That’s the world Colonel (Ret’d) Mark Gasparotto knows intimately. Over a 20-year career in the Canadian Armed Forces, he led combat engineers through high-stakes deployments in Bosnia, Kabul, Kandahar, and Haiti. Today, as president of The Gasparotto Group, he helps business leaders develop the mindset, systems, and resilience to lead through pressure and uncertainty.
In a recent episode of The Change Blueprint podcast, Mark and I sat down to talk about how his time in uniform shaped his leadership philosophy—and why he believes the ability to struggle well might just be the most important skill for today’s leaders
Here’s a glimpse into our conversation—and the insights that stuck with me.
Brian: Let’s start at the beginning—what were some of the defining moments in your leadership journey?
Mark: I spent just over two decades in the Canadian Army as a combat engineer officer. There were a few big moments that shaped me, but one was my infantry training in Chilliwack. It was a stark reminder that I was neither as tough, as fit, or as smart as I thought I was.
That training broke me down to some core elements. Some of the weaker parts of my character came out—and I didn’t like what I saw. It was the first glimpse that natural ability was only going to get me so far. I needed to work harder and become much more disciplined.
Brian: And how did that prepare you for your first command?
Mark: I was posted to Petawawa to Two Combat Engineer Regiment, and I took over a troop—about 30 to 40 soldiers. I was paired with a 20-year veteran of the force. I had two years of training. He had 20 years of experience.
The Army is very deliberate about that pairing. It matches cognitive and experiential diversity. And while I was technically in charge, I was leading people who knew far more about the business than I did. If you’re going to be successful in that situation, humility is key.
Brian: Kandahar was obviously another major chapter. What stands out from that time?
Mark: I was a squadron commander with multiple troops under me. We were part of Operation Medusa, which was—and still is—Canada’s largest combat operation since Korea.
It was a tremendously violent time. I had to bury a soldier. I had to send many home who were wounded. I was blown up and nearly killed—many times. I had to do things that only soldiers have to do in war.
It tested everything—character, accountability, leadership. And through all of it, the hardest part is keeping your humanity.
Brian: After that, you transitioned into an entrepreneurial life. Was that a natural shift?
Mark: Leadership is leadership. The context changes. The principles don’t. That said, what keeps me up at night now isn’t combat—it’s making payroll. And some days, I wish for the simplicity of a gunfight, quite frankly.
Brian: One phrase you use often is “struggle well.” What does that mean to you?
Mark: Most of us can agree—life is hard. If you want to achieve anything meaningful, it’s going to involve struggle.
To be successful in life, we have to learn how to struggle well.
I break resilience down into a couple of frameworks. The first is a table with four legs: body, mind, heart, and soul. The tabletop is your relationships. That’s your whole humanity—physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and relational. If one of those legs is weak or missing, you’re still standing… until you put enough pressure in the right place. Then it tips.
The second framework is about time: resilience before, during, and after adversity. What do you do to prepare? How do you perform in the moment? And how do you recover?
Brian: Let’s talk about the workshop we’re hosting together in May. Why is now the right time for leaders to build this kind of resilience?
Mark: Throwing someone in the deep end and hoping they swim only works some of the time. You’re better off giving them the frameworks, the tools, and the space to train—physically, mentally, emotionally.
Most people don’t rise to the occasion in crisis. They fall to the level of their training—or the level of their systems.
Want to Learn How to Struggle Well & Build Resilience That Performs?
Mark Gasparotto
President, Gasparotto Group
Mark is the President of Gasparotto Group, a boutique consultancy that provides clients with customized, pragmatic, and evidence-based leadership solutions. Mark combines his 10+ years of entrepreneurial experience, 20+ years of uniformed service as a combat engineer officer, and a