1 00:00:01,496 --> 00:00:03,476 What's up, Last 10% listeners? 2 00:00:04,016 --> 00:00:07,696 Just wanted to say, I bet you're wondering why we are releasing 3 00:00:07,776 --> 00:00:09,106 not on Tuesday this week. 4 00:00:09,106 --> 00:00:10,645 Well, it's a special week. 5 00:00:10,706 --> 00:00:12,056 I mean, let's just be real. 6 00:00:12,346 --> 00:00:17,516 It's America's 250th anniversary, so we thought we would make a 7 00:00:17,526 --> 00:00:24,395 special release, on the Fourth of July for the 250th anniversary. 8 00:00:24,395 --> 00:00:28,105 And so that's exactly what we did, and we have a great episode today. 9 00:00:28,155 --> 00:00:33,825 Our guest today is a former military colonel. 10 00:00:33,996 --> 00:00:36,155 we'll get into all his credentials in the episode. 11 00:00:36,165 --> 00:00:40,895 But before we get into that, just wanted to tell you, for all those 12 00:00:40,895 --> 00:00:44,495 who have served in the military, for all you veterans out there, we just 13 00:00:44,515 --> 00:00:46,425 are so thankful for your service. 14 00:00:46,985 --> 00:00:52,165 We're so thankful for your sacrifice, and that is the reason that we can 15 00:00:52,175 --> 00:00:55,375 celebrate this week, 250 years. 16 00:00:55,375 --> 00:00:57,075 So thank you again, veterans. 17 00:00:57,395 --> 00:00:58,515 Thank you for your sacrifice. 18 00:00:58,515 --> 00:01:00,085 Hope you enjoy the show today. 19 00:01:00,415 --> 00:01:05,665 Uh, Ken is so gracious, and he was so vulnerable about some things that 20 00:01:05,675 --> 00:01:09,286 he's experienced, not only in the military, but in his career as a host 21 00:01:09,286 --> 00:01:11,515 and, and television, commentator. 22 00:01:12,165 --> 00:01:14,045 And so we just, I just think you'll enjoy this. 23 00:01:14,096 --> 00:01:16,566 he's in his 80s now, and he's coming out with another book. 24 00:01:16,566 --> 00:01:20,095 I hope when I'm in my 80s I can actually come out and say that 25 00:01:20,126 --> 00:01:20,926 I've got a book coming out. 26 00:01:20,926 --> 00:01:21,996 So enjoy the show 27 00:01:24,090 --> 00:01:24,580 Dallas Burnett: Hey, everybody. 28 00:01:24,580 --> 00:01:26,960 We're talking to Colonel Ken Allard today. 29 00:01:26,960 --> 00:01:28,400 What an amazing guy. 30 00:01:28,540 --> 00:01:32,770 He is a retired Army colonel who rose from draftee to dean of the 31 00:01:32,770 --> 00:01:37,390 National War College, served as a military analyst on NBC, MSNBC, and 32 00:01:39,820 --> 00:01:42,310 CNBC, explaining wars in two minutes or less. 33 00:01:42,540 --> 00:01:46,290 He's written powerful books like Warheads: Cable News in the Fog 34 00:01:46,290 --> 00:01:48,950 of War, and Business As War. 35 00:01:49,140 --> 00:01:52,538 He's got some incredible stories from protesting the Vietnam War as a 36 00:01:52,538 --> 00:01:57,088 college kid, to rushing to the studio on 9/11, seeing the Pentagon burn, 37 00:01:57,088 --> 00:02:01,118 to volunteering in Bosnia, distilling hard lessons from Somalia, and most 38 00:02:01,118 --> 00:02:03,548 importantly, he says, he's a Texan. 39 00:02:03,778 --> 00:02:05,628 So great new friend of mine. 40 00:02:05,668 --> 00:02:09,058 You don't want to miss this incredible conversation 41 00:02:09,151 --> 00:02:09,671 Ken Allard: a pleasure. 42 00:02:09,841 --> 00:02:10,221 Thank you so much 43 00:02:52,990 --> 00:02:55,810 Dallas Burnett: Welcome, welcome, welcome. 44 00:02:55,810 --> 00:03:01,090 I am Dallas Burnett sitting in my 1905 Koch Brothers barber 45 00:03:01,090 --> 00:03:04,000 chair in Thrive Studios. 46 00:03:04,330 --> 00:03:10,360 But more importantly today, we have a great guest, a true soldier scholar, 47 00:03:10,530 --> 00:03:15,740 leadership expert, and one of the sharpest minds on strategy, command under pressure, 48 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:18,510 and what it takes to finish strong. 49 00:03:18,690 --> 00:03:21,540 Welcome to the show, Colonel Ken Allard 50 00:03:21,875 --> 00:03:23,115 Ken Allard: God bless you for doing this. 51 00:03:23,405 --> 00:03:23,915 Appreciate it very much 52 00:03:24,052 --> 00:03:26,131 Dallas Burnett: That's absolutely, man. 53 00:03:26,191 --> 00:03:27,991 This is such a cool episode. 54 00:03:28,171 --> 00:03:31,851 I love, I, you know, we'll, we'll get into, you got a new book coming out. 55 00:03:32,021 --> 00:03:35,501 and we're just so excited to be a part of that launch and release, and we'll 56 00:03:35,501 --> 00:03:36,871 talk more about that in a minute. 57 00:03:36,881 --> 00:03:43,461 But, we just are excited because it's the 250th anniversary of our country, 58 00:03:43,481 --> 00:03:47,711 and not only that, but it's the week of the 4th, so everybody's getting 59 00:03:47,711 --> 00:03:51,311 ready to go burn some chicken on the grill and shoot some fireworks off. 60 00:03:51,561 --> 00:03:55,701 And so what better time than to have Colonel Ken Allen on the show? 61 00:03:55,701 --> 00:03:57,811 So first of all, thank you for your service. 62 00:03:57,841 --> 00:04:01,631 And, what is it like, for you, 'cause obviously with all that you've done and 63 00:04:01,631 --> 00:04:06,981 seen all over the world, your service, what is it like to celebrate 250 and 64 00:04:06,981 --> 00:04:08,451 the week of the 4th this year for you? 65 00:04:08,508 --> 00:04:12,406 Ken Allard: this week is very special because we just recently had the, 66 00:04:12,546 --> 00:04:14,606 coming to America of the Tartan Army. 67 00:04:15,076 --> 00:04:18,446 Scots coming to watch the World Cup. 68 00:04:18,886 --> 00:04:19,496 And you know what? 69 00:04:19,616 --> 00:04:22,416 They're reminded of how great a country we really have. 70 00:04:23,246 --> 00:04:27,676 to see all those guys come here and be absolutely amazed and enthralled, 71 00:04:27,956 --> 00:04:32,296 love everything about America, love everything about, Boston, Massachusetts, 72 00:04:32,516 --> 00:04:36,126 including the Red Sox, all that stuff was fantastic because they 73 00:04:36,126 --> 00:04:38,526 realize how special we really are. 74 00:04:38,896 --> 00:04:43,536 We tend to take that for granted a lot of times, but in this last couple of weeks, 75 00:04:43,606 --> 00:04:48,446 we've been reminded of how great this country is, how unique our history is, and 76 00:04:48,446 --> 00:04:50,376 what a privilege it is to be an American. 77 00:04:51,116 --> 00:04:51,426 that simple. 78 00:04:51,803 --> 00:04:52,453 Dallas Burnett: I agree with that. 79 00:04:52,483 --> 00:04:54,003 I think it's been a cool phenomenon. 80 00:04:54,003 --> 00:04:55,903 I've been seeing that online as well. 81 00:04:56,153 --> 00:04:59,443 And, it was kind of surprising because, a lot of the Europeans coming over 82 00:04:59,443 --> 00:05:02,833 for, the World Cup have been so vocal about all the funny things. 83 00:05:02,833 --> 00:05:04,533 I saw one that just cracked me up. 84 00:05:04,533 --> 00:05:07,413 It said, it was these two people from England, and it was a husband 85 00:05:07,413 --> 00:05:10,023 and wife, and they're standing out front, of this, station. 86 00:05:10,023 --> 00:05:15,798 They said, "Only America can make coming to gas station an experience." And 87 00:05:15,798 --> 00:05:18,808 they're standing in front of a Buc-ee's. 88 00:05:18,858 --> 00:05:19,408 They're like, 89 00:05:19,589 --> 00:05:19,659 Ken Allard: We do gas 90 00:05:19,678 --> 00:05:20,668 Dallas Burnett: "It's incredible." 91 00:05:20,959 --> 00:05:22,109 Ken Allard: anyone else in the whole world. 92 00:05:23,798 --> 00:05:23,998 Dallas Burnett: Yeah. 93 00:05:24,539 --> 00:05:24,749 Ken Allard: Come on down 94 00:05:27,338 --> 00:05:29,828 Dallas Burnett: I said, "That's so funny that we're gonna be known for 95 00:05:29,828 --> 00:05:33,018 how well we, we do our gas stations in America." I said, "But hey, listen, 96 00:05:33,238 --> 00:05:36,258 I'll take it 'cause that's great." But it's a true phenomenon that's been 97 00:05:36,258 --> 00:05:40,318 really fun to watch, and I'm very glad that everybody that I've seen, or most 98 00:05:40,318 --> 00:05:44,108 people that I've seen online have felt very welcomed, in our country, which 99 00:05:44,108 --> 00:05:46,108 is what you wanna be, is a great host. 100 00:05:46,138 --> 00:05:49,128 So these, folks that are coming in for this World Cup all over 101 00:05:49,128 --> 00:05:52,068 the world, it's cool that it's all timing at the same time. 102 00:05:52,068 --> 00:05:56,148 It's 250th anniversary and July the 4th, and then we've got World Cup 103 00:05:56,158 --> 00:05:59,158 people coming in, and so they're experiencing… What a time to 104 00:05:59,158 --> 00:06:01,598 experience, our culture and our country. 105 00:06:01,598 --> 00:06:02,818 So yeah, that's awesome. 106 00:06:02,851 --> 00:06:03,421 Ken Allard: me tell, let me tell you one 107 00:06:03,588 --> 00:06:03,778 Dallas Burnett: I, 108 00:06:03,828 --> 00:06:05,538 Ken Allard: because I had the great privilege in 109 00:06:05,591 --> 00:06:05,891 Dallas Burnett: Yeah 110 00:06:05,988 --> 00:06:08,768 Ken Allard: junior year of spending the entire year at the 111 00:06:08,778 --> 00:06:10,388 University of Edinburgh in Scotland. 112 00:06:11,208 --> 00:06:15,958 And to be there in midst of the Vietnam War, all the unrest that was going on 113 00:06:15,958 --> 00:06:21,288 in Europe at that time, forget, I was then facing the likelihood of going 114 00:06:21,298 --> 00:06:23,218 in the draft, then going to Vietnam. 115 00:06:23,628 --> 00:06:26,768 I had no idea what was gonna happen next my whole life. 116 00:06:28,138 --> 00:06:29,638 we all faced those issues. 