Words from the Wise
Join Words from the Wise with Gary Wise, a retired Navy Command Master Chief, for authentic leadership insights forged in real-world experience. Through engaging discussions and actionable strategies, Gary empowers you to master emotional intelligence, build resilient teams, and unlock your full potential. Tune in for practical advice on delegation, conflict management, and inspiring others, drawn from his over 28 years of service and ongoing leader mentorship headquartered now in Ocala, Florida.
- Update frequency
- every 3 days
- Average duration
- 80 minutes
- Episodes
- 42
- Years Active
- 2025
Your career in the Navy is what you make of it, but leadership is forever.
Leadership at sea demands resilience, adaptability, and a willingness to grow through adversity. Senior Chief Petty Officer PJ Ernst's 26-year Navy journey showcases this evolution perf…
Jesus' Leadership Parables: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Leaders
What would happen if we stripped away the religious context from Jesus' parables and viewed them purely as leadership lessons? Gary and Chris take us on a fascinating journey through fo…
Strength Through Struggle: From Coast Guard Rescue to Navy Deep Sea Diver
What does it take to transform adversity into opportunity? Alex Wright's journey from Coast Guard rescue swimmer to Navy deep sea diver reveals the remarkable resilience needed to navig…
The Courage to Continue: Leadership's Hardest Challenge
What truly separates effective leaders from those who merely survive in today's chaotic environment? In this captivating discussion on perseverance and resilience, Gary Wise hosts leade…
From a Small Town in Puerto Rico to Navy Master Chief
When a teenage clarinet player from Puerto Rico stepped forward to audition for the U.S. Navy Band in 1996, no one could have predicted the remarkable 29-year journey that would follow.…
Stop Managing, Start Empowering: The Ownership Mindset
The difference between good organizations and exceptional ones often comes down to a single factor: people taking true ownership of their roles. In this thought-provoking episode, Gary …
Six Years to Chief: The Fast-Track Sailor Who Never Slowed Down
What does it mean to navigate a military career when life throws unexpected challenges your way? Gary sits down with James Thompson, a retired Navy Lieutenant with an unconventional jou…
From Jersey to Japan: One Sailor's Extraordinary Career
What does three decades of Navy service really look like? Through typhoons, volcanic evacuations, nuclear disasters, and war deployments, Master Chief Mike Piazza lived a career most ca…
The Investigation That Almost Broke Me
Leadership's darkest moments rarely make it into motivational speeches or training manuals. For this former Command Master Chief of Naval Base Guam, what began as a stellar career culmi…
Row Baby Row: Military Veterans Tackle Today's Workplace Culture
What happens when three military veterans with over 75 years of combined experience tackle one of today's most polarizing topics? In this explosive conversation, Gary Wise, Chris Cahill…
Fighting From Where You Stand
From the hills of Kentucky to the depths of nuclear submarines to commanding Naval Base Guam during an unprecedented global crisis, Captain Jeffrey Grimes' journey through naval leaders…
Earning Trust Through Ownership
Accountability forms the bedrock of effective leadership, yet many struggle to embrace it fully. In this thought-provoking conversation, Gary and Jeremy explore the complex dynamics of …
What Are You Telling Yourself When No One's Listening?
Unlocking the secret language of true leadership begins with mastering the conversation you have with yourself. Gary Wise pulls back the curtain on his journey from high school dropout …
The Anchor Holds: Faith, Family and Finding Your Way Home
From the dusty baseball diamonds of Dublin, Georgia to the deck of a Navy warship in Japan, Chief Tavares Clover's journey exemplifies resilience, adaptability, and the power of staying…
The Man From Chicago: A Master Chief's Story
From the streets of Chicago to the highest enlisted ranks of the U.S. Navy, Command Master Chief Dennis Polli's journey is a masterclass in authentic leadership. In this captivating con…
Sailors, Mission, Patriotism: A Master Chief's Leadership Journey
Every leader faces moments that define their legacy. For retired US Navy Command Master Chief Gary Wise, that moment came when sailors' personal belongings—including passports, wallets,…
From DC2 to Navy Chief: My Journey Up the Ranks
In this captivating episode, I take you through one of the most transformative periods of my naval career—the journey from being a newly-minted DC2 (Damage Controlman Second Class) to e…
Visualizing Success: My Journey from DC2 to Chief Petty Officer
How do you turn an unwanted assignment into your biggest career breakthrough? When I stepped aboard USS Ogden in the Persian Gulf at 2AM and heard "you are so effed" echo down the passa…
Chiefs Don't Sugarcoat—That Gives You Diabetes
From a small town in Mississippi to the pinnacle of Navy leadership, Master Chief Lisa Tisdale's remarkable 30-year journey embodies the true spirit of naval service. In this captivatin…
Positive Intelligence: The Mental Fitness Framework for Leaders
What if your mind could work for you rather than against you? Dr. Leigh Byers introduces us to the revolutionary concept of Positive Intelligence—a mental fitness framework that trains …