EP 85: Chasing Cartels and Congress with DEA Chief James Capra

James Capra is the retired Chief of Global Operations for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Before his retirement, James testified to congress as he had done before, but this time he went off-script and spoke from the heart. It ended up on YouTube as "DEA Official Freaks Out at Senate Hearing." But to hear James explain it, you understand that this is a patriotic man who is committed to leading in his country and community. James, the son of an NYPD officer, started his career in the Los Angeles field office chasing kilos during the height of the crack epidemic. His leadership continued to get him promoted and he was assigned to HQ, and as the Special Agent in Charge of both the Dallas and Miami offices. Eventually, James was promoted to Chief of Global Operations, responsible for 227 domestic offices and 86 foreign offices in 67 different countries. That's enough to keep you busy. In this episode, we talk about his history and why he decided to promote up, how to manage the work-life balance, how to love the people you lead, dealing with imposter syndrome as you promote, leading people 24/7 and not just at work and much more. James has a great book called Leadership a the Front Line: Lessons Learned about Loving, Leading, and Legacy from a Warrior and Public Servant.  James' new book is Raising Courageous Children in a Cowardly Culture: The Battle for the Hearts and Minds of Our Children. James' kids book is The Eagle and the Seagulls: A Wisdom Story for Children and Adults.  James' website is www.frontlineleadershipgroup.com