Eric Immesberger

Former Secret Service Counter Assault Team Leader John Constantine joins retired ATF Task Force Leader Eric Immesberger to discuss Butler, leadership, elite team culture, communications, and high-stakes decision making.

The first thing we have to acknowledge is what went right: nobody in the administration was harmed. The president, vice president, first lady, cabinet officials, and other protectees were successfully evacuated. The inner protective details did their jobs. The counter assault team moved quickly. That is good. But we also have to say what did not go right.

In 21 years of leading high-stakes operations with ATF, one lesson came up again and again: risk never disappears. Whether you’re running...