As a leadership speaker, Navy Bob is a living bridge between the high-trust, high-reliability systems forged in the depths of the nuclear Navy, and the academic rigor of leadership research. His transformative, human-centered approach delivers real-world results.
Navy Bob Speaking Topics
Leading with Love: How a Submarine Commander Built Elite Teams with Trust and Accountability
Throughout his career in the Nuclear Navy, in the White House, and later in healthcare, Navy Bob has proven that a culture of love and compassion can fuel remarkable results. He didn’t bark orders - he built trust. As a commanding officer of fast-attack nuclear submarines, he led his crew with a people-first approach that proved vital to their safety and success, earning his ship recognition as the best-performing in its squadron.
In this inspiring talk, Navy Bob shares his signature Leading with Love philosophy and stories from his book “Beyond the Sea” through powerful stories with actionable takeaways for audiences. He guides attendees through practical steps and tools for implementing compassion in their own teams, showing how a supportive, people-centered approach can improve retention, foster open communication, and ultimately drive success across industries.
Navigating Risk with Heart: Building Safety and Reliability in High-Stakes Environments
As a leader in both the military and healthcare, Navy Bob is no stranger to making decisions that affect teams in high-risk, life-or-death environments. In many high-stakes settings, traditional approaches often fall short and lead to preventable errors that compromise safety and morale. Drawing from his distinguished career commanding nuclear submarines and transforming healthcare, Navy Bob demonstrates that love and trust are essential for fostering safety, reliability, and team resilience.
Navy Bob offers audiences valuable insights on how compassionate, trust-driven leadership can enhance communication, reduce errors, and create resilient teams that thrive under pressure. In this keynote, he translates mission-critical military playbooks into scalable business practices.
High Reliability Healthcare: Applying the Secrets of the Nuclear Navy to Save Patient Lives
After a distinguished 28-year career in the U.S. Navy, Navy Bob transitioned into healthcare, recognizing that the high stakes, safety-focused leadership skills he honed in the military could also transform patient care. In this talk, he draws on insights from his book, “High Reliability Healthcare,” co-authored with former White House physician Dr. Jeffrey Kuhlman, to show how healthcare organizations can reduce errors, boost productivity, and deliver more reliable patient care by adopting proven strategies centered on safety, trust, and accountability.
