Meet J.L. Hancock

We recently connected with J.L. Hancock and have shared our conversation below.

J.L. , first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
When I was ten, my older brother was assaulted in a park near our home. My grandparents didn’t want the same thing to happen to me so they enrolled me in the martial arts. I had an instructor who taught that every time you step into the ring, you need to learn to be an egotist, and not be egotistical. What he meant by this is simple. An egotist is someone that uses their ego to their advantage. Ego is merely a reflection of our confidence and self-worth. Reputation is the interpretation of that confidence as well as your performance. An egotist uses this to their advantage. They are always striving to keep ahead of their reputation, always holding a little back, to keep their opponents on the defensive. Someone who is egotistical has allowed their reputation to extend beyond their ego. They are always chasing what others think of them. This results in imposter syndrome, arrogance, and insecurity. It is the true egotist who overcomes their shortfalls, and always recognizes they are not the strongest, or smartest person in the room, but they’ll never trying to become that person.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I spent over twenty years working in the military and intelligence communities. As the former innovation lead for the US Navy SEALS, I helped put the first AI drone in combat. In addition to my work as a technology consultant, I am an indi author who applies real world technologies in works of fiction. I was recently a finalist in the Adventure Writing Competition hosted by Dirk Cussler, son of New York Times Bestselling author Clive Cussler. I am currently writing the sequel to my first book, THE HAWK ENIGMA, which is due out this Fall.

I try to incorporate the complexity of humanity with the impact of emerging technology in my writing. I hope to educate while entertain with my books by building off the many experiences I had deploying with Special Operations Forces across the globe.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
As a screening process for working in my office, I used to bring potential candidates to field events and place them in one of our work spaces. I would hand them a box of broken drone parts and a laptop with access to the internet. “Build me a working drone. You have one week,” I would tell them. We both knew they had no training in this skill. That was not the point. The point was whether I could put you in an uncomfortable situation in which you are not the most skilled person in the room, and have the humility to become that person. Humility and grit should be at the core of anyone hoping to succeed. And along with those attributes, a good sense of humor. No one likes a bore. And no one likes to work with someone who takes themselves too seriously. If you are humble, work hard, and allow simple things to brush off your shoulders, you will find yourself to be far more resilient when the real trials arrive.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
Loonshots by Safi Bahcall is my innovation bible. Context in innovation is key and understanding the merger between personalities, skill, resources, and opportunities has led to the greatest advancements in the history of mankind. This book puts that in perspective by using anecdotes and instigating events to paint a picture that I reflect on constantly. There is always new ground to pioneer, glass ceilings to break, personal difficulties to overcome. And this book helped me better understand the merger between politics and innovation to create what he called “loonshot nurseries” where ideas can expand, and true achievement can be made.

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Image Credits
all photos credit to J.L. Hancock

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