Ep: 378 - Leading from the Shadows: Sober, Unseen, and Rebuilt

On this episode of The Decision Hour, host Adam Bird sits down with Chris McFee, a retired Green Beret, photographer, and co-author of Follow Me: Leadership Lessons from the Shadows That Shape Extraordinary Leaders. Chris traces his story back to Miami, where his mother taught him the resilience that would carry him through his athletic career and into some of the most demanding special operations missions in the military.

He talks openly about the setbacks that followed his service, the personal struggles most people never see, and the moment he decided to get sober. That decision became the turning point. It did not just save his life. It opened a door into a creativity Chris never knew he had, leading him to found Green Beret Media and step behind the camera as a photographer and entrepreneur.

Chris talks about what leadership looks like when nobody is watching, why the discipline built in special operations does not disappear when the uniform comes off, and why your next mission does not have to look anything like your last one to matter.

Chris McFee: Follow me is not just a command. It is a promise.

Key takeaways from this conversation:

Discipline forged in special operations does not disappear when the uniform comes off. It redirects.

The decision to get sober can be the pivot point that unlocks creativity you never knew you had.

Leadership from the shadows means serving people who will never know your name.

Your next mission does not have to look like your last one to matter.

Chris McFee's book, Follow Me: Leadership Lessons from the Shadows That Shape Extraordinary Leaders, is available now.

Proceeds support the Blk Ops Foundation youth mentorship program.

Learn more at greenberetmedia.com.