Dakota Meyer: Life Beyond the Medal of Honor REVEALED

How do you lead when everything falls apart, turn trauma into purpose, and live a life worthy of sacrifice?

In this episode, Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer shares hard-won lessons from combat, leadership under fire, and rebuilding after darkness.

Chapters:
00:00 Life Beyond the Medal of Honor
02:20 Why Recognition Doesn’t Equal Purpose
05:00 What Combat Reveals About Leadership
07:45 Making Hard Decisions Under Fire
10:30 Accountability: Holding Yourself First
13:05 The Ganjgal Valley Lesson in Courage
15:40 Loyalty Means Bringing Everyone Home
18:25 Surviving Guilt and Darkness After Battle
21:10 The Struggle With PTSD and Identity
24:00 Turning Pain Into Purpose
27:15 3 Steps to Overcome Any Obstacle
30:05 Why Leadership Is Earned, Not Given
33:00 Authenticity: Being Who You Say You Are
35:40 Mentorship and Building the Next Generation
38:20 Why Meyer Reenlisted After 15 Years
41:10 Living With Intention
44:00 Service and Sacrifice

Guest:
Dakota Meyer is a United States Marine Corps veteran, Medal of Honor recipient, and author. He became the first living Marine in nearly 40 years to receive the nation’s highest military honor for his actions during the Battle of Ganjgal in Afghanistan, where he repeatedly risked his life to save fellow Marines and Afghan allies. Beyond the battlefield, Meyer has been a vocal advocate for veterans’ mental health, accountability in leadership, and the importance of living with purpose — a philosophy he calls “Own the Dash.”
In this conversation, Dakota reveals the lessons that have shaped his journey: why true leadership is about accountability and action, how to overcome guilt and PTSD, what combat teaches about loyalty and decision-making, and why purpose matters more than recognition. His insights offer a powerful roadmap for anyone seeking to lead with authenticity, build resilience through adversity, and find meaning beyond titles or awards.

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WHO AM I?
I’m Ryan Hawk, a writer, podcaster, advisor, and teacher. My favorite thing to do is have a deep, long-form conversation with a thoughtful person. Fortunately, I get to do that often on my podcast, The Learning Leader Show. I created The Learning Leader Show in 2015 as a way to follow my curiosity about leadership and excellence with great rigor. It has since been listened to by millions of people in more than 150 countries.