Ep. 125: From Service to Civic Engagement - Jason Galui on Leadership and Overcoming Fictional Fear

Jason J. Galui is the former Director for Veterans and Military Families at the George W. Bush Institute and the Director, Center for Civic Participation, Endicott College. 

Throughout a unique military career, Galui led soldiers in combat, taught economics to West Point cadets, advised senior military leaders in the Pentagon, and served in both the Obama and Trump White Houses. As Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Security Council and Chief of Staff to the National Security Advisor, Galui served as a key point of national security continuity during the 2017 Presidential Transition.   

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Quick Episode Summary:

Leadership, transition, overcoming fear, civic duty, and making service matter.

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SEO Description:

Army veteran Jason Galui discusses leadership, service, and civic duty on Passing The Torch, sharing insights from his military and public service career.

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🌟 Torch Takeaways Include:

• Why family, consistency, and community are the foundation of a good life and great leadership
• Reflections on working with four U.S. presidents and lessons learned from General Martin Dempsey
• The dangers of "fictional fear" (and how to overcome it by engaging your community)
• The social contract America has with its veterans — and what we owe those who serve
• Why hope is stronger than fear in times of uncertainty
• The importance of principle-based decision making under pressure

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Jason's Resources:

➡︎ The Strategerist Podcast: https://www.bushcenter.org/podcast/the-strategerist  

➡︎ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasongalui/ 

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Episode Mentions:

The Strategerist Podcast

President Barack Obama

President George W. Bush

General Martin Dempsey

Andrew Kaufmann

President John Adams

President Thomas Jefferson

Bill Barker

Kurt Benjamin Smith

Thom Shanker

Andrew Hoehn

Cody Keenan

Dirk Nowitzki

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Quotes to open episode:

"Contribute as much as possible, as early as possible, for as long as possible.” 

“We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” – President Franklin Delano Roosevelt

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but the determination to move forward in spite of it.” – Nelson Mandela

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Chapters:

00:00 Talking before the podcast starts

05:14 Importance of strong core values

07:38 Introducing Jason Galui's military career

10:03 Life feels great right now

13:14 Talking about fictional fear

17:33 Harnessing fear and managing emotions

21:24 Guesting the Strategist podcast

28:04 What Lincoln might say today

36:13 What makes a true leader

39:34 Consistency in leadership

41:25 Discussing obligations to U.S. veterans

45:33 Adams and Jefferson's reconciliation

48:08 Overcoming fear and engaging others

51:54 Reflecting on military service

54:28 General Dempsey's "Make It Matter" story

58:22 Hosting live podcast events

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Episode Sponsor:

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Podcast Summary: Passing The Torch – Jason Galui

In this episode of Passing The Torch, host Martin Foster welcomes Jason Galui, former Director for Veterans and Military Families at the George W. Bush Institute and current Director of the Center for Civic Participation at Endicott College. The conversation blends personal reflections, professional transitions, and insights on leadership, civic engagement, and the value of perseverance.

Highlights

• Capturing Authentic Conversations
  Martin Foster and Jason Galui discuss the importance of informal, unplanned conversations often occurring before or after official podcast recordings and how these moments can produce powerful dialogue (00:10–00:54).
• Professional Backgrounds and Transitions
  Jason Galui recounts his career, including military service, teaching at West Point, advising in the Pentagon, working in both the Obama and Trump White Houses, and leading at the Bush Institute. He recently transitioned to Endicott College to lead civic participation initiatives (08:20–11:13).
• Family and Personal Growth
  Both speakers reflect on how career transitions have affected their families. Martin Foster, newly retired from the Air Force, shares the joy of being present for his children’s daily lives (03:34–04:08).
• Leadership and Character
  The episode features a wide-ranging discussion on leadership attributes, focusing on the importance of character, core values, and perseverance in uncertain and challenging times (05:14–06:07; 35:32–37:00). Jason Galui shares his three (actually four) non-negotiable leadership principles: love, integrity, respect, and perseverance (37:43–37:57).
• Overcoming Fear and Civic Engagement
  Drawing from his military and civilian experiences, Jason Galui explains the concept of “fictional fear”—fear rooted in uncertainty and incomplete information. He encourages listeners to engage with their communities and seek clarity to reduce fear and replace it with hope (13:14–17:18).
• National Security and The Age of Danger
  The discussion includes consideration of modern national security threats—digitization, pandemics, and climate—their borderless nature, and the need for adaptive, principle-driven leadership (31:20–33:26).
• Civic Duty and American Experiment
  Jason Galui emphasizes the idea that freedom requires active, informed, and engaged participation, citing the wisdom of Thomas Jefferson and the ongoing “unfinished work” of the American democracy (24:26–28:47).
• Personal Favorites and Miscellaneous Insights
  The conversation includes lighter segments, like which US presidents they would choose for a podcast co-host (45:33), presidential trivia, discussions on the value of consistency, and reflections on podcasting as a medium for leadership and civic dialogue.
• Closing Challenge—Making it Matter
  The episode concludes with a favorite leadership question from General Martin Dempsey: "How do you make it matter?"—left as a challenge for listeners and future guests to consider in their work and lives (54:21–55:23).

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Tone and Style

The tone is warm, informal, and rich with personal anecdotes. Both Martin Foster and Jason Galui blend humor with deep insights, discussing life transitions, leadership, personal growth, and the ongoing role of citizens in preserving democracy. The conversation is both accessible and intellectually engaging, aimed at inspiring leaders, veterans, and all listeners to pursue meaningful lives and civic engagement.

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I appreciate all of you. - MF

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