ABOUT CHRIS

WHO I AM AND WHY I LEAD

I’m the founder and Chief Knowledge Officer of SEI Leadership Academy, an organization dedicated to forging leaders of integrity, credibility, and commitment. After 25 years in U.S. Special Operations, I built SEI on the same principles that guided my career—discipline, professionalism, and an unwavering belief that leadership is influence, not position. My mission is simple: to help leaders lead themselves first, then lead others with purpose and precision.

CAREER FOUNDATION

For nearly three decades in the military, I served alongside some of the most capable teams in the world, from combat search and rescue to strategic-level joint operations. My journey took me from the front lines to the strategic planning table, where I helped shape the future of Special Operations capability development.

As a Senior Enlisted Advisor within Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), I led organizational change, overhauled selection and training pipelines, and mentored senior leaders through complex cultural and operational challenges. Those experiences reinforced a lifelong truth: leadership is influence, and influence is earned—through integrity, credibility, and consistent action under pressure.

TURNING POINT: FROM COMBAT TO LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND COACHING

After nearly three decades in combat operations and organizational leadership, I saw a constant pattern: success, whether in combat or business, depends on the quality of leadership at every level, but especially at the top. Technical skill matters, but leadership determines how teams think, decide, and perform under stress.

That realization became the foundation for The Forge Leadership System. I transitioned from leading elite teams in combat to developing leaders in agencies and organizations who face their own unforgiving environments. The same principles that kept my teams aligned under fire now guide my approach to leadership development—clarity of purpose, disciplined communication, and an unwavering commitment to the mission and the people who carry it out.

THE SEI VISION: BUILDING LEADERS OF INTEGRITY

At SEI Leadership Academy, I believe leaders are not born, they’re forged. Every challenge, every decision, and every relationship is an opportunity to shape the kind of leader others want to follow.

Through The Forge Leadership System, I combine leadership assessments, education, growth plans, and coaching to create measurable, lasting progress. Every SEI program is built on the ICC Framework—Integrity, Credibility, and Commitment—the same principles that defined my military career and now define my approach to leadership development.

My goal is to close the gap between theory and practice, to move leadership from the classroom to the field, from conversation to action. By building leaders who live with integrity, earn credibility, and demonstrate commitment, SEI strengthens organizations from the inside out.

PERSONAL NOTE: AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP

I believe authentic leadership begins with self-awareness; the discipline to know who you are, what you stand for, and how your actions affect others. My coaching style reflects the same principles I lived by in uniform: lead by example, speak the truth, and put people before position.

Whether I’m mentoring an executive team, coaching a new supervisor, or guiding a group of emerging leaders through The Forge Leadership System, I bring the same conviction to every engagement: leadership isn’t about perfection, it’s about presence. It’s about showing up with integrity, earning trust through credibility, and committing to the hard work of developing yourself and those you lead.

For me, leadership development isn’t a career shift, it’s a continuation of service. The mission has simply changed: to forge leaders capable of leading with courage, clarity, and conviction in any environment.