Deep Leadership #0417 – When the Mission Fails: 5 Timeless Values Every Leader Must Live with Andy Crocker
What do you do when the mission fails?
In this episode of Deep Leadership, I sit down with aerospace executive Andy Crocker to talk about what happens when a career-defining project collapses. After competing against SpaceX and Blue Origin for NASA’s Human Landing System, Andy and his team lost the contract — not once, but twice.
For many leaders, that kind of loss can shake your identity.
Instead of walking away bitter, Andy stepped back and asked a harder question: Who am I without the mission?
That reflection led him to write The Unconditionals, a book built around five timeless values every leader must live:
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Love (yes, even in high-performance environments)
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Gratitude
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Integrity
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Accountability
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Endeavor
We talk about why values aren’t “soft skills,” how trust is built and rebuilt, what accountability really means, and why humanity is more important than ever in the age of AI.
If you’ve ever faced failure, questioned your leadership, or wondered what truly holds high-performing teams together, this conversation is for you.
Leadership is a people business. And when everything falls apart, values are what keep you standing.
🎯 Get Andy’s book: https://andycrockerbooks.com/
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Until next time — lead well.
Sponsors:
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