Robert “Cujo” Teschner is a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and weapons school instructor, now founder and CEO of VMax Group, a leadership consultancy based in St. Louis. With an impressive career that includes leading missions over southern Iraq and training at the Air Force’s Top Gun school, Cujo brings decades of high-performance team leadership and strategic clarity into the corporate world. He is also the author of Debrief to Win, a book that translates the military debriefing culture into actionable frameworks for business leaders.

In this episode, Cujo dives into the importance of clarity, expectations, and accountability in leadership. He explains how the military debriefing process can revolutionize business operations, emphasizing psychological safety, assumption of positive intent, and decentralized decision-making. From personal development and coaching to tough conversations and high-performing cultures, Cujo shares powerful stories, practical strategies, and mindset shifts to help leaders thrive in disruption and build cohesive, empowered teams.

Connect with the Host

Twitter: twitter.com/ItsRajTut

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/

Instagram: instagram.com/ItsRajTut

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtut

Connect with the Guest

Website: https://www.vmaxgroupllc.com

Get “Debrief to Win” Here:

https://www.amazon.com/Debrief-Win-Americas-Accountable-Leadership/dp/1732929815/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1XXNWV6I2RFWX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.SFBhFuF_rvxQTWc7qHk-gQ.p8Xjg38V5BZcTEwyivabyWbT7WFxFWUmZnPGJtSgjNY&dib_tag=se&keywords=debrief+cujo&qid=1752965651&s=books&sprefix=debrief+cujo%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C112&sr=1-1

Timestamps

00:00 Cujo on expectations and failed communication in leadership

 01:02 Introduction to Cujo and his military-to-business background

 02:43 Cujo shares his family’s immigrant story and its influence

 06:26 Why Cujo joined the Air Force and saw it as his family

 07:22 Growing up overseas and its leadership impact

 10:00 Leadership development in the Air Force

 12:23 Military vs. business debriefing—same framework, same benefits

 15:11 Why clarity of expectations is essential in debriefs

 18:05 Empathy and delivery in setting expectations

 20:13 How fighter pilots are trained to stay calm under pressure

 22:06 Common leadership mistakes: assumptions and judgment

 24:01 Personal development as a never-ending pursuit

 26:27 Writing Debrief to Win and what makes it unique

 28:27 Debunking myths of rigid military leadership

 30:57 Empowerment through decentralized execution

 32:37 Handling poor cultural fits through debriefs

 34:31 Creating judgment-free debrief environments

 35:10 Ritz-Carlton and Chick-fil-A stories of frontline empowerment

 39:15 Cujo on storytelling and where he learned it

 40:21 Heroic Public Speaking and communication coaching

 42:45 Success story from a 6,500-person company

 45:21 Cujo’s vision for VMax Group and global expansion

 47:03 Top Gun Teamwork program breakdown

 49:20 Clarifying what counts as a mission in business

 51:28 Cujo’s “hole-in-one” advice: assume positive intent

#LeadershipDevelopment

#DebriefToWin

#MilitaryLeadership

#BusinessStrategy

#HighPerformanceTeams

#VMaxGroup

#AccountabilityCulture

#PsychologicalSafety

#EmpoweredTeams

#PersonalDevelopment

#ExecutiveCoaching

#RajTutPodcast

#CujoTeschner

#TeamworkMatters

#StorytellingForLeaders

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