learnable and transferable across domains: military command, business leadership, athletics, and personal recovery all follow the same principles of preparation, trust, and authentic connection under pressure. The channel grounds this thesis by interviewing retired generals, decorated pilots, former NFL and Paralympic athletes, and entrepreneurs who rebuild after collapse, each proving that crisis management skills developed in one field directly apply to another.
Drawn from Through the Storm with General David Petraeus:… and 3 more →
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
General David H. Petraeus, U.S. Army Retired
By the numbers
What the channel argues
Who and what shows up
General David H. Petraeus
U.S. Army Retired, strategic military leader
Articulates that luck is preparation meeting opportunity; emphasizes getting the Big Ideas right as foundational to strategy across warfare and business.
Jason O. Harris
U.S. Air Force Pilot Retired, No Fail Trust methodology creator
Developed trust framework from 2,000+ combat flight hours and 11 deployments; shared methodology with Cisco, Ford, Caterpillar, and Lockheed Martin.
Scott Mann
Green Beret Lieutenant Colonel Retired, NYT bestselling author
Applies Special Forces rapport-building and storytelling to high-stakes, low-trust environments; authored Operation Pineapple Express on Afghanistan withdrawal.
Waldo Waldman
Fighter pilot Retired Lt Col, author of Never Fly Solo
Overcame claustrophobia and fear of heights to fly 65 combat missions; teaches fighter pilot tactics including trust and situational awareness for business revenue relationships.
Chase Harris
Entrepreneur and founder of Harris Family Accessibility Assist nonprofit
Father to Cash Harris, born with spina bifida; founded nonprofit to fill insurance gaps for children with disabilities; uses family platform to advocate for accessibility and awareness.
Questions this channel answers
How do military and athletic disciplines translate to business leadership?
Fighter pilots, Special Forces, and elite athletes develop decision-making under extreme pressure, trust-building, and situational awareness that directly apply to team performance, sales relationships, and organizational resilience.
Building Profitable Relationships: Leadership Lessons by… →What is the role of authentic leadership in preventing crises like military suicide?
Authentic, face-to-face leadership allows commanders to recognize warning signs and maintain human connection; crisis prevention depends on genuine engagement, not formal protocols alone.
The Weight of Command: Scott Stalker Talks About Dealing… →How do leaders recover and rebuild after career-ending setbacks?
John Register went from Olympic trials athlete to Paralympic medalist after leg amputation; Cash Harris became an aspiring Paralympian born with spina bifida; both reframed adversity as opportunity to set bold new goals.
Through the Storm with Paralympic Medalist John Register →What workplace culture practices sustain morale during business downturns?
Leaders are the primary architects of workplace culture through daily actions and decisions; authentic culture embedded in values and interactions provides the foundation to navigate crises and maintain employee morale.
To Overcome Business Challenges and Keep Morale High, Co… →What separates composed crisis leadership from panic-driven failure?
Mark 'Oz' Geist's Benghazi experience and Buffalo Leadership mindset demonstrate that leaders who move toward adversity and maintain composed decision-making save lives and define character; effective leadership in crisis is available to individuals at any level of authority.
Navigating Leadership Storms: A True Tale of Resilience … →Best place to start
Through the Storm with General David Petraeus: Navigating Leadership’s Toughest Challenges and the Crucial Intersection of Preparation and OpportunityGeneral Petraeus articulates the channel's core thesis: preparation as the foundation separating thriving leaders from those who fail under crisis pressure.
Empowering Teams with the No Fail Trust™ Methodology: Insights From U.S. Air Force Pilot Jason O. HarrisConcrete framework translating 2,000+ combat hours into measurable corporate team performance gains; the channel's best proof of transferable crisis leadership.Industry context
Military and organizational leadership is shifting toward empowered teams and distributed decision-making to navigate complex environments, requiring leaders to strengthen human management and organizational credibility alongside technology adoption.
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