How a Submarine Officer’s Biggest Mistake Taught Him Calm CEO Leadership - AeroPost's Camilo Rueda
Description
Most leaders say they want transparency.
But when the pressure’s on, many unintentionally create cultures where people hide mistakes.
Camilo Rueda — CEO of Aeropost and former U.S. Navy Submarine Officer — learned this lesson the hard way, thousands of feet below the ocean’s surface.
As a young officer, one bad call almost ended his career. In that moment, he had two choices:
👉 Hide the mistake and hope it stayed buried
👉 Or raise his hand, take ownership, and face the consequences
He chose ownership.
It cost him in the short term — but it built the trust and resilience that later fueled his journey from the Navy to McKinsey to CEO.
What struck me most in our conversation was this:
“Real ownership isn’t solving everything yourself. It’s raising problems early, so you can solve them together.”
That mindset shift changes everything.
It turns mistakes into momentum, and pressure into perspective.
💭 When leaders say “Don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions,” does it actually push teams to chase the “perfect” answer — and wait too long to speak up?
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Follow Camilo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camilo-rueda-5a62669/
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