117 00:06:29,798 --> 00:06:35,398 Everyone went through the, the, the incredible questioning that you had 118 00:06:35,398 --> 00:06:40,198 to ask, "Am I willing to go? will I serve?" And I thought I was going 119 00:06:40,198 --> 00:06:42,868 to, come down the right side of that question, but you don't know. 120 00:06:42,968 --> 00:06:46,025 one day in my class, I had the great privilege of studying 121 00:06:46,025 --> 00:06:47,685 with Professor H.V. Acton. 122 00:06:47,985 --> 00:06:50,165 He was a classic Oxford don. 123 00:06:50,385 --> 00:06:52,925 He lectured in gowns and the cap, the whole thing. 124 00:06:53,865 --> 00:06:57,765 he said-- I'd taken very careful notes of everything the guy had talked 125 00:06:57,765 --> 00:06:59,445 about the whole year, both semesters. 126 00:06:59,895 --> 00:07:03,645 And finally, we're approaching the last several weeks of the course, he says, 127 00:07:04,125 --> 00:07:07,155 "I'm saving the best till last because I want to read you something which 128 00:07:07,315 --> 00:07:14,125 is the best statement of human rights ever designed by modern man." He began 129 00:07:14,125 --> 00:07:15,735 reading the Declaration of Independence. 130 00:07:15,865 --> 00:07:17,415 And I sat there-… I sat there in my 131 00:07:17,710 --> 00:07:18,220 Dallas Burnett: Wow 132 00:07:18,775 --> 00:07:22,665 Ken Allard: Scotland classroom, and came to my cheeks because 133 00:07:22,665 --> 00:07:23,465 I thought, you know what? 134 00:07:23,654 --> 00:07:26,189 is gonna happen here, I've got to go and do this. 135 00:07:26,309 --> 00:07:27,329 I've got to go home. 136 00:07:27,599 --> 00:07:28,679 I've got to meet the test. 137 00:07:28,819 --> 00:07:30,619 Whatever that test is gonna be, I'm gonna meet 138 00:07:31,274 --> 00:07:31,834 Dallas Burnett: Wow. 139 00:07:31,944 --> 00:07:33,804 that's so amazing that you were inspired. 140 00:07:34,064 --> 00:07:37,354 you're in a situation where, it's obviously a tough time in our 141 00:07:37,354 --> 00:07:40,064 country, and there's a lot of people asking a lot of different questions. 142 00:07:40,064 --> 00:07:43,124 I've talked to my dad about it as well and, and family 143 00:07:43,124 --> 00:07:44,534 members about that time period. 144 00:07:44,534 --> 00:07:47,444 And the, and like you said, there's some questions that, people had to 145 00:07:47,444 --> 00:07:51,214 ask and answer and, it was just a complicated time in our country. 146 00:07:51,214 --> 00:07:57,254 And so to be over in Edinburgh in a classroom and then be so moved by 147 00:07:57,254 --> 00:08:01,414 your own, Declaration of Independence and be inspired, it's awesome 148 00:08:01,414 --> 00:08:04,724 that, even in Edinburgh, you could, you could feel that inspiration. 149 00:08:04,724 --> 00:08:09,864 So was it at that time after that experience in Edinburgh, that you 150 00:08:09,864 --> 00:08:11,274 came back to the States, did you 151 00:08:11,872 --> 00:08:14,822 Ken Allard: The, uh, by the way, the draft deferral will then be up, 152 00:08:15,772 --> 00:08:17,032 whatever's gonna happen is gonna happen. 153 00:08:17,832 --> 00:08:21,542 so I get to the last desk at Fort Holabird. 154 00:08:22,182 --> 00:08:26,262 The s- the, the physician looks at me and says, "All your wounds apparently 155 00:08:26,422 --> 00:08:29,582 healed fine. Good luck." Stamp my papers. 156 00:08:29,642 --> 00:08:36,512 He says, "You're now inducted." The next desk to his was a sergeant sitting 157 00:08:36,512 --> 00:08:41,122 right behind the me over, up one side, down the other, says, "You know what? 158 00:08:42,002 --> 00:08:46,382 a, a smart-looking young man like you, you probably ought to to 159 00:08:46,382 --> 00:08:47,802 think." Says, "Well, get him now. 160 00:08:48,642 --> 00:08:50,482 should I do the best job for myself? 161 00:08:50,892 --> 00:08:51,922 I can offer you that. 162 00:08:52,762 --> 00:08:57,842 not sign up for an additional year to go to OCS, Candidate School?" I looked at 163 00:08:57,842 --> 00:08:59,722 him and I said, "You know what, Sarge? 164 00:09:00,552 --> 00:09:00,822 right. 165 00:09:01,622 --> 00:09:06,762 me that paper." And so I signed, and only the Army could come 166 00:09:06,762 --> 00:09:07,792 up with a term like this. 167 00:09:07,962 --> 00:09:09,722 I became an obligated volunteer. 168 00:09:10,789 --> 00:09:12,579 Dallas Burnett: An obligated volunteer. 169 00:09:12,729 --> 00:09:13,469 How about that? 170 00:09:14,479 --> 00:09:14,709 That's amazing 171 00:09:16,122 --> 00:09:17,492 Ken Allard: So you things. 172 00:09:18,242 --> 00:09:19,792 the first of many contradictions. 173 00:09:20,742 --> 00:09:24,182 But at that moment, all I could do was say, "Thank you, Lord. Whatever's 174 00:09:24,202 --> 00:09:25,012 gonna happen is gonna happen." 175 00:09:27,062 --> 00:09:27,145 You make, 176 00:09:27,721 --> 00:09:28,331 Dallas Burnett: you don't know. 177 00:09:28,475 --> 00:09:30,385 Ken Allard: The best but that's it. 178 00:09:30,415 --> 00:09:30,835 You really 179 00:09:30,851 --> 00:09:31,211 Dallas Burnett: You make 180 00:09:31,225 --> 00:09:31,515 Ken Allard: what you're doing. 181 00:09:32,067 --> 00:09:32,577 Dallas Burnett: Wow. 182 00:09:32,587 --> 00:09:37,367 so you kind of started out by g- you were given, you know, a, a couple choices. 183 00:09:37,367 --> 00:09:40,447 It was either, I don't know, if you were looking at the Vietnam War, it 184 00:09:40,447 --> 00:09:41,597 was, like, bad or worse, you know? 185 00:09:42,777 --> 00:09:45,197 It wasn't, it wasn't like you had the optimal decision 186 00:09:45,197 --> 00:09:46,457 that was presented to you. 187 00:09:46,727 --> 00:09:51,097 and, but then you had a way that you could do, uh, OCS I think that is so 188 00:09:51,097 --> 00:09:56,387 true that sometimes it's easy for us to look at other people in other situations, 189 00:09:56,387 --> 00:09:59,257 and we can say, "Hey, I wish I was doing that," or, "How did they get that right?" 190 00:09:59,507 --> 00:10:03,467 And it'll, at the end of the day, it's like you say, control does, there, 191 00:10:03,687 --> 00:10:07,377 a certain amount of control is an illusion, is that we exert ourselves 192 00:10:07,377 --> 00:10:10,697 by making decisions and moving through opportunities that are presented, 193 00:10:10,897 --> 00:10:12,727 and hopefully we respond really well. 194 00:10:12,937 --> 00:10:14,927 but a lot of times there's some things that happen we just don't 195 00:10:14,937 --> 00:10:17,227 have control over, and some people don't like to accept that. 196 00:10:17,237 --> 00:10:20,897 They wanna feel like we have this control over not only our 197 00:10:20,897 --> 00:10:24,797 life, but our surroundings, and a lot of it is adjusting, right? 198 00:10:26,195 --> 00:10:27,395 Ken Allard: illusions I did not have. 199 00:10:28,238 --> 00:10:28,918 Dallas Burnett: Hmm. 200 00:10:28,965 --> 00:10:29,505 Ken Allard: I point out in 201 00:10:30,665 --> 00:10:33,475 I went to some length to write this because this happened to 202 00:10:33,515 --> 00:10:34,905 me when I was five years old. 203 00:10:35,635 --> 00:10:39,795 a preacher's d- my, my father was a storefront preacher, the 204 00:10:39,795 --> 00:10:41,295 bottom chain of the food chain. 205 00:10:42,115 --> 00:10:43,195 so we're there. 206 00:10:43,295 --> 00:10:47,815 He's running this little tiny storefront church, Boston, Massachusetts. 207 00:10:48,205 --> 00:10:53,505 And at age five, I suddenly am noticing I was having pains in my 208 00:10:53,505 --> 00:10:56,675 legs, the pains began to get worse. 209 00:10:57,045 --> 00:11:01,175 And, oh, by the way, there was a… They not dare talk about it, but there was 210 00:11:01,175 --> 00:11:03,975 an epidemic going around poliomyelitis. 211 00:11:04,415 --> 00:11:07,095 Mm. This is before the Salk vaccine. 212 00:11:07,835 --> 00:11:13,305 So here I am, a young preacher's kid, thinking I'm, "Hey, listen, whatever 213 00:11:13,305 --> 00:11:16,315 is my relationship with God's gonna be good because my father's a preacher." 214 00:11:17,708 --> 00:11:17,958 Dallas Burnett: Right. 215 00:11:18,375 --> 00:11:19,030 Ken Allard: All of a sudden, all of 216 00:11:19,505 --> 00:11:22,445 these pains in my legs, and they took me to the hospital, 217 00:11:22,785 --> 00:11:24,255 Boston Children's Hospital. 218 00:11:24,985 --> 00:11:26,605 you've seen that in some movies. 219 00:11:26,955 --> 00:11:31,585 Uh, and it's really kind of amazing because to me, walking into that 220 00:11:31,585 --> 00:11:33,985 place, that was 73 years ago. 221 00:11:34,165 --> 00:11:35,305 I'm now an old guy. 222 00:11:35,535 --> 00:11:36,775 I remember that vividly. 223 00:11:37,085 --> 00:11:41,355 It's impressed in my mind it w- like it, it happened yesterday. 224 00:11:42,135 --> 00:11:47,505 There were all these kids in iron lungs, Mm …in crutches, these 225 00:11:47,515 --> 00:11:53,705 things, in pain, all of a sudden, is this the cadre I'm gonna My Lord. 226 00:11:53,715 --> 00:11:55,195 Mm. Scared me to death. 227 00:11:56,265 --> 00:11:59,375 My father kept saying, "Don't worry. God's gonna take care of us. You'll 228 00:11:59,375 --> 00:12:03,505 see." looking at all these other kids who he had not taken care of at all. 229 00:12:04,475 --> 00:12:07,765 "Wow." The next day they did a spinal tap. 230 00:12:08,215 --> 00:12:12,415 And Dallas, there are lots of things you forget about being a kid. 231 00:12:12,865 --> 00:12:17,377 I remember every point of that thing vividly This was a 232 00:12:17,447 --> 00:12:19,077 spinal tap without anesthesia. 233 00:12:19,707 --> 00:12:24,747 I remember the cold table, nurse who tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Be 234 00:12:24,747 --> 00:12:28,567 brave, bud." I still remember that stab. 235 00:12:28,917 --> 00:12:29,297 Boom. 236 00:12:30,997 --> 00:12:31,807 And there it was. 237 00:12:31,877 --> 00:12:33,657 They drew off the the spinal fluid. 