About this episode

John Faunce shares his experiences and lessons on leadership from his time in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As a young platoon leader in Iraq during the 2003 invasion, John Faunce experienced the chaos of combat, including shifting missions, limited intelligence, and the need to rely on soldiers’ input to make decisions in uncertain conditions. His later experiences as a Special Forces officer, particularly working with Afghan commandos, emphasized leadership through trust, autonomy, and partnership, while navigating complex coalition dynamics. In this episode, he shares what he learned in those combat zones about leadership and recounts a career defined by embracing difficulty, learning from failure, and adapting under pressure.

People in this episode

Guest: John Faunce

Topics covered

• leadership
• combat experience
• trust
• autonomy
• partnership
• coalition dynamics

Keywords

• leadership
• combat
• Iraq
• Afghanistan
• trust
• autonomy
• Special Forces
• coalition

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Iraq, Afghanistan

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• Route Clearance and Counterbattery in Iraq · January 15, 2026 · 56 min
• Combat Surgery in Afghanistan · November 19, 2025 · 48 min
• Recovering a Downed Marine in Afghanistan · September 10, 2025 · 1h 21m

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