A two-star admiral sits down with us and lays out a clear, unvarnished blueprint for leadership, mission success, and the China challenge—no buzzwords, no hedging. Mike Studeman hoped to fly after reading Flight of the Intruder, landed in intelligence when the cockpit queue was full, and still found himself launching with A-6 Intruders off a carrier during Desert Storm. That twist shaped a career built on truth-telling, rigorous analysis, and the kind of command presence that earns trust when...