Mentorship often outlives the mentor
I just finished SEAL of God by Chad Williams. Chad was a directionless kid — bored, restless, chasing the next adrenaline hit — until a retired Navy SEAL named Scott Helvenston took an interest in him. Believed in him. Poured into him.
Then Scott was murdered in Fallujah in 2004. I still remember the horrific images on TV from the ambush aftermath.
Chad had two choices with that grief: let it bury him or let it build him.
He chose to become a SEAL himself. In his mentor's honor.
Over the years, I've sat across the table from countless business leaders— helping them get clarity on their numbers, grow their profits, and find peace of mind. Often, I only get to the see the portion of their business journeys. Chad's story reminded me:
Mentorship often outlives the mentor. Scott Helvenston never lived to see what Chad became. But his investment in one kid rippled into a Navy SEAL, a ministry, a book, and — now — this post you're reading. Who's your "Chad" right now? The unpolished one worth pouring into?
Skill and character don't train on the same clock. Chad was becoming elite operationally while he was still wrestling personal demons in the barracks. Leadership is the same — you can be highly capable and still very unfinished. That gap is where the real leadership development happens.
Purpose beats a paycheck every time hardship shows up. Chad wasn't chasing an award. He was honoring a man. Teams anchored to something bigger than a job description absorb hard seasons differently than teams chasing a bonus.
SEAL of God — Chad Williams & David Thomas. Worth your time, especially if you lead people for a living.
Rusty Fulling