238 00:12:34,117 --> 00:12:38,147 Said, "Okay, well, we'll see what we're gonna… Come back tomorrow, 239 00:12:38,157 --> 00:12:42,297 we'll give you the test results." night was the worst pain of my life. 240 00:12:42,897 --> 00:12:46,167 I don't know what happened, but all of a sudden, the only relief 241 00:12:46,167 --> 00:12:49,597 I could have, I had my sh- my, I had my knees up around my elbows. 242 00:12:49,597 --> 00:12:49,617 You 243 00:12:52,807 --> 00:12:53,317 know what? 244 00:12:55,037 --> 00:12:58,037 There's a phrase in Texas that somebody's praying you through. 245 00:12:58,537 --> 00:13:01,497 It's a good friend, it's a parent, it's a family member. 246 00:13:01,747 --> 00:13:05,137 But a good friend is someone who prays you through something, and 247 00:13:05,137 --> 00:13:06,447 I got prayed through that night. 248 00:13:06,937 --> 00:13:10,627 Because it was so intense, that pain, I couldn't sleep, 249 00:13:10,977 --> 00:13:12,637 couldn't even relax my legs. 250 00:13:13,107 --> 00:13:19,107 And the more I prayed to God, the the louder my father prayed. 251 00:13:20,376 --> 00:13:21,166 Dallas Burnett: Wow 252 00:13:21,187 --> 00:13:24,137 Ken Allard: screamed, and there it was. 253 00:13:24,287 --> 00:13:28,307 And all of a sudden, Dallas, you need to take my word for this, 254 00:13:28,427 --> 00:13:32,487 there were no lights, no angels, no heavenly host, none of that. 255 00:13:32,887 --> 00:13:34,577 What happened next was a lot better. 256 00:13:34,837 --> 00:13:38,679 The pain stopped if a light switch had been turned off. 257 00:13:38,837 --> 00:13:39,407 All of a sudden, 258 00:13:39,604 --> 00:13:40,234 Dallas Burnett: Really? 259 00:13:40,237 --> 00:13:42,517 Ken Allard: of a sudden, I relaxed. 260 00:13:43,617 --> 00:13:45,467 My parents were scared to death. 261 00:13:45,867 --> 00:13:47,267 They could not imagine what was happening. 262 00:13:48,027 --> 00:13:52,437 I simply said, "Hey, you heard Dad praying. God answered 263 00:13:52,437 --> 00:13:54,637 prayer. What's the big deal?" 264 00:13:56,206 --> 00:13:57,116 Dallas Burnett: Wow 265 00:13:58,007 --> 00:14:02,537 Ken Allard: I was not, I was not, uh, up by all this excess knowledge. 266 00:14:02,867 --> 00:14:08,287 All I knew was the f- such faith as I had, it had proven to be what it was. 267 00:14:09,377 --> 00:14:12,287 That there was a God who intervened in human events as he 268 00:14:12,287 --> 00:14:15,427 chose or not to, there it was. 269 00:14:15,727 --> 00:14:16,707 I was one of the lucky ones. 270 00:14:17,497 --> 00:14:18,677 And so I walked through that 271 00:14:18,694 --> 00:14:19,204 Dallas Burnett: Gracious 272 00:14:19,207 --> 00:14:22,927 Ken Allard: next day, the doctors were honestly shocked. 273 00:14:23,687 --> 00:14:30,837 And to me, watching all these eminent people, these doctors, so educated, so 274 00:14:30,967 --> 00:14:35,127 knowledgeable about everything, unable to understand what had just happened to 275 00:14:35,127 --> 00:14:36,927 me, I've never forgotten that feeling. 276 00:14:37,737 --> 00:14:42,907 all of a sudden, you what had happened, did it, and why. 277 00:14:43,707 --> 00:14:43,967 why. 278 00:14:44,248 --> 00:14:44,928 Dallas Burnett: Wow 279 00:14:45,057 --> 00:14:47,067 Ken Allard: why, who had done it. 280 00:14:47,867 --> 00:14:49,707 so all of a sudden, there it was. 281 00:14:50,097 --> 00:14:53,177 And this is long before a Salk vaccine ever came out. 282 00:14:53,877 --> 00:14:55,967 I was miraculously healed at age five. 283 00:14:56,847 --> 00:14:59,177 And from that point on, I knew there was a God. 284 00:14:59,457 --> 00:15:04,327 I knew he intervened in human events or chose not to, depending on whatever 285 00:15:04,337 --> 00:15:06,217 it was that he felt was his will. 286 00:15:07,087 --> 00:15:07,517 it was. 287 00:15:08,968 --> 00:15:11,248 Dallas Burnett: And you had that experience at five years old. 288 00:15:12,428 --> 00:15:15,578 and so, I mean, I can only imagine. 289 00:15:15,588 --> 00:15:17,468 There's so many things when you're telling that story. 290 00:15:17,708 --> 00:15:21,478 first of all, it makes me think, 'cause I had a friend, we've had friends that 291 00:15:21,488 --> 00:15:25,868 had, even epidurals, not even spinal taps, but they'll, hit something and 292 00:15:25,918 --> 00:15:27,358 they'll have the s- spinal fluid. 293 00:15:27,358 --> 00:15:31,218 If it's draining, they just say it's the most excruciating pain 294 00:15:31,528 --> 00:15:32,628 that they've ever experienced. 295 00:15:32,628 --> 00:15:34,298 It's just similar to what you're describing now. 296 00:15:34,298 --> 00:15:36,738 I just wonder if they didn't hit it when they pulled that out. 297 00:15:36,748 --> 00:15:40,448 you had this leakage of whatever, and it's just causing all this. 298 00:15:40,468 --> 00:15:41,758 And then for a five-year-old. 299 00:15:41,978 --> 00:15:45,578 And not only that, they're on, epidurals, and they're still complaining about 300 00:15:45,578 --> 00:15:49,628 it being so bad, and you're going on a cold table with no epidural, 301 00:15:49,638 --> 00:15:53,848 no kind of deadening, no nothing, and just getting a spinal tap, bro. 302 00:15:53,898 --> 00:15:55,358 that's hard living right there. 303 00:15:55,358 --> 00:15:56,898 There is no doubt that is… 304 00:15:57,058 --> 00:15:57,848 That's rough. 305 00:15:57,908 --> 00:16:00,318 Especially when the nurse is "All right, son, be brave," and it's 306 00:16:00,318 --> 00:16:03,558 "Oh, man, here we go." So I mean, 307 00:16:04,024 --> 00:16:04,436 was your… 308 00:16:05,039 --> 00:16:08,499 Ken Allard: in the the bravery that that moment demanded. 309 00:16:09,305 --> 00:16:09,825 Dallas Burnett: Yeah. 310 00:16:09,975 --> 00:16:10,405 Yeah. 311 00:16:12,005 --> 00:16:12,395 Yeah. 312 00:16:12,475 --> 00:16:13,805 At five years old, I mean, you do. 313 00:16:13,815 --> 00:16:14,545 You have no choice. 314 00:16:14,545 --> 00:16:17,185 You're, it, this is wheels in motion, and you're gonna experience it, you 315 00:16:17,285 --> 00:16:18,435 better, you better pull it together. 316 00:16:18,435 --> 00:16:19,305 That's incredible, 317 00:16:19,755 --> 00:16:20,195 man 318 00:16:20,850 --> 00:16:21,110 Ken Allard: bet you 319 00:16:21,750 --> 00:16:23,390 good kid from that point on." Wrong. 320 00:16:23,689 --> 00:16:23,889 Dallas Burnett: Yeah. 321 00:16:24,250 --> 00:16:24,480 Ken Allard: Wrong. 322 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:30,130 Oh, everything they tell you about preacher's kids is true. 323 00:16:30,130 --> 00:16:30,520 I was 324 00:16:31,715 --> 00:16:33,015 Dallas Burnett: oh, that's so funny 325 00:16:34,590 --> 00:16:38,520 Ken Allard: survive you-- I don't know what I thought, but all I was 326 00:16:38,630 --> 00:16:42,410 aware of fact that, uh, there's a special relationship with God. 327 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:46,350 I knew that was there, but I didn't really take it all that 328 00:16:46,350 --> 00:16:47,710 seriously from that point on. 329 00:16:48,020 --> 00:16:48,715 Miracles 330 00:16:49,980 --> 00:16:49,990 Dallas Burnett: Mm-hmm. 331 00:16:50,030 --> 00:16:52,738 Ken Allard: The effects didn't with I never had anything remotely 332 00:16:52,738 --> 00:16:55,248 like that I mean, I got drafted. 333 00:16:56,158 --> 00:16:56,918 my physical. 334 00:16:57,308 --> 00:16:57,868 I went in. 335 00:16:57,868 --> 00:17:00,778 I did all these amazing things to go through OCS. 336 00:17:01,598 --> 00:17:05,628 You would run for miles with five pounds of gear in your hands. 337 00:17:05,768 --> 00:17:06,508 That's your rifle. 338 00:17:06,678 --> 00:17:09,398 There's 50 pounds of gear on your back, and you're running until 339 00:17:09,398 --> 00:17:10,558 the drill sergeant gets tired. 340 00:17:12,078 --> 00:17:12,478 So we did all 341 00:17:12,619 --> 00:17:12,869 Dallas Burnett: Golly 342 00:17:14,108 --> 00:17:15,418 Ken Allard: did it, and did it very well. 343 00:17:15,898 --> 00:17:16,978 But thank God for that. 344 00:17:17,158 --> 00:17:21,401 My destiny was not to be, thank God, in a wheelchair for the 345 00:17:21,401 --> 00:17:22,592 rest of my life, and I thank 346 00:17:22,592 --> 00:17:24,017 Dallas Burnett: Man, that's, uh, that's amazing. 347 00:17:24,027 --> 00:17:25,647 Now, how was that for your parents? 348 00:17:25,647 --> 00:17:30,377 You initially the, when dad's, you praying and you're, you know, excruciating 349 00:17:30,377 --> 00:17:33,367 pain, you're screaming and then all of a sudden you just said you just 350 00:17:33,367 --> 00:17:35,087 kind of relaxed and just went cold. 351 00:17:35,097 --> 00:17:37,467 I mean, just like, not cold, but just laid flat, you just spread 352 00:17:37,467 --> 00:17:38,587 out and you're like, "It's gone." 353 00:17:39,037 --> 00:17:39,487 Yeah. 354 00:17:39,707 --> 00:17:39,987 Yeah. 355 00:17:39,987 --> 00:17:42,587 So praise God and somebody … Like, what was your parents? 356 00:17:42,587 --> 00:17:46,897 Were they as quick to, come to that as you were? 357 00:17:46,917 --> 00:17:50,137 Or they were like, "Well, I'm glad it's, you're not hurting, but we, you 358 00:17:50,137 --> 00:17:52,767 know, well, go to the doctor and kind of make sure on all this stuff." I mean, 359 00:17:52,887 --> 00:17:54,877 did they respond to that situation? 360 00:17:58,348 --> 00:18:01,118 Ken Allard: I think we told we told family and and friends 361 00:18:01,118 --> 00:18:01,658 about that, but that was it. 362 00:18:01,658 --> 00:18:02,058 And so for, for years after that, it was like it never 363 00:18:03,515 --> 00:18:04,265 Dallas Burnett: Wow 364 00:18:04,278 --> 00:18:04,568 Ken Allard: happened. 365 00:18:08,928 --> 00:18:09,348 I knew it had. 366 00:18:09,615 --> 00:18:10,345 Dallas Burnett: Really? 367 00:18:10,378 --> 00:18:10,778 Ken Allard: it had. 368 00:18:10,868 --> 00:18:15,628 And so, now the, I'm now-- My father by that point was an elder in a new church 369 00:18:15,808 --> 00:18:17,218 that we went back to in Baltimore. 