Robert "Navy Bob" Roncska
Author & Former Navy Sub Commander
Robert "Navy Bob" Roncska
Author & Former Navy Sub Commander
Biography
There is one simple yet powerful principle that drives Robert “Navy Bob” Roncska’s passion for creating positive, enduring change in organizations—love.
During his impressive career in the Navy, Bob commanded a nuclear-powered submarine, led the largest submarine squadron in the US fleet, and even carried the “nuclear football” for President George W. Bush. At every assignment throughout his 28-year tenure, Bob noticed something: a mission’s success couldn’t be attributed to training, skills, or pedigree of the crew. Success (and morale) were driven by the quality of the leadership at the helm. Bob calls this ethos “Leading with Love,” and “Beyond the Sea” is filled with moving anecdotes and practical advice for how to become a legendary leader.
After he retired, Bob pursued his doctorate and further examined leadership models, this time with an academic’s eye. At Rollins College, Bob found the Leader Member Exchange theory (LMX). LMX is the “secret sauce” of Leading with Love—it provides a framework managers and leaders can use to bring their teams to the next level. Bob’s speeches, seminars, consulting and coaching bring these lessons to corporations, non-profits and academic institutions.
Bob’s second book, High Reliability Healthcare, further expands the Leading with Love concept, applying lessons learned from the institutional successes of the Nuclear Navy to America’s healthcare infrastructure. Bob and his co-writer, former White House physician Dr. Jeffrey Kuhlman, outline practical advice and lessons medical practitioners and administrators can use to improve patient safety and enhance internal cultures.
Speaker Videos
Dr. Robert "Navy Bob" Roncska Sizzle Reel
Speech Topics
Leading with Love: Transforming Workplace Cultures Through Compassionate Leadership
Throughout his career in the Nuclear Navy and later in healthcare, Robert “Navy Bob” Roncsk, DBA discovered that a culture of love and compassion could fuel remarkable results. As a commanding officer of fast attack nuclear submarines, he led his crew with a people-first approach that proved vital to their safety and success, earning his ship recognition as the best-performing in its squadron. Now, as an inspiring advocate for mental well being and workplace transformation, Roncska shares his signature “leading with love” philosophy. In this talk, he guides audiences through practical steps for implementing compassion in their own teams, showing how a supportive, people-centered approach can improve retention, foster open communication, and ultimately drive success across industries.
Navigating Risk with Heart: Building Safety & Reliability in High Stakes Environments
As a leader in both the military and healthcare, Bob Roncska is no stranger to making decisions that affect teams in high-risk, life-or-death environments. In many high-stakes settings, traditional approaches often fall short and lead to preventable errors that compromise safety and morale. Drawing from his distinguished career commanding nuclear submarines and transforming healthcare, Roncska demonstrates that love and trust are essential for fostering safety, reliability, and team resilience. He offers audiences valuable insights on how compassionate, trust-driven leadership can enhance communication, reduce errors, and create resilient teams that thrive under pressure.
High Reliability Healthcare: Applying the Secrets of the Nuclear Navy to Save Patient Lives
After a distinguished 28-year career in the U.S. Navy, former Nuclear Navy captain Bob Roncska transitioned into healthcare, recognizing that the high-stakes, safety-focused leadership skills he honed in the military could also transform patient care. As Executive Director for Patient Safety at AdventHealth, Roncska applied these principles to improve clinical outcomes and team reliability. In this talk, he draws on insights from his new book, High Reliability Healthcare, co-authored with former White House physician Dr. Jeffrey Kuhlman, to show how healthcare organizations can reduce errors, boost productivity, and deliver more reliable patient care by adopting proven strategies centered on safety, trust, and accountability.
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