You Can’t Command Innovation—But You Can Lead It

Why Most Leaders Fail to Innovate—and What the Military Gets Right
Innovation isn’t something you command—it’s something you unleash. In this episode, we reveal why most leaders unintentionally crush creativity and kill momentum—and how to change that by applying battlefield-proven strategies to business.
I sit down with Lee Pepper, Army veteran, CMO-turned-consultant, and author of Never Outmatched: Military Strategies to Lead, Innovate and Win in the Modern Marketing Battlefield. We break down the powerful concept of Commander’s Intent and why trusting your team to deliver—rather than micromanaging—is the secret to growth, innovation, and impact.
Whether you’re leading millennials, running marketing, or navigating a complex team, this episode gives you the tools to shift from tactical overload to strategic clarity.

🚀 Top 3 Leadership Takeaways
✔️ How to lead through Commander’s Intent instead of control
✔️ Why micromanagement kills innovation—and what to do instead
✔️ The marketing "Anvil and Hammer" strategy every executive must understand
⏳ Timestamps & Key Sections
00:00 – Welcome + Lee Pepper’s journey from Army to CMO
06:30 – Never Outmatched: Why leaders must embrace adaptability
10:45 – Commander’s Intent: Empowering innovation without micromanaging
15:30 – Millennials & Motivation: Leading modern teams with trust
21:00 – From Tactics to Strategy: Stop spinning wheels in your business
26:15 – Innovation vs. Maintenance: Lessons from the M16
32:00 – KPIs That Matter: Avoid the vanity trap
38:30 – Small Wins, Big Impact: Leading from Day One
44:00 – Walkabout Leadership: Human connection in hybrid teams
49:30 – Cross-Functional Alignment: Making marketing everyone’s partner
54:45 – Why Lee wrote Never Outmatched + How to use the book

🔥 Key Moments to Watch
– The #1 reason your team isn’t innovating—and how to fix it
– How military thinking makes marketing more effective
– The simple leadership shift that builds trust and ownership instantly
– A strategy from Desert Storm that will change how you budget marketing
– Why your first 90 days as a new leader shouldn't be about observing

🎙 Guest Introduction
Lee Pepper is a leadership and marketing expert, former Army officer, and longtime CMO in the behavioral health space. He's the author of Never Outmatched, a book that distills military strategy into actionable tools for leaders who want to inspire, execute, and win.
Meet Lee:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leepepper/
Never Outmatched: https://a.co/d/9TIauMh
Website: https://www.peprallygroup.com/home
📢 Call to Action
💬 What’s one leadership tactic that’s helped you build trust or spark innovation? Drop it in the comments—we want to hear your experience.
👉 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode with a fellow leader who needs to hear it. Let’s change the way leadership gets done.

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Doland White is the host of The Next Interview—where bold leaders share the real stories behind business growth, empowered teams, and leadership breakthroughs. With over 40 years of experience as a CEO, advisor, and transformation coach, Doland brings a sharp eye for strategy and a deep belief in trust, autonomy, and accountability. His conversations cut through the noise to deliver insights that help leaders build confidence, scale results, and change lives.

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