370 00:18:17,578 --> 00:18:21,578 And so I'm a a normal regular kid other than being a preacher's kid. 371 00:18:22,338 --> 00:18:26,608 so all these when you're, when you're on the inside of a church 372 00:18:26,608 --> 00:18:30,078 relationship, you do all the things that other church people do. 373 00:18:30,568 --> 00:18:34,228 And so in due course, learned the books of the Bible. 374 00:18:34,328 --> 00:18:38,008 I can still recite them rapid fire, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, 375 00:18:38,018 --> 00:18:41,068 Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, First and Second Samuel, First and Second Kings, 376 00:18:41,208 --> 00:18:45,248 First and Second Chronicles, Ezra, and on and on and on through the New Testament. 377 00:18:46,198 --> 00:18:46,708 you know what? 378 00:18:47,698 --> 00:18:50,578 It was not really reaching me as a as a person. 379 00:18:50,928 --> 00:18:55,198 And it got even worse when later on in life, I began to see things 380 00:18:55,518 --> 00:18:56,791 differently than my parents. 381 00:18:57,979 --> 00:18:57,989 Dallas Burnett: Hmm. 382 00:18:58,108 --> 00:18:59,158 Ken Allard: Mm. My young-- my 383 00:18:59,918 --> 00:19:06,488 as a young kid were John F. Kennedy, Douglas MacArthur, um, and Martin 384 00:19:06,488 --> 00:19:11,107 Luther conservative Christians did not think much of any of those guys. 385 00:19:11,417 --> 00:19:15,467 And they did MacArthur, of course, but not John, John Kennedy, and 386 00:19:15,467 --> 00:19:16,767 certainly not Martin Luther King. 387 00:19:17,517 --> 00:19:20,897 to me it was obvious, particularly Martin Luther King, who was 388 00:19:20,897 --> 00:19:22,057 a prophet on this earth. 389 00:19:22,067 --> 00:19:24,657 Y- I knew that even in the '60s. 390 00:19:24,657 --> 00:19:26,037 Mm-hmm. 391 00:19:26,417 --> 00:19:27,337 To, to me, that was 392 00:19:28,557 --> 00:19:29,107 Mm-hmm. 393 00:19:29,138 --> 00:19:29,348 Dallas Burnett: 嗯。 394 00:19:29,427 --> 00:19:30,427 Ken Allard: see all those things, 395 00:19:30,917 --> 00:19:35,227 became a d-differentiation point between my parents and myself. 396 00:19:35,567 --> 00:19:39,377 And so it was all too easy for me to walk on my own path. 397 00:19:39,637 --> 00:19:43,167 And gradually, by the time I'm ready to go to college, I'm on my own. 398 00:19:43,616 --> 00:19:44,786 Dallas Burnett: yeah, you were ready to go. 399 00:19:44,896 --> 00:19:48,516 And so it's time to spread the wings and, uh, leave home so, 400 00:19:49,646 --> 00:19:50,266 so interesting 401 00:19:50,325 --> 00:19:52,325 Ken Allard: at The best sermon I ever heard preached, I heard 402 00:19:52,325 --> 00:19:54,295 preached from the pulpit of St. 403 00:19:54,295 --> 00:19:56,365 Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland. 404 00:19:56,675 --> 00:19:59,905 Malcolm Muggeridge, a very famous, would I describe him? 405 00:20:00,635 --> 00:20:03,497 was a combination of a savant, a wise man. 406 00:20:04,055 --> 00:20:04,195 Dallas Burnett: Hmm 407 00:20:04,207 --> 00:20:05,197 Ken Allard: And so he 408 00:20:06,477 --> 00:20:09,577 a, a very controversial figure in Great Britain, but also very well known. 409 00:20:10,899 --> 00:20:11,259 Dallas Burnett: Yeah 410 00:20:11,717 --> 00:20:11,977 Ken Allard: And 411 00:20:12,867 --> 00:20:15,810 I heard him preach from the, from the St. 412 00:20:15,810 --> 00:20:17,180 Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh. 413 00:20:17,460 --> 00:20:20,610 He was also the university rector for the University of Edinburgh, 414 00:20:20,610 --> 00:20:24,620 and he took great umbrage when the students wanted him to do something 415 00:20:24,820 --> 00:20:27,210 which he objected to on moral grounds. 416 00:20:27,510 --> 00:20:30,130 And so he resigned from the pulpit on that day. 417 00:20:30,140 --> 00:20:34,950 It was a huge story in Great Britain overshadowed exactly 418 00:20:34,980 --> 00:20:35,750 what he was talking about. 419 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:40,070 He was actually talking about how he had come back to faith, how he 420 00:20:40,070 --> 00:20:45,420 had said, "For me, there's only Jesus Christ," and that's it. 421 00:20:46,930 --> 00:20:47,000 Mm. 422 00:20:47,338 --> 00:20:47,648 Dallas Burnett: Wow 423 00:20:47,810 --> 00:20:48,490 Ken Allard: the newspapers, they 424 00:20:49,620 --> 00:20:53,793 and created, "Malcolm Muggeridge resigned from the University of Edinburgh. 425 00:20:53,793 --> 00:20:57,420 Isn't that amazing?" And they missed the larger point, and so did I. 426 00:20:58,920 --> 00:20:59,420 Dallas Burnett: Wow. 427 00:20:59,930 --> 00:21:03,170 So you heard, d- were you there that, was that the day that you were 428 00:21:03,170 --> 00:21:04,789 there and listening to his sermons? 429 00:21:05,507 --> 00:21:08,217 Ken Allard: 50 in the pews of St. Charles. 430 00:21:08,991 --> 00:21:10,321 Dallas Burnett: Good gracious day 431 00:21:11,907 --> 00:21:12,917 Ken Allard: during Queen Elizabeth's 432 00:21:13,403 --> 00:21:14,103 Dallas Burnett: Oh, yeah. 433 00:21:14,193 --> 00:21:15,533 I totally, yeah, I've been there. 434 00:21:15,563 --> 00:21:18,733 I've been to, I've been to Edinburgh a couple times and actually been 435 00:21:18,733 --> 00:21:20,233 to that place, so that's amazing. 436 00:21:20,243 --> 00:21:21,073 It's a beautiful… 437 00:21:21,513 --> 00:21:22,273 Yeah, beautiful. 438 00:21:22,562 --> 00:21:22,922 Ken Allard: that too 439 00:21:23,853 --> 00:21:24,283 Dallas Burnett: yes. 440 00:21:24,373 --> 00:21:25,133 That's amazing. 441 00:21:25,433 --> 00:21:26,563 That's really amazing. 442 00:21:26,823 --> 00:21:29,433 let's talk about this because I think this is a fascinating… So 443 00:21:29,533 --> 00:21:34,343 you've kind of had this religious upbringing, then you get, life happens, 444 00:21:34,373 --> 00:21:36,353 you find yourself in the military. 445 00:21:37,353 --> 00:21:40,923 Was that a difficult transition for you to make when you go through and 446 00:21:40,923 --> 00:21:42,133 you get through the training and stuff? 447 00:21:42,393 --> 00:21:46,353 Because I like you've had to wrestle with these ideas of Vietnam 448 00:21:46,353 --> 00:21:47,603 and then, but then you're in it. 449 00:21:47,843 --> 00:21:50,573 So that difficult, a negative way? 450 00:21:50,603 --> 00:21:53,633 Or was it difficult and you found yourself kind falling in love with it 451 00:21:53,633 --> 00:21:55,483 like, "Oh, I'm finding my rhythm here. 452 00:21:55,483 --> 00:21:57,463 I, this this is, these are my people," kind of thing. 453 00:21:57,673 --> 00:21:58,513 Which one was it? 454 00:21:59,952 --> 00:22:05,522 Ken Allard: the war, was not at all shy about voicing his opinions, I got 455 00:22:05,612 --> 00:22:08,762 in the military and I found out to my amazement, I'm pretty good at this stuff. 456 00:22:09,082 --> 00:22:09,722 I can do these. 457 00:22:11,192 --> 00:22:18,367 I can march, I can command, I've got a loud As a young draftee, my platoon 458 00:22:18,427 --> 00:22:24,857 sergeant said, "You're my training platoon guy. what your job is." his assistant 459 00:22:25,527 --> 00:22:26,937 the whole eight weeks of basic training. 460 00:22:28,077 --> 00:22:32,057 it was amazing to see that stuff because all of a sudden you realize, I'm now 461 00:22:32,077 --> 00:22:36,714 in this and Actually, they recognize I'm really kind of good at this. 462 00:22:36,804 --> 00:22:38,774 Wow, amazing was that? 463 00:22:40,244 --> 00:22:45,564 "Well, I'm, uh, listen, sign me up for OCS." And I say even more 464 00:22:45,564 --> 00:22:47,474 of a surprise, I survived OCS. 465 00:22:48,254 --> 00:22:50,404 That was the toughest thing I've ever done in my life, ever. 466 00:22:51,224 --> 00:22:57,534 Because every couple of weeks, we would do what were called bayonet ratings. 467 00:22:57,764 --> 00:23:01,314 You would rate every other member of your platoon from one to 50, 468 00:23:02,354 --> 00:23:04,314 you had to assign a rank one to 50. 469 00:23:04,774 --> 00:23:06,334 They're either very good or very bad. 470 00:23:06,624 --> 00:23:07,284 And guess what? 471 00:23:08,304 --> 00:23:13,574 When those ratings were complete, two days, the bottom 10% were gone. 472 00:23:14,374 --> 00:23:14,594 where? 473 00:23:15,044 --> 00:23:15,644 Vietnam. 474 00:23:16,086 --> 00:23:19,164 Mm. So that was instinct 475 00:23:19,277 --> 00:23:21,632 Dallas Burnett: if you didn't, if you didn't perform at OCS, you went to 476 00:23:21,632 --> 00:23:25,592 Vietnam, so the the bottom 10% was gone, and they were going to Vietnam. 477 00:23:27,512 --> 00:23:27,962 Yeah. 478 00:23:28,542 --> 00:23:30,412 Yeah, so you wanted to perform well. 479 00:23:30,472 --> 00:23:33,342 So that was like, "I gotta get through this. This is, serious." 480 00:23:33,522 --> 00:23:35,262 so I… that's very interesting. 481 00:23:35,572 --> 00:23:38,742 What… As your career in the military progressed, 'cause you had, 482 00:23:38,752 --> 00:23:43,582 you just obviously had a very long, successful career in the military. 483 00:23:44,062 --> 00:23:47,282 If, you got a lot of listeners to The Last 10% that are leading 484 00:23:47,282 --> 00:23:51,812 companies, organizations, leading teams, leading themselves. 485 00:23:51,832 --> 00:23:55,242 You talk about, living well and finishing strong. 486 00:23:55,602 --> 00:23:58,392 What… If you were to boil down, 'cause you've written multiple 487 00:23:58,392 --> 00:24:02,662 books and much of that is, is military and leadership focused. 