Beyond Military Service: Scott Stalker on Leadership and Transition

Host Jake Allen sits down with Scott H. Stalker, a retired U.S. Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sergeant and author of Left of Leadership.

Scott served 31 years in the Marine Corps, culminating as the senior enlisted leader for U.S. Space Command and U.S. Cyber Command—the only Marine to ever hold that position. He also served in senior intelligence roles supporting the NSA and DIA, operating in some of the most complex and classified environments in national defense.

In this conversation, Scott shares his journey from early academic struggles to joining the Marine Corps at 17—and how the Corps reshaped his discipline, work ethic, and leadership philosophy. He reflects on building intelligence training programs at MARSOC, developing relationships that led to key assignments at DIA, and helping reestablish Space Command, where space and cyber capabilities directly enabled the warfighter.

Jake and Scott explore:

• The foundational human elements of leadership—character, trust, and leading with love

• Decision-making under uncertainty and avoiding analysis paralysis

• Mission command and empowerment

• The trade-offs between inclusive planning in special operations vs. conventional forces

• Differences between military and corporate leadership

• Accountability, talent utilization, and revenue realities in business

Scott also discusses the core ideas from Left of Leadership—preparing before crisis, building routines, applying incremental stress, and using storytelling to develop leaders.

The episode closes with practical advice on continuous learning, appreciating people specifically, and leading with both love and accountability.

If you care about execution, leadership under pressure, and building teams that perform when it matters most—this conversation delivers.