With more than two decades of experience across consulting, utilities, and enterprise software, Thomas Pickels has worked in complex operational environments where coordinated teamwork and clear leadership are essential. His career spans roles at Accenture, Duke Energy, and BMC Software, where he has overseen vendor relationships, managed large technology initiatives, and supported enterprise service delivery across multiple industries. Throughout these roles, Pickels has collaborated with diverse teams responsible for regulatory compliance, cybersecurity upgrades, and large scale contract governance. These professional experiences highlight how sustained performance often depends on trust, coordination, and the ability of leaders to align individuals around shared objectives. The reflections in the following article explore similar principles through the lens of Navy SEAL team culture, where cooperation, discipline, and empathy are central to mission success.
Team Aspects of Leadership from a Retired Navy SEAL
As a guest on Simon Sinek’s “A Bit of Optimism” podcast in July 2025, retired Navy SEAL Gordon Schmidt, a high school rowing coach at San Diego Rowing Club, delved into life as a SEAL and the power of the quiet, empathetic leader. Active in the Navy for more than 20 years, having “hung up the oar” after the Naval Academy, Schmidt returned to coaching to stay active, following a tough period of wallowing after leaving the SEALs.
After retiring from service, Schmidt found it difficult to come to terms with the loss of a brotherhood. “That sound is deafening.” He reluctantly returned to coaching after a close friend urged him to reconsider, saying, “I know you know how to row, and I know you’ve dealt with the full spectrum of the male ego.” He transformed into Coach Gordo and became more patient. He found that eight-person crew teams share many similarities with SEAL teams, including how they prepare to survive by relying on their companions’ skills, support, and endurance. “It’s the teamwork and sense of brotherhood that make any mission successful,” Schmidt remembers his time in the Navy, and people asking him about his experiences. He had a hard time saying “I am a SEAL,” opting instead for the group formulation, “I’m in the SEALs.”
When it comes to the qualities that leaders in the SEALs require, Schmidt found that they go beyond grit and brawn. They compete to run or swim the fastest, or shoot the best, but they have other skills to acquire, such as BUD/S training, which emphasizes the mental battle as much as the physical one, with some of the strongest candidates dropping out and some of the scrawniest making it through. At the same time, Schmidt finds there is a healthy culture of wanting to outcompete in the SEALs. As team members mature, they realize that they can’t be the best at everything, so they find their specialization or niche. “More important than being the best shot is being the best team.”
Schmidt also delves into how expectations often differ from reality. He imagines giving someone just starting BUD/S training, with aspirations of being a SEAL, a cold dose of reality. “You’re going to be on this computer program called Defense Travel System, and it’s going to freeze on you every three minutes …” Before any of the exciting elements can occur, the team leader needs to arrange commercial flights for his team, restricted to a certain airline, and get them to the same place at the same time, to report to a commanding officer. As he imagines it, the SEAL trainee would just stare and go, “What happened to the shooting and blowing things up, the swimming and diving?”
It leads to Schmidt’s central point that true power and respect from peers come from quiet leadership: coordinating everyone’s movements and getting team members working together in ways that bring out their best. Pushing through difficult moments with a great attitude is the testament of a great leader, one who inspires through example, rather than words or selfish effort. Empathy is a quality of looking out for what’s best for the team as a whole, as well as individual members.
About Thomas Pickels
Thomas Pickels is an IT and professional services manager with more than 20 years of experience supporting enterprise operations. He has held leadership roles at Accenture, Duke Energy, and BMC Software, where he worked on project delivery, vendor coordination, and large contract oversight across industries such as utilities, financial services, and government. His work has included managing major service engagements, supporting regulatory initiatives, and guiding supplier relationships tied to enterprise technology operations.