One of the world’s most enduring organizations, the United States Marine Corps, celebrates its 250th birthday on November 10th, 2025. The Marines have deep, rich tradition and, remarkably, the Marine Corps has been able to innovate while reinventing itself over the course of its history.
In this interview, Col. Ben Davenport (Ret.) discusses what makes the Marine Corps unique. He shares why he believes the Marine Corps is so resilient and has maintained its relevance throughout its history. Ben also discusses what leaders in business can learn from the Marine Corps culture, discipline, and approach to leading through uncertainty. Ben also looks into the future while sharing what he believes the next 25 to 50 years will look like for the Marines. In a sign that “imitation is the sincerest form of flatter,” Ben finishes the conversation by talking about how other countries have attempted to pattern portions of their militaries after the United States Marine Corps.
Ben Davenport retired from active duty following 25 years in the United States Marine Corps. He is a Naval Aviator, an operational planner, and an Olmsted Scholar. He graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor’s of Science in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering; Masters of Art in International Law and Chinese Diplomacy and Foreign Policy from Fudan University, People’s Republic of China; Masters of Art in Operational Studies from Marine Corps University; Graduate from the School of Advanced Warfighting (SAW), and Graduate from the Grand Strategy program with a Master of Strategic studies from Air University.
Ben is currently serving as the Deterrence Analyst and Strategic Advisor on China with NATO Allied Command Transformation, one of two Bi-Strategic Operational Commands within the NATO Alliance.
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One of the world’s most enduring organizations, the United States Marine Corps, celebrates its 250th birthday on November 10th, 2025. The Marines have deep, rich tradition and, remarkably, the Marine Corps has been able to innovate while reinventing itself over the course of its history.
In this interview, Col. Ben Davenport (Ret.) discusses what makes the Marine Corps unique. He shares why he believes the Marine Corps is so resilient and has maintained its relevance throughout its history. Ben also discusses what leaders in business can learn from the Marine Corps culture, discipline, and approach to leading through uncertainty. Ben also looks into the future while sharing what he believes the next 25 to 50 years will look like for the Marines. In a sign that “imitation is the sincerest form of flatter,” Ben finishes the conversation by talking about how other countries have attempted to pattern portions of their militaries after the United States Marine Corps.
Ben Davenport retired from active duty following 25 years in the United States Marine Corps. He is a Naval Aviator, an operational planner, and an Olmsted Scholar. He graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor’s of Science in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering; Masters of Art in International Law and Chinese Diplomacy and Foreign Policy from Fudan University, People’s Republic of China; Masters of Art in Operational Studies from Marine Corps University; Graduate from the School of Advanced Warfighting (SAW), and Graduate from the Grand Strategy program with a Master of Strategic studies from Air University.
Ben is currently serving as the Deterrence Analyst and Strategic Advisor on China with NATO Allied Command Transformation, one of two Bi-Strategic Operational Commands within the NATO Alliance.
Marshall Goldsmith has been one of the world’s leading executive coaches for years. He has helped CEOs all over the world become better leaders and his books on leadership have sold millions of copies. The problem is that Marshall’s time is limited and he is very expensive. To solve this problem, Marshall has been trying to give away everything he has learned about leadership and coaching for free. He sees it as his legacy and the way he can most benefit humanity. Enter MarshallGoldsmith.ai - a bot that brings the compendium of Marshall’s knowledge and much, much more to leaders at no cost.
In this interview, Marshall discusses his efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into his coaching philosophy and the competencies necessary to be an effective leader in an AI world. Marshall shares his thoughts on how AI will transform humanity and he talks about the mistakes we are making today, with an emphasis on the propensity of people to judge other people, that the people living 50 years from now will look back at in disbelief.
Dr. Marshall Goldsmith has been recognized as one of the Top Ten Business Thinkers and the top-rated executive coach in the world. Published in 2015, his book Triggers is a Wall Street Journal and New York Times #1 Bestseller. He’s also the author of New York Times best seller and #1 Wall Street Journal Business Book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, winner of the Harold Longman Award as Best Business Book of the Year. With nearly 40 years of hands-on experience, Marshall Goldsmith is the leading expert on leadership and coaching for behavioral change. His latest book, The Earned Life: Lose Regret, Choose Fulfillment, was co-written with Mark Reiter and was released in 2022.
12 Geniuses Podcast
One of the world’s most enduring organizations, the United States Marine Corps, celebrates its 250th birthday on November 10th, 2025. The Marines have deep, rich tradition and, remarkably, the Marine Corps has been able to innovate while reinventing itself over the course of its history.
In this interview, Col. Ben Davenport (Ret.) discusses what makes the Marine Corps unique. He shares why he believes the Marine Corps is so resilient and has maintained its relevance throughout its history. Ben also discusses what leaders in business can learn from the Marine Corps culture, discipline, and approach to leading through uncertainty. Ben also looks into the future while sharing what he believes the next 25 to 50 years will look like for the Marines. In a sign that “imitation is the sincerest form of flatter,” Ben finishes the conversation by talking about how other countries have attempted to pattern portions of their militaries after the United States Marine Corps.
Ben Davenport retired from active duty following 25 years in the United States Marine Corps. He is a Naval Aviator, an operational planner, and an Olmsted Scholar. He graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor’s of Science in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering; Masters of Art in International Law and Chinese Diplomacy and Foreign Policy from Fudan University, People’s Republic of China; Masters of Art in Operational Studies from Marine Corps University; Graduate from the School of Advanced Warfighting (SAW), and Graduate from the Grand Strategy program with a Master of Strategic studies from Air University.
Ben is currently serving as the Deterrence Analyst and Strategic Advisor on China with NATO Allied Command Transformation, one of two Bi-Strategic Operational Commands within the NATO Alliance.