488 00:24:02,902 --> 00:24:06,382 If you were to boil down a couple principles that you took away, either that 489 00:24:06,382 --> 00:24:11,862 were given to you, or you distilled from your time in the military as it relates 490 00:24:11,862 --> 00:24:16,492 to leadership and developing people, what would you say was the most valuable 491 00:24:16,502 --> 00:24:20,832 things that you were able to glean from that time and, uh, would think would be, 492 00:24:21,822 --> 00:24:22,772 valuable to others? 493 00:24:24,379 --> 00:24:27,259 Ken Allard: Number one, make sure you know what the mission is. 494 00:24:27,599 --> 00:24:29,089 Make sure you understand that personally. 495 00:24:29,559 --> 00:24:30,489 What does it mean to you? 496 00:24:30,879 --> 00:24:32,999 Because if you can't explain that to yourself, you will not be able 497 00:24:32,999 --> 00:24:34,159 to explain it to anyone else either. 498 00:24:35,019 --> 00:24:35,939 Second thing, 499 00:24:36,120 --> 00:24:36,670 Dallas Burnett: That's great 500 00:24:37,939 --> 00:24:42,199 Ken Allard: to make friends with the lowest possible level of any tr- any 501 00:24:42,419 --> 00:24:44,429 organization I was pr- I was in charge of. 502 00:24:45,379 --> 00:24:47,669 down and talked the guys at the very very bottom. 503 00:24:47,669 --> 00:24:51,779 The bottom, the lowest rank, foreman, whoever that was. 504 00:24:51,989 --> 00:24:52,699 And guess what? 505 00:24:53,629 --> 00:24:57,099 you talk to those people "I'm interested in what you do. 506 00:24:57,989 --> 00:25:01,269 Would you explain that to What-- When you're weapon or you're, or you're zeroing 507 00:25:01,279 --> 00:25:02,699 that weapon in, how do you do that? 508 00:25:04,019 --> 00:25:07,279 Look, I'm I'm really kinda dumb, so put that in dumb nut talk 509 00:25:07,289 --> 00:25:09,699 for me." And they were always, 510 00:25:11,719 --> 00:25:15,099 how amazing to see a young officer to say those incredible things to 511 00:25:15,099 --> 00:25:17,809 me. I'll take you under my wing." 512 00:25:18,248 --> 00:25:18,488 Dallas Burnett: Yes. 513 00:25:18,669 --> 00:25:18,899 Ken Allard: so 514 00:25:19,638 --> 00:25:20,038 Dallas Burnett: Yeah 515 00:25:20,419 --> 00:25:20,589 Ken Allard: at the 516 00:25:21,469 --> 00:25:21,809 level. 517 00:25:22,049 --> 00:25:25,039 Mm. learned early on, guess what? 518 00:25:25,449 --> 00:25:28,029 If you take care of them, they will take care of you. 519 00:25:28,829 --> 00:25:29,529 And guess what? 520 00:25:30,009 --> 00:25:34,679 I taught those same skills, not only the units that I commanded, but when 521 00:25:34,679 --> 00:25:38,069 I got out, at West Point, Georgetown. 522 00:25:38,499 --> 00:25:41,139 Oh, by the way, UTSA here in San Antonio. 523 00:25:41,639 --> 00:25:43,889 I taught those same lessons to those kids. 524 00:25:44,199 --> 00:25:48,069 I said, "Look, when you get out of here, go back to your companies, 525 00:25:48,229 --> 00:25:52,409 and you make friends with the lowest-ranking foreman on the job to 526 00:25:52,409 --> 00:25:54,852 him, your help." They'll be shocked. 527 00:25:54,852 --> 00:25:57,531 by the way, once you-- once they give you that help, you take care 528 00:25:57,581 --> 00:25:59,621 Dallas Burnett: think that's think that's so true on both levels. 529 00:25:59,621 --> 00:26:04,231 I mean, number one, I think knowing the mission is so important, and I think 530 00:26:04,241 --> 00:26:07,771 sometimes, have friends, I have a lot of friends that's in the military, family 531 00:26:07,771 --> 00:26:12,741 that's been in the military, and it is, it's interesting to see them transition 532 00:26:12,751 --> 00:26:14,651 from the military to private life. 533 00:26:14,651 --> 00:26:17,651 And some of the conversations that I've had, especially with men, I 534 00:26:17,651 --> 00:26:21,791 don't know why, but like, there's a, there seems to be a real struggle a 535 00:26:21,791 --> 00:26:24,091 lot of times, specifically for men. 536 00:26:24,101 --> 00:26:25,271 It can be for anybody. 537 00:26:25,271 --> 00:26:30,001 It's not just men, but definitely for men that find this loss of the spirit 538 00:26:30,001 --> 00:26:33,321 of the Corps and this mission thing. 539 00:26:33,331 --> 00:26:38,141 And so it's like it takes a little bit of a time for them to reengage in a way that 540 00:26:38,141 --> 00:26:40,181 they feel like they have this mission. 541 00:26:40,201 --> 00:26:44,171 Because it's there in the military, at least at some level, if you 542 00:26:44,171 --> 00:26:45,401 just need to understand it. 543 00:26:45,621 --> 00:26:49,701 And I think sometimes in the private sector, we gloss over that. 544 00:26:50,131 --> 00:26:52,791 love the you know, I love the vision, mission, values. 545 00:26:53,011 --> 00:26:54,331 I even go back and say purpose. 546 00:26:54,331 --> 00:26:56,711 Like, why does this organization exist? 547 00:26:56,711 --> 00:26:57,811 What is it here to do? 548 00:26:57,941 --> 00:26:59,471 How is it gonna do it well? 549 00:26:59,641 --> 00:27:01,581 And let's really dial that in. 550 00:27:01,591 --> 00:27:03,881 'Cause just like you say, if you're leading a team, 551 00:27:04,021 --> 00:27:05,371 you've gotta be contagious. 552 00:27:05,671 --> 00:27:10,151 You gotta be the one that sharing this a way that able to be caught by 553 00:27:10,181 --> 00:27:13,281 others, and you can't be contagious if you ain't infected, right? 554 00:27:13,281 --> 00:27:16,971 And so I think that, your point of that, if you're leading a team, you're leading 555 00:27:16,971 --> 00:27:21,421 an organization, leading kind how well, not only do you… are you able to repeat 556 00:27:21,421 --> 00:27:25,981 and regurgitate the mission statement on the wall, but how well are you living 557 00:27:25,981 --> 00:27:30,721 it and how many ripples are i- impacting those people around you, or how strong are 558 00:27:30,721 --> 00:27:35,131 you able to pull that, and push that out of your being to the rest of the people? 559 00:27:35,131 --> 00:27:37,061 And I think that's, I think that's a great point. 560 00:27:37,061 --> 00:27:40,291 I think that leaders, that's challenging leaders, all over with. 561 00:27:40,461 --> 00:27:43,701 And the second thing is, you were talking about, being able go down 562 00:27:43,701 --> 00:27:47,911 to the absolute bottom of the hierarchy and gain information. 563 00:27:47,911 --> 00:27:51,801 But what you're doing, I love it because there's so many organizations that you're 564 00:27:51,801 --> 00:27:55,011 just going one step down, and you're talking and just getting reports, and 565 00:27:55,011 --> 00:27:57,741 you're just saying, "Well, you know, what is this?" like the game of telephone. 566 00:27:57,741 --> 00:28:01,241 The larger the organization, the more bureaucratic the organization, less 567 00:28:01,251 --> 00:28:03,611 accurate that information is going to be. 568 00:28:03,641 --> 00:28:04,891 Just play a game of telephone. 569 00:28:04,891 --> 00:28:06,501 You get four people down, you're done. 570 00:28:06,511 --> 00:28:07,371 You're done. 571 00:28:08,161 --> 00:28:08,521 yeah. 572 00:28:10,124 --> 00:28:12,544 Ken Allard: it shapes the way you do any task. 573 00:28:12,934 --> 00:28:17,114 So when I get to West Point, I'm now a professor, I'm now teaching cadets. 574 00:28:17,894 --> 00:28:21,544 By purely the luck of the draw, I have a West Point quarterback 575 00:28:21,554 --> 00:28:23,844 in my class, Rob Haven. 576 00:28:24,359 --> 00:28:24,939 Dallas Burnett: Oh, wow 577 00:28:25,044 --> 00:28:30,244 Ken Allard: so season goes on, and I feign him with that. 578 00:28:30,314 --> 00:28:33,694 We would always talk, 'cause I love football, talk a great game. 579 00:28:34,464 --> 00:28:38,936 But I got the kids in when they're all sitting in the position of 580 00:28:40,146 --> 00:28:41,486 I want, I wanna say something. 581 00:28:41,856 --> 00:28:44,686 As you folks know, I didn't go here for an undergraduate degree. 582 00:28:44,916 --> 00:28:47,866 So frankly, Army-Navy leaves me a little bit cold. 583 00:28:48,336 --> 00:28:51,796 But Mr. Haley, play Harvard on Saturday. 584 00:28:52,026 --> 00:28:53,026 I did go to Harvard. 585 00:28:53,036 --> 00:29:00,358 If you lose to them, don't even bother coming in here And we beat Harvard to six. 586 00:29:01,558 --> 00:29:05,068 I'm really proud of Rob Rob comes in and says, "Surge a life at?" 587 00:29:05,118 --> 00:29:07,638 "Oh, yeah, I did." Boy, fantastic. 588 00:29:07,798 --> 00:29:08,288 Well done. 589 00:29:08,618 --> 00:29:09,068 Good job. 590 00:29:10,938 --> 00:29:11,088 So 591 00:29:11,291 --> 00:29:11,571 Dallas Burnett: Good. 592 00:29:11,621 --> 00:29:12,621 That's so good 593 00:29:13,788 --> 00:29:16,158 Ken Allard: in handy, and some of the weirdest times 594 00:29:17,423 --> 00:29:17,893 Dallas Burnett: Yeah. 595 00:29:18,263 --> 00:29:20,083 Yeah, no, I love that, and I think that, 596 00:29:21,442 --> 00:29:27,382 Ken Allard: show, took Army to a bowl game as the quarterback, not go to the pros. 597 00:29:27,622 --> 00:29:29,942 He flew guns in he he 598 00:29:29,993 --> 00:29:30,803 Dallas Burnett: Wow 599 00:29:32,322 --> 00:29:33,092 Ken Allard: Amazing guy. 600 00:29:34,202 --> 00:29:34,222 I'm 601 00:29:34,347 --> 00:29:34,967 Dallas Burnett: Wow. 602 00:29:35,097 --> 00:29:35,797 Good for him. 603 00:29:36,767 --> 00:29:38,017 Yeah, that's awesome. 604 00:29:38,177 --> 00:29:42,397 think that's so true, and I love that, and I love that motivation that you were able 605 00:29:42,397 --> 00:29:44,607 to give your students to, to be Harvard. 606 00:29:44,607 --> 00:29:48,717 Also, I think that other point that you were making, it really goes 607 00:29:48,737 --> 00:29:50,457 beyond just getting information. 