Virtual Fireside Book Talk “Leading with Love” ft. Author “Navy Bob” and Retired Admiral Bruce E. Grooms

Dr. Robert “Navy Bob” Roncska Biography 

There is one simple yet powerful principle that drives Dr. Robert “Navy Bob” Roncska’s passion for creating positive, enduring change in organizations - love. With a distinguished 28-year career in the U.S. Navy, Navy Bob at one time was responsible for over 1,700 personnel with assets exceeding $25 billion, executing numerous unprecedented missions vital to National Security with no margin for error. In this high-stakes environment, Navy Bob understood the importance of fostering a supportive, loving, and people-centric environment. His principles of leading with love proved to be incredibly effective. Under his leadership, the USS TEXAS received the best-performing ship award in its squadron and achieved the highest personnel retention and lowest attrition in the Pacific Fleet for two consecutive years. 

Navy Bob’s leadership principles resonate powerfully with audiences of all sizes through his warm personality. He captivates with stories from his Navy days, demonstrating how his leadership style empowered his crew to communicate openly, which in turn saved both lives and billions of dollars. Navy Bob also shares insights about his career in healthcare as the Senior Vice President of the Florida Chamber of Health Council, where he used his philosophy of leading with love to improve Florida’s healthcare infrastructure by advocating for better patient care and staff well-being. Navy Bob teaches audiences that any industry can benefit from Leading with Love.

In his bestselling book, Beyond the Sea: Leading with Love from the Nuclear Navy to the White House and Healthcare and book High Reliability Healthcare Applying the Secrets of the Nuclear Navy to Save Patient Lives, Navy Bob offers a comprehensive look into his leadership philosophy rooted in compassion and trust. Beyond the Sea explores his journey from handling life-or-death situations in the Navy to transforming team culture within healthcare organizations, illustrating how love as a leadership principle can foster both efficiency and loyalty. In High Reliability Healthcare, co-authored with Dr. Jeffrey Kuhlman (a retired navy physician and physician to the president), Navy Bob provides actionable tools for building high-reliability organizations in healthcare, drawing from the nuclear navy’s unparalleled safety record. 

Through these real-world examples, he challenges conventional notions of leadership, showing that compassion can drive remarkable results in even the most complex, high-stakes environments.

Navy Bob also served as the Naval Aide to President George W. Bush, where he was responsible for the safety of the Office of the President and managed sensitive national security programs while carrying the nuclear codes also known as the “Nuclear Football.” This role earned him the affectionate nickname "Navy Bob" by President Bush.

Currently, Navy Bob teaches leadership at the University of Central Florida, where he imparts his experiences using compassion combined with accountability in high-stakes decision-making roles. Navy Bob is the founder and CEO of Leading with Love where he and his team don't just teach leadership, but build it! Backed by Dr. George Graen’s decades of academic research, and lessons drawn from Navy Bob's experiences, Leading with Love programs help leaders foster relational strength, live their values, and lead with love - even when it’s hard.

Navy Bob lives in Winter Park, FL with his wife Stephanie and two dogs. He has two children, Sophia and Zachary. Navy Bob is an avid runner and fitness enthusiast, including participating in Ironman Triathlons, firmly believing in the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle for both personal well-being and professional success.

Bruce E. Grooms Biography

Bruce E. Grooms is a retired United States Navy vice admiral whose career spanned from 1980 to 2015. Born in Maple Heights, Ohio, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1980 with a degree in aerospace engineering, later earning a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College and completing a fellowship at Stanford University.

Over the course of his naval career, Grooms held nearly every role aboard nuclear-powered submarines, eventually commanding the USS Asheville. Under his leadership, the ship earned multiple awards for operational excellence, crew performance, and quality-of-life programs. He later commanded Submarine Squadron 6 and Submarine Group Two, as well as serving as the 81st Commandant of Midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he was responsible for shaping the professional and academic development of future naval officers.

At the strategic level, Grooms served as Vice Director of the Joint Staff and as Deputy Chief of Staff for Capability Development at NATO’s Allied Command Transformation. He became one of the “Centennial Seven,” the small group of African-American naval officers who commanded submarines during the 20th century. His career was marked by recognition for his leadership, including the prestigious Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership.

Following his retirement from the Navy, Grooms entered the private sector, serving as Vice President for Navy and Marine Corps Programs at Raytheon and later joining the board of directors at EMCORE Corporation. He is also a father and former varsity basketball player at the Naval Academy, remembered for his leadership both at sea and in shaping future generations of naval officers.