Senior Advisor to SecNav, C. Scott “Sonny” Duncan, LtCol, USMC, Ret: A Career Shaped by Conviction, Culture, and Courage

Lieutenant Colonel retired C. Scott “Sonny” Duncan joins me for one of the more thought-provoking conversations I have hosted on Moments in Leadership. Sonny’s path is anything but typical. He enlisted in the Navy, earned an ROTC scholarship, commissioned as a Naval Officer, transitioned into the Marine Corps, became an F/A 18 pilot, graduated from Top Gun, instructed at NAWDC, and was slated to command an F35 squadron before the COVID mandate brought his career to a crossroads. We cover how he learned to lead through fear, how aviation culture built his approach to performance and accountability, why he and his wife made a values based decision during the mandate, and how he now serves at the senior executive level inside the Department of the Navy. There are hard moments in this episode, and there are leadership lessons that apply across every community. As always, thank you to the supporters on Supercast who help keep Moments in Leadership ad free and sustainable. GUEST BIO LINKS SES Bio, C. Scott “Sonny” Duncan FOLLOW,

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Senior Advisor to SecNav, C. Scott “Sonny” Duncan, LtCol, USMC, Ret: A Career Shaped by Conviction, Culture, and Courage is an episode from Moments in Leadership by David B. Armstrong.

This episode is 111:51 long.

This episode was published on Dec 28, 2025.

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