608 00:29:50,457 --> 00:29:53,507 I think if you're listening to The Last 10 Percent, don't gloss 609 00:29:53,537 --> 00:29:57,737 over what the practical realities of what, Ken just said is. 610 00:29:57,767 --> 00:30:02,697 Number one, going to the lowest person on the hierarchy is going to get you 611 00:30:02,737 --> 00:30:07,527 granular information and give you that, literally, transparency to the bottom 612 00:30:07,817 --> 00:30:09,497 of the, where the data's coming from. 613 00:30:09,497 --> 00:30:11,487 Good, bad or ugly, you're gonna get it from that. 614 00:30:11,817 --> 00:30:14,717 the second thing, I think, and it's to your point, Ken, you, made a comment. 615 00:30:14,747 --> 00:30:16,787 You're like, "Hey, me exactly how you do this. 616 00:30:16,787 --> 00:30:18,047 Like, I'm, you trying to learn. 617 00:30:18,047 --> 00:30:18,897 I'm not the smartest. 618 00:30:18,897 --> 00:30:22,787 You know what?" that right there, that shows such humility that I think that 619 00:30:22,787 --> 00:30:28,497 people that are just working and doing their craft, whatever that is, appreciate 620 00:30:28,517 --> 00:30:32,917 because it's putting you not on the same plane, it's actually putting you 621 00:30:32,917 --> 00:30:34,887 below them when you're approaching them. 622 00:30:35,117 --> 00:30:38,797 And I think, number one, it shows that you're putting them on a 623 00:30:38,817 --> 00:30:42,237 pedestal of being an expert, so that makes them feel really great. 624 00:30:42,467 --> 00:30:45,457 And number two, you're actually having humility, and they can see 625 00:30:45,457 --> 00:30:48,217 that if you're being honest and, you're being authentic with that. 626 00:30:48,477 --> 00:30:51,937 and you should be because you may not know how to do that machine, so why go 627 00:30:51,937 --> 00:30:53,207 in there and act like you do, right? 628 00:30:53,207 --> 00:30:57,477 So you can show that humility, you instantly do a couple things. 629 00:30:57,477 --> 00:31:01,067 You not only show the humility, but you start building trust because the more 630 00:31:01,067 --> 00:31:05,477 they talk to you and the more you actively listen, you just get that trust from them. 631 00:31:06,307 --> 00:31:11,947 And man, it's this it's this like perfect reinforcing positive loop, you cycle where 632 00:31:12,057 --> 00:31:14,157 you've instilled this, trust in them. 633 00:31:14,167 --> 00:31:16,427 They give you back that trust in return. 634 00:31:16,557 --> 00:31:19,897 You're getting data from them where you can make good decisions and changes which 635 00:31:19,897 --> 00:31:23,327 impact them in a positive way, so they continue to give you that information. 636 00:31:23,327 --> 00:31:24,557 So it's this positive loop. 637 00:31:24,557 --> 00:31:28,187 So just in those, just in that one single piece of advice, go go to the 638 00:31:28,187 --> 00:31:32,207 bottom of the hierarchy and insert yourself in a way with humility and 639 00:31:32,217 --> 00:31:34,317 with time and listening and all. 640 00:31:34,337 --> 00:31:36,947 Just that is gonna create a positive loop. 641 00:31:36,947 --> 00:31:38,837 I think that's so packful, so impactful 642 00:31:39,672 --> 00:31:43,152 Ken Allard: Be-- again, you've done answered the question, how does a draftee 643 00:31:43,252 --> 00:31:46,692 get to be special assistant to the Army Chief of Staff, dean of the National War 644 00:31:47,807 --> 00:31:52,247 Because of the ability to go to those lower levels, make friends with the 645 00:31:52,247 --> 00:31:54,187 people, and get them to tell you things. 646 00:31:55,237 --> 00:32:01,177 that became a lifelong Mm. When I was working for General Carl Vuono as the 647 00:32:01,177 --> 00:32:05,867 Army Chief of Staff, I was telling him things which no one else would tell him. 648 00:32:07,077 --> 00:32:08,717 And guess who he was? 649 00:32:09,417 --> 00:32:15,357 was the four-star general, the Army's CEO, maybe you haven't heard of Carl Vuono, 650 00:32:15,517 --> 00:32:16,927 but I'll tell you who you have heard of. 651 00:32:17,137 --> 00:32:18,557 You've heard of Norman Schwarzkopf. 652 00:32:18,947 --> 00:32:20,817 You've heard of General Colin Powell. 653 00:32:21,637 --> 00:32:22,967 put them in their jobs. 654 00:32:24,627 --> 00:32:24,827 Yeah. 655 00:32:25,044 --> 00:32:25,374 Dallas Burnett: Wow. 656 00:32:25,737 --> 00:32:25,947 Ken Allard: And 657 00:32:28,407 --> 00:32:32,237 With General Vuono, what I did for him, mostly, my most important 658 00:32:32,247 --> 00:32:36,377 job was telling him things that no one else would tell Hmm. 659 00:32:36,637 --> 00:32:43,447 Because, A, I was stupid, B, I was a bruiser, I didn't have-- I did not 660 00:32:43,487 --> 00:32:47,637 have the tact gene to say, "Sir, I shouldn't tell you this," 'cause he knew 661 00:32:47,637 --> 00:32:49,087 I was gonna tell him the story anyway. 662 00:32:49,517 --> 00:32:50,707 He was living with a barn roof. 663 00:32:50,804 --> 00:32:51,184 Dallas Burnett: Wow. 664 00:32:51,467 --> 00:32:51,637 Ken Allard: what 665 00:32:52,284 --> 00:32:52,734 Dallas Burnett: That's awesome 666 00:32:52,807 --> 00:32:53,137 Ken Allard: All of a 667 00:32:53,877 --> 00:32:59,087 we did not know that Saddam Hussein was going to invade Kuwait, yet he did. 668 00:32:59,867 --> 00:33:05,987 suddenly that army was tasked at this incredible moment in history 669 00:33:06,447 --> 00:33:10,757 to come across-- Oh, by the way, this is not a pretend war. 670 00:33:10,927 --> 00:33:11,857 This is the real thing. 671 00:33:12,327 --> 00:33:14,477 You're going to have to go over to Iraq. 672 00:33:15,177 --> 00:33:16,437 You're gonna have to invade the country. 673 00:33:16,437 --> 00:33:20,487 You're going to beat their armed forces, and by the way, do that 674 00:33:20,487 --> 00:33:22,287 without killing a whole bunch of folks. 675 00:33:23,757 --> 00:33:24,527 And so there was, 676 00:33:26,227 --> 00:33:29,077 my amazement, that's what we-- exactly what we did. 677 00:33:29,417 --> 00:33:32,347 And I mentioned Schwarzkopf and Powell. 678 00:33:33,357 --> 00:33:37,517 As Powell said, gonna go there, we're gonna cut them off, and 679 00:33:37,517 --> 00:33:39,437 kill them." That's what we did. 680 00:33:40,106 --> 00:33:41,236 Dallas Burnett: That's what Powell said? 681 00:33:41,346 --> 00:33:41,956 That's what Powell said? 682 00:33:43,107 --> 00:33:43,827 Ken Allard: a press conference. 683 00:33:44,067 --> 00:33:45,807 Best press conference I've ever seen. 684 00:33:47,157 --> 00:33:47,727 Amazing. 685 00:33:48,857 --> 00:33:49,577 And by the way, 686 00:33:49,884 --> 00:33:50,394 Dallas Burnett: How about that? 687 00:33:50,417 --> 00:33:53,867 Ken Allard: became and I often tease him about that comment. 688 00:33:53,867 --> 00:33:55,957 I said, "That was the most politically incorrect statement 689 00:33:55,957 --> 00:33:58,277 you've ever made, far the best." 690 00:34:02,140 --> 00:34:03,080 Dallas Burnett: That's, that's very interesting. 691 00:34:03,330 --> 00:34:03,920 that's so cool. 692 00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:07,060 I were friends with… That, that's some amazing, that's amazing 693 00:34:07,060 --> 00:34:10,420 company to keep to be in the room and having conversations with, 694 00:34:10,850 --> 00:34:11,190 those, 695 00:34:11,580 --> 00:34:12,220 those people 696 00:34:12,297 --> 00:34:12,627 Ken Allard: other. 697 00:34:13,327 --> 00:34:17,317 knew what I was doing, and I think he respected that, and I sure 698 00:34:17,317 --> 00:34:17,937 respected everything he ever did. 699 00:34:18,657 --> 00:34:21,187 was a friend to me when a lot of other people were not. 700 00:34:21,837 --> 00:34:25,877 remembered me, counseled me, kept me in the loop, all the things you do 701 00:34:25,877 --> 00:34:29,777 with a general officer if you've got So he was he was practicing on me 702 00:34:33,947 --> 00:34:34,047 what 703 00:34:34,620 --> 00:34:35,080 Dallas Burnett: That's cool. 704 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:35,940 That's cool. 705 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:36,860 Man, that's so cool s- 706 00:34:37,942 --> 00:34:40,224 Y- y- oh, s- say that again Oh, right. 707 00:34:40,224 --> 00:34:40,704 Yeah, yeah. 708 00:34:40,704 --> 00:34:41,684 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 709 00:34:41,684 --> 00:34:44,964 I mean, that's, uh… I mean, yeah, he definitely… I, wonder, 710 00:34:44,984 --> 00:34:47,324 I don't know if he considered it or not, but, I mean, that was, 711 00:34:47,974 --> 00:34:48,554 he did. 712 00:34:48,584 --> 00:34:49,084 Okay. 713 00:34:49,124 --> 00:34:49,844 That's interesting. 714 00:34:50,093 --> 00:34:51,713 Oh, wow. 715 00:34:51,773 --> 00:34:52,763 I didn't know that. 716 00:34:52,773 --> 00:34:53,803 Oh, that's interesting. 717 00:34:54,053 --> 00:34:54,173 Oh. 718 00:34:54,173 --> 00:34:55,733 Well, I hey, she gets a vote, right? 719 00:34:55,733 --> 00:34:56,953 You We're not moving, buddy. 720 00:34:57,273 --> 00:34:58,043 We're not moving. 721 00:34:58,112 --> 00:34:58,252 Ken Allard: gives it good. 722 00:34:58,773 --> 00:34:59,683 Dallas Burnett: that's really funny. 723 00:34:59,713 --> 00:35:00,813 Well, that's, uh, that's so interesting. 724 00:35:00,833 --> 00:35:04,403 So if you were to say, 'cause I, I do think your experience, I 725 00:35:04,543 --> 00:35:07,953 taught at West Point, you've taught at the National co- War College. 726 00:35:07,953 --> 00:35:11,633 I what… If you were to look back on, uh, history, 'cause, you you're a student 727 00:35:11,783 --> 00:35:14,133 of war, you're a student of the military. 728 00:35:14,313 --> 00:35:17,223 ob- obviously, have had tremendous experience in that 729 00:35:17,243 --> 00:35:18,853 and been a commentator on that. 730 00:35:19,733 --> 00:35:24,043 Who would you say is the m- the person, it can be any time in military 731 00:35:24,043 --> 00:35:28,423 history, that is most intriguing to you, that you find most fascinating? 