#104: Building America's Next Courageous Leaders - +More Perfect Union Founder Jake Harriman (Sandlot Jax & GORUCK Games 2023 Series)

The Jedburgh Podcast

America’s leadership is more politically divided and divisive than almost anytime in our nation’s history. We sit at a generational and societal crossroad that will require leaders of courage, unity and vision to emerge and take charge in the best interest of the country; not for their own fame and fortune.

+More Perfect Union Founder and CEO Jake Harriman spent years abroad solving world hunger and the effects of violent extremism, only to return home to a divided America; something this US Marine has vowed to change. Jake joins Fran Racioppi in the back of the 1944 Dodge live from Sandlot Jax & GORUCK Games 2023 for a conversation on the state of America today, and why he thinks military Veteran leadership in politics is the key to unifying the fabric of America.

Fran and Jake dive deep into the driving factors for disunity, such as social media, generational change, and the loss of agency in our leaders who have too often become beholden to the extremes, forgetting about the 70% of the population who live in the center. Jake defines the perfect centrist leader and Fran presses him on how everyday Veterans with a passion for change can overcome the funding and support barriers to entry to jump into political races nationwide.

Learn more about +More Perfect Union on the web and on social media.

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Highlights:

• 0:00 Welcome to the Jedburgh workout
• 2:23 Solving societal problems in the “Grey Zone”
• 9:32 Jake fails in Kenya
• 12:25 +More Perfect Union mission to close the divide in America
• 17:28 Why we need Veterans in politics
• 20:52 The role of social media in fueling political divide
• 25:17 The role of regulation in social media vs the First Amendment
• 31:52 How does a Veteran fund a campaign to get involved?
• 35:27 What does a centrist leader look like today
• 41:00 Jake’s daily three foundations to success

Quotes:

• “The aid groups could not reach people because in these gray zones it’s too dangerous.” (3:28)
• “The best ideas I ever had when I was in these communities came from the leaders I worked with.” (8:14)
• “I didn’t recognize the country we left to fight for.” (13:13)
• “Our political system is set up to incentivize the most extreme behavior to win.” (14:57)
• “We gotta do one more tour here at home to help save this country.” (18:02)
• “The algorithms that drive profits are the ones that fuel hate and fear.” (23:48)
• “70% of the country is in the middle…and they want change.” (34:40)

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, Compass Workforce Solutions and GORUCK.