47. Fueling Leadership Through Empowerment with Maj Gen Dan Tulley

In this powerful episode of Lead Into It, I sit down with Maj Gen Dan Tulley, Director of Operations at U.S. Transportation Command—and someone I had the honor of serving with over a decade ago. We trace his leadership journey from his ROTC days at Duke University to commanding at a global scale, uncovering the real-world lessons that shaped his leadership style. Tulley opens up about a pivotal in-flight moment that cemented his trust in training, the decisions he faced as tensions with Iran rose, and how he kept his team informed, empowered, and motivated during COVID.He also gets real about what makes leadership sustainable: humility, trust, and letting go of the need to have all the answers. One of my favorite takeaways? “Nobody wants to be that single leader that everything depends on.”Whether you’re leading five people or five thousand, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom on:Building high-performing, resilient teamsMaking decisions under pressure (and creating space for them)Leading with humility and intentionBalancing strategic and tactical thinkingSpending your “leadership capital” wiselyGrab your headphones—this is one episode you don’t want to miss.Let’s keep the conversation going—connect with me on Instagram and LinkedIn, subscribe to my Sunday newsletter, or reach out at sara@leadintoitco. Excited to be with you!