732 00:35:28,433 --> 00:35:31,183 Like, you could sit down and have a conversation with this 733 00:35:31,483 --> 00:35:35,093 military personality, you would just be just blown away. 734 00:35:35,173 --> 00:35:38,273 Is there anybody that comes to mind for you, prot- p- personally? 735 00:35:40,382 --> 00:35:43,682 Ken Allard: from that I, I really, really love and respect, uh, 736 00:35:43,682 --> 00:35:47,012 is George Washington, because he was a man of character if 737 00:35:47,162 --> 00:35:51,882 ever was one, and a man of character that we needed that successfully at that time. 738 00:35:53,327 --> 00:35:53,767 Dallas Burnett: Yeah 739 00:35:54,192 --> 00:35:57,012 Ken Allard: the if you will, would be George Washington. 740 00:35:57,012 --> 00:35:57,042 But 741 00:35:57,391 --> 00:35:57,871 Dallas Burnett: Yes 742 00:35:57,982 --> 00:36:00,872 Ken Allard: you someone known to, uh, your audiences because 743 00:36:00,872 --> 00:36:01,972 they're more familiar with him. 744 00:36:02,352 --> 00:36:06,172 Uh, fact, he's just go- he's just done something really remarkable. 745 00:36:06,642 --> 00:36:09,892 That's Mike Co- Governor Mike Huckabee, our ambassador to Israel. 746 00:36:11,422 --> 00:36:12,752 gave a speech in Israel this 747 00:36:13,772 --> 00:36:17,832 which reminded Americans of why do Americans have a stake 748 00:36:17,842 --> 00:36:19,012 in what happens in Israel? 749 00:36:19,722 --> 00:36:21,112 Mike stood up and told them. 750 00:36:23,242 --> 00:36:26,742 if you think the Judeo-Christian ethic is important, right. 751 00:36:26,792 --> 00:36:27,352 It is. 752 00:36:27,452 --> 00:36:31,372 It's fundamental." And where was the Judeo-Christian ethic invented? 753 00:36:32,022 --> 00:36:32,492 Israel. 754 00:36:33,372 --> 00:36:34,102 where it took place. 755 00:36:34,902 --> 00:36:35,132 That's 756 00:36:36,242 --> 00:36:36,882 us. 757 00:36:37,832 --> 00:36:39,832 every one of our forefathers. 758 00:36:40,932 --> 00:36:41,912 if you look back at the 759 00:36:42,642 --> 00:36:47,002 again, we don't teach history all that well anymore, but if we did, you'd 760 00:36:47,032 --> 00:36:49,532 realize what really happened back then. 761 00:36:50,262 --> 00:36:52,102 were shaped by, guess what? 762 00:36:53,232 --> 00:36:58,012 What happened in their Bibles or what they were literate in reading those things. 763 00:36:58,452 --> 00:37:03,222 And because the Bible shapes you, if you read it, you make better 764 00:37:03,222 --> 00:37:04,412 decisions than if you don't. 765 00:37:04,782 --> 00:37:06,562 You live a better life than if you don't. 766 00:37:07,312 --> 00:37:13,042 by the way, as I've proven many times, you ignore what the Bible says, 767 00:37:14,272 --> 00:37:15,712 you're simply writing for a fall. 768 00:37:16,352 --> 00:37:16,552 simply a 769 00:37:17,355 --> 00:37:18,505 Dallas Burnett: That's right. 770 00:37:19,085 --> 00:37:19,565 That's right. 771 00:37:20,135 --> 00:37:20,545 That's right 772 00:37:20,942 --> 00:37:25,382 Ken Allard: growing kid, when I got on TV, I ignored all that stuff. 773 00:37:28,418 --> 00:37:34,888 One, you ignore those basic things, not long before have cause for regret. 774 00:37:35,558 --> 00:37:40,428 And so all of a sudden, I'm on TV, I'm recognized going in airports. 775 00:37:40,668 --> 00:37:45,258 People see me on TV and, "Oh, he's ex-governor." Suddenly 776 00:37:45,258 --> 00:37:46,718 I was no longer anonymous. 777 00:37:47,668 --> 00:37:49,798 And all of a sudden I began to believe my own publicity. 778 00:37:50,018 --> 00:37:53,848 What, more destructive fate can you face than doing that? 779 00:37:54,758 --> 00:37:57,698 And all of a sudden I began to realize every mistake I 780 00:37:57,698 --> 00:37:58,798 knew not to make, I'd made. 781 00:37:59,578 --> 00:38:05,638 the only mistake I'd not made was coming back to Christ and saying, 782 00:38:05,868 --> 00:38:07,748 doing what every sinner does. 783 00:38:07,978 --> 00:38:10,508 You're a great sinner, you need a great savior. 784 00:38:11,558 --> 00:38:13,958 that's where it begins from, that's where it ends up. 785 00:38:14,448 --> 00:38:19,788 And so what happened was I went through divorces. 786 00:38:19,868 --> 00:38:21,848 I was very lucky to survive that whole experience. 787 00:38:23,638 --> 00:38:29,208 And all of a sudden, today, coming up on 20 years of , my anniversary with my wife 788 00:38:29,248 --> 00:38:31,598 Betsy, and she's my hero of the book. 789 00:38:32,428 --> 00:38:36,288 is the heroine who you're gonna read about if you pick up that book. 790 00:38:36,668 --> 00:38:37,968 You read a lot about Ken Ott. 791 00:38:38,038 --> 00:38:41,568 You won't-- you might have heard about before, but you've not heard about Betsy. 792 00:38:42,218 --> 00:38:43,728 You read that book, you'll know why. 793 00:38:45,535 --> 00:38:47,925 Dallas Burnett: so I just, uh, that's very fascinating because, 794 00:38:47,955 --> 00:38:52,565 uh, I appreciate your, vulnerability in, in really, talking about your 795 00:38:52,565 --> 00:38:58,125 time while you were, on television, recognized as a, national person on 796 00:38:58,135 --> 00:39:00,265 TV and the news things like that. 797 00:39:00,505 --> 00:39:05,125 It's interesting because I think when people see people, they're a analyst 798 00:39:05,125 --> 00:39:09,725 on the news or, influencer on social media, they just automatically put 799 00:39:09,795 --> 00:39:13,775 this kind of, don't know, they have assumptions that they make about them 800 00:39:13,775 --> 00:39:16,465 that they're living a certain type of life and that they've kind made it. 801 00:39:16,475 --> 00:39:19,905 It's movie stars or, recording artists or whatever. 802 00:39:20,245 --> 00:39:25,115 you, you alluded to that, that what may not have been the best time, you you in 803 00:39:25,115 --> 00:39:29,845 terms of whether it was, you personal life, it wasn't as, it wasn't quite as, it 804 00:39:29,845 --> 00:39:33,495 was quite where you wanted it to be, like, your professional, you image, you know? 805 00:39:33,495 --> 00:39:35,785 So I think that I appreciate your honesty on that. 806 00:39:36,976 --> 00:39:37,516 Ken Allard: you something, okay? 807 00:39:37,516 --> 00:39:40,346 The one thing, you might think that those people you're seeing on TV, 808 00:39:40,386 --> 00:39:43,116 they're up in-- Uh, they have all kinds of money, they have all kinds 809 00:39:43,116 --> 00:39:45,746 of prominence, honors, all this stuff. 810 00:39:46,306 --> 00:39:49,346 The only thing you have in common with them, that they have in common with 811 00:39:49,406 --> 00:39:51,966 you, is we're both living this earth 812 00:39:54,496 --> 00:39:54,516 at 813 00:39:55,507 --> 00:39:56,137 Dallas Burnett: That's true 814 00:39:56,146 --> 00:39:56,226 Ken Allard: time. 815 00:39:56,226 --> 00:39:56,576 You will then stand before this 816 00:39:57,266 --> 00:40:00,886 Jew give an account for your life and whether or not you listened 817 00:40:00,886 --> 00:40:02,086 to Him and did what He said. 818 00:40:02,436 --> 00:40:04,246 Not whether you did it on TV. 819 00:40:04,726 --> 00:40:06,186 Did you do what He said to do? 820 00:40:06,186 --> 00:40:07,436 Did you read that book? 821 00:40:07,486 --> 00:40:08,711 Did that make any sense to you? 822 00:40:08,711 --> 00:40:09,836 Do you-- More to the 823 00:40:09,963 --> 00:40:10,413 Dallas Burnett: Yeah 824 00:40:10,556 --> 00:40:14,396 Ken Allard: apply And so I have 20 years record 825 00:40:15,226 --> 00:40:16,056 that in my life. 826 00:40:16,366 --> 00:40:18,456 What a huge difference it makes. 827 00:40:18,466 --> 00:40:23,736 I I don't have to make these If you read the book, you'll see all those adventures, 828 00:40:24,206 --> 00:40:25,846 Betsy's adventures, my adventures. 829 00:40:26,076 --> 00:40:32,426 And Betsy's a hero of mine because she did this thing as a very young lady who 830 00:40:32,426 --> 00:40:37,016 had no ties at all to the educational establishment beyond high school. 831 00:40:37,926 --> 00:40:42,946 At age 40-something, she went back to Abilene Christian University, three 832 00:40:42,946 --> 00:40:45,546 years, summa cum laude, both Victorian. 833 00:40:45,956 --> 00:40:46,326 Amazing. 834 00:40:46,931 --> 00:40:47,401 Dallas Burnett: Wow. 835 00:40:48,011 --> 00:40:48,661 Wow. 836 00:40:48,781 --> 00:40:52,111 So now let's talk about your new book because it's coming out. 837 00:40:52,111 --> 00:40:54,471 When is the book, when is your new book coming out? 838 00:40:55,212 --> 00:40:56,712 Ken Allard: uh, middle part of August 839 00:40:58,031 --> 00:40:58,871 Dallas Burnett: Middle part of August. 840 00:40:58,881 --> 00:41:03,271 So we're just a few weeks away from the launch of your new book, and I'll say 841 00:41:03,631 --> 00:41:06,721 that we have taken it, we have taken… You, supplied a copy and we've taken a 842 00:41:06,721 --> 00:41:11,301 look at it, and man, you start off the book, it's just a, it's an amazing story. 843 00:41:11,601 --> 00:41:15,341 think one of the things is that you're You share about, you your experience 844 00:41:15,411 --> 00:41:19,971 early on, a health emergency that you had and how Betsy comes in. 845 00:41:19,971 --> 00:41:22,501 I us a little bit about that because I mean, that was a, that's 846 00:41:22,501 --> 00:41:26,091 a s- that's life-changing for you, especially being on television. 847 00:41:26,141 --> 00:41:27,331 You know, that's kind big deal. 848 00:41:27,331 --> 00:41:30,521 So tell the listeners kinda what you had to deal with, they can 849 00:41:30,521 --> 00:41:31,591 read about it more in your book. 850 00:41:32,754 --> 00:41:35,814 Ken Allard: experience of dealing with polio, okay, where you have 851 00:41:35,814 --> 00:41:38,314 no hope, where there is no cure, 852 00:41:38,327 --> 00:41:38,837 Dallas Burnett: Yeah 853 00:41:39,014 --> 00:41:39,424 Ken Allard: absolutely 854 00:41:40,314 --> 00:41:41,824 This is before Salk vaccine. 