Leaders and Legends in Government Federal News Network | Hubbard Radio

This week on Leaders and Legends host Aileen Black interviews Dr. David A. Bray, distinguished fellow and co-chair of the Alfred Lee Loomis Innovation Council at the non-partisan Henry L. Stimson Center.
Bray is also a distinguished fellow with the Business Executives for National Security and a CEO and transformation leader for different “under the radar” tech and data ventures. He is principal at LeadDoAdapt Ventures and has served in a variety of leadership roles in turbulent environments, including bioterrorism preparedness and response from 2000-05.
Bray has also led efforts to improve the organizational adaptability of the U.S. Department of Defense, and worked on countering disinformation from 2017-2020 – including personally surviving a disinformation attack that occurred in 2018.
He has received both the Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award and the National Intelligence Exceptional Achievement Medal. Business Insider named him one of the top “24 Americans under the age of 40 who are changing the world”, and The World Economic Forum has named him a Young Global Leader.

This week on Leaders and Legends, Tom Lash, CEO of Vibrint and an Amazon Web Services veteran, joins host Aileen Black to talk about leading technology teams through rapid growth and change.
Lash is a recognized leader in the intelligence technology sector with a 30-year career deeply rooted in serving the national security mission. An engineer by training who holds a patent in intelligent database technology, Lash has extensive experience building technology-focused teams that design and deploy innovative intelligence systems.
That experience combined with his inclusive, entrepreneurial management style, makes Lash him a dynamic and collaborative leader.
 

Sarah Hess, west coast director of the Silicon Valley Defense Group, and an investor/operator at Lux Capital joins host Aileen Black on this week's Leaders and Legends.
 Throughout Hess' career she has focused on national security and leveraging innovative technologies. In her work, she has helped the US and its allies secure democracy through innovation. Previously, Hess served as deputy lead to launch the NATO Innovation Fund, a venture capital fund modeled off of In-Q-Tel
During the interview, Hess said the best leaders for new innovative startups are persistent and ” will run through walls towards a pursuit”. 
When talking about cultures and leadership styles, Hess said those who lead with empathy make their teams more effective. Early in her career at the CIA, she said empathetic leadership made it easier for her team to accomplish its mission and goals.
Hess also offered some advice for the next generation of leaders saying “don’t be afraid to try something new", because new challenges will help you grow.
 

This week on Leaders and Legends, host Aileen Black intervews Lisa Sanders, director of Science and Technology for Special Operations Forces, Acquisition, Technology & Logistics (SOF AT&L), U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. 
Sanders has over 35 years of civilian federal service. As SOFAT&L director, she is responsible for all pre-programs of record research and development funded activities.
During the show, Sanders decribes herself as a a "circular or 360 style" leader.
She says, "I’m all about reading the stakeholders and trying to find out how to achieve our overall objectives. But when it comes to the decision point, I often say I run a democratic dictatorship. I’ll take input from everyone, but I own 51% of the vote."
 

Former Google executive Milo Medin joins host Aileen Black on this week's Leaders and Legends.
Medin has been part of the Internet development community for almost 40 years. He recently left Google where he was the vice president of access services. During his time there, he worked on a number of projects to improve access to the Internet, building both fiber and wireless networks, and in shaping spectrum policy and products. 
Medin holds several patents in the field of network access technology, and sat on the FCC’s Technical Advisory Committee, and Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee. From 2016 to 2022, he served on the Defense Innovation Board, which is chartered to provide recommendations to the Secretary of Defense to drive more innovation and agility in how the department achieves its mission.
During the program, Medin encourages leaders to cross train their teams, because he says it "encourages your organization to learn and grow."

Retired US Air Force Lt. Gen. S. Clinton Hinote joins host Aileen Black on this week's Leaders and Legends to discuss the principles of leadership.
Throughout his career, General Hinote served at the leading edge of change as he developed novel tactics, revised dated battle plans, reinvented staid organizations, led complex alliances, and disrupted dated doctrine. In his role as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Air Force, he led a 400-person organization that became "Air Force Futures,” which is responsible for planning and integration for the future Air Force.
Hinote was commissioned in 1992 upon graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy. After earning a master's degree in public policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, he completed training to become a fighter pilot.. Hinote was a command pilot with more than 2,000 flight hours and 240 combat hours.
During the interview, the retired three star general discusses how the principles of leadership apply both ”situationally and relationally.” 
He says, “leaders need to remember it is about the mission and about the people and find the right balance. Leaders must lead with energy and enthusiasm.”
Hinote also added that “disrupters are my people. I try to help them turn bold visions into reality”.