NASA Chief Astronaut Chris Cassidy has lived for months on the International Space Station and has performed six spacewalks. “Imagine hanging out with a glass bubble on your head, one hand on a hunk of metal, Earth going beneath your feet at five miles a second, and the whole world listening to everything that comes out of your mouth on the microphone,” he said at a recent Wharton Leadership Conference.

Before joining NASA, Cassidy served 10 years as a Navy SEAL in the Mediterranean and Afghanistan and earned two Bronze Stars. His SEAL team was the first to go into Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He said his favorite leadership story comes from that time, and he recounted it to the audience.

Cassidy told how, as a platoon commander, he had to quickly pull together and present a mission plan to his then-superior Bob Harward, whom he described as a “gruff old Navy captain... with this GI Joe scar. And he doesn’t really smile. Ever.” The plan contained—in addition to military intelligence—logistical details involving helicopters, ammunition, food and water, and several layers of contingency planning.

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