855 00:41:42,454 --> 00:41:47,194 So all I knew was I'd been healed miraculously of polio, I was 856 00:41:47,274 --> 00:41:48,574 gonna do was try and enjoy life. 857 00:41:49,224 --> 00:41:49,844 Well, guess what? 858 00:41:50,494 --> 00:41:54,494 Eventually you learn to come back to where you began realize- Mm-hmm hey, 859 00:41:54,659 --> 00:41:55,099 Dallas Burnett: Mm. 860 00:41:55,424 --> 00:41:55,724 Ken Allard: God 861 00:41:56,564 --> 00:41:59,104 you about who you are. 862 00:41:59,334 --> 00:42:01,464 And oh, by the way, you can't ignore say. 863 00:42:01,474 --> 00:42:02,194 Mm-hmm. 864 00:42:02,204 --> 00:42:02,924 If you try to, 865 00:42:03,061 --> 00:42:03,511 Dallas Burnett: Hmm. 866 00:42:05,034 --> 00:42:05,774 Ken Allard: this is not gonna work. 867 00:42:06,614 --> 00:42:09,004 You eventually will find this is not the way to go. 868 00:42:09,344 --> 00:42:14,054 And all of a sudden I began to realize how true that was in my life, and I began to 869 00:42:14,054 --> 00:42:18,264 say, "Listen, you come with open hands." 870 00:42:18,374 --> 00:42:22,824 You say, "Listen, screwed this thing up as badly as I can. 871 00:42:23,064 --> 00:42:25,764 All I can do is surrender to you, but here it is. 872 00:42:26,254 --> 00:42:27,254 Mm-hmm. 873 00:42:27,361 --> 00:42:27,481 Dallas Burnett: it. 874 00:42:27,481 --> 00:42:27,911 Yeah 875 00:42:29,134 --> 00:42:30,624 Ken Allard: is the backdrop for that book, Mm-hmm. 876 00:42:30,971 --> 00:42:31,341 Dallas Burnett: Hmm 877 00:42:31,474 --> 00:42:35,674 Ken Allard: about and it's amazing to see steps that we took. 878 00:42:36,474 --> 00:42:39,534 We were two people-- We grew up 1,500 miles apart. 879 00:42:39,544 --> 00:42:40,484 She's a in Texas. 880 00:42:40,694 --> 00:42:44,004 Um, I lived in Towson, Maryland, we knew nothing about each other. 881 00:42:45,104 --> 00:42:46,204 When did we get together? 882 00:42:46,454 --> 00:42:53,824 We get together 50 years later Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. 883 00:42:54,914 --> 00:42:56,794 Bravest thing I've ever done was not in the Army. 884 00:42:57,064 --> 00:43:01,374 Was walking in the singles class at Oak Hills not knowing who was gonna be there. 885 00:43:02,044 --> 00:43:05,254 And I saw Betsy, and that's all there was to it. 886 00:43:05,254 --> 00:43:05,944 I saw her. 887 00:43:05,964 --> 00:43:07,234 We were together. 888 00:43:07,644 --> 00:43:08,129 And you know what? 889 00:43:08,129 --> 00:43:11,294 We've been together for 20 years, and it's been amazing. 890 00:43:11,294 --> 00:43:13,124 Dallas Burnett: wow, that's- that's unbelievable. 891 00:43:13,134 --> 00:43:17,024 So it's- it's similar to your polio story where it's a definitely an interesting 892 00:43:17,024 --> 00:43:18,574 situation you find yourself in. 893 00:43:18,574 --> 00:43:21,274 So I'll let our le- listeners pick this up. 894 00:43:21,384 --> 00:43:25,244 we'll put a copy of it in the show notes in August when it releases, but it, the 895 00:43:25,244 --> 00:43:30,494 book is titled God Kept His Promises, I think for, it's interesting to me 896 00:43:30,534 --> 00:43:35,054 because as I've been, talking with you today and, and, uh, just experiencing, 897 00:43:35,074 --> 00:43:40,634 you book a- as well, it's interesting because, you have been on both sides. 898 00:43:40,644 --> 00:43:45,944 Y- you've kind of woven ideas from both sides of the political spectrum 899 00:43:45,944 --> 00:43:49,344 into the conversation today and, and I think that's very interesting 900 00:43:49,344 --> 00:43:53,574 because, you're, you've been in the military, you're a decorated soldier, 901 00:43:53,574 --> 00:43:54,604 you've been colonel, you've been… 902 00:43:54,674 --> 00:43:58,974 You only that, you're a f- a, a, a student of the, you know, the art of war. 903 00:43:58,984 --> 00:44:01,694 You've been teaching at the National War College in West Point. 904 00:44:01,694 --> 00:44:06,164 You've been steeped in this, and yet you've written multiple books about 905 00:44:06,204 --> 00:44:09,604 war and military and all these things. 906 00:44:09,974 --> 00:44:14,454 and yet this book, is, more, more of your personal perspective and 907 00:44:14,454 --> 00:44:17,134 personal story with you and your wife and, and it has that to it. 908 00:44:17,194 --> 00:44:21,234 I think it's really good because I think our culture right now has 909 00:44:21,234 --> 00:44:22,984 a hard time talking to each other. 910 00:44:23,004 --> 00:44:25,924 Like I, I appreciate, people on podcasts. 911 00:44:26,334 --> 00:44:30,854 is not a political podcast, but I do appreciate people on podcasts on either 912 00:44:30,854 --> 00:44:35,034 side of the political spectrum that can sit down and have a conversation 913 00:44:35,034 --> 00:44:38,704 'cause I feel like that's just something that's so lost in our culture right 914 00:44:38,704 --> 00:44:42,114 now, to be able to, be able to have a conversation and come to some 915 00:44:42,394 --> 00:44:43,884 agreement without getting violent. 916 00:44:43,884 --> 00:44:44,614 It's just crazy. 917 00:44:44,614 --> 00:44:49,194 . So I appreciate your, perspective on all of this and your advice and wisdom. 918 00:44:49,394 --> 00:44:54,904 And I just like your humility in sharing your story with vulnerability, especially 919 00:44:54,904 --> 00:45:00,214 in the book, and, having r- risen to the level of prominence you have in your 920 00:45:00,214 --> 00:45:04,774 career, whether that be in the military or on, commentating on TV, to still come out 921 00:45:04,774 --> 00:45:09,094 and say, "Hey look, I'm a guy just like everybody else and this is how, this this 922 00:45:09,094 --> 00:45:12,414 is what I've experienced and how I moved through that and what gives me hope." 923 00:45:12,414 --> 00:45:13,874 So appreciate you for that. 924 00:45:13,917 --> 00:45:20,087 Ken, we always ask our guests, number one, how can listeners, get in touch 925 00:45:20,087 --> 00:45:23,717 with you if you, if they want to have and find out more information on any 926 00:45:23,717 --> 00:45:27,037 of your books, any of your m- first books, uh, first I guess three or 927 00:45:27,037 --> 00:45:29,087 four books or this new one coming out? 928 00:45:29,097 --> 00:45:33,727 How can people find out more about Colonel Allen? 929 00:45:35,057 --> 00:45:38,437 Ken Allard: gonna take full advantage of your position at uh, at the press and 930 00:45:38,447 --> 00:45:42,997 say to you that we'll have on the press site by the time that the new book comes 931 00:45:42,997 --> 00:45:45,917 out, have a site, we'll have a whole page 932 00:45:46,387 --> 00:45:47,097 me as an author. 933 00:45:47,367 --> 00:45:50,357 We'll see, make sure that happens so people can get in touch with me, 934 00:45:50,717 --> 00:45:51,997 get information about the books. 935 00:45:52,827 --> 00:45:55,777 the way, there are four previous ones, but this one's my favorite 936 00:45:55,918 --> 00:45:56,730 Dallas Burnett: Oh, really? 937 00:45:56,790 --> 00:45:58,340 Wow, that's awesome. 938 00:45:58,340 --> 00:46:01,190 Well, know the readers will love it, and, uh, listeners will love it, 939 00:46:01,190 --> 00:46:02,839 and I just, just appreciate that. 940 00:46:02,839 --> 00:46:04,679 So the last… Oh, and it's funny, yeah. 941 00:46:06,110 --> 00:46:06,670 Ken Allard: because you can't 942 00:46:06,769 --> 00:46:07,409 Dallas Burnett: Oh, so we've- 943 00:46:07,600 --> 00:46:09,300 Ken Allard: without value of humor. 944 00:46:09,750 --> 00:46:10,200 It's amazing. 945 00:46:10,721 --> 00:46:11,301 Dallas Burnett: Ah, 946 00:46:12,151 --> 00:46:12,561 awesome. 947 00:46:12,661 --> 00:46:13,531 That's really good. 948 00:46:13,731 --> 00:46:14,211 know she's 949 00:46:15,640 --> 00:46:18,540 Ken Allard: And the reason I wrote the book was all people said, "You've 950 00:46:18,540 --> 00:46:21,460 written all these other books and they're boring. wrote a book about 951 00:46:21,470 --> 00:46:23,190 Betsy, we'd love to read that." 952 00:46:23,567 --> 00:46:25,251 Dallas Burnett: Oh, that's so funny. 953 00:46:25,251 --> 00:46:30,391 Well, she is an amazing woman, and so, last question, ask every guest on The 954 00:46:30,391 --> 00:46:35,411 Last Ten Percent, if there was one person that you would like to hear as a guest on 955 00:46:35,411 --> 00:46:38,411 The Last Ten Percent, who would that be? 956 00:46:39,553 --> 00:46:42,193 Ken Allard: I would say now probably, uh, probably our Secretary of State. 957 00:46:42,853 --> 00:46:44,663 he's one of the more interesting people I've heard 958 00:46:45,973 --> 00:46:51,173 I've always admired and respected Marco, but these days it's him 959 00:46:52,003 --> 00:46:53,203 above almost everyone else. 960 00:46:53,263 --> 00:46:54,273 He's really an amazing guy. 961 00:46:54,683 --> 00:46:57,503 He's also Mike Huckabee's boss, so I respect that too. 962 00:46:58,640 --> 00:46:58,820 Dallas Burnett: Oh. 963 00:47:00,383 --> 00:47:00,863 Ken Allard: Secretary of State 964 00:47:01,050 --> 00:47:01,600 Dallas Burnett: That's awesome. 965 00:47:01,600 --> 00:47:05,070 Well, I mean, he's definitely had his hands full, with, things going on 966 00:47:05,080 --> 00:47:06,760 all over the world at the same time. 967 00:47:06,760 --> 00:47:08,480 Thank you, Ken, for being on the show today. 968 00:47:08,480 --> 00:47:09,200 This has been great. 969 00:47:09,200 --> 00:47:12,260 I think you've shared some really great wisdom for our leaders 970 00:47:12,550 --> 00:47:13,630 that are listening out there. 971 00:47:13,650 --> 00:47:16,320 I appreciate you sharing, being , , vulnerable about 972 00:47:16,320 --> 00:47:17,930 your own story and experiences. 973 00:47:17,930 --> 00:47:20,940 And we just, man, we wish you the best in this book launch, and 974 00:47:20,940 --> 00:47:22,370 we'll be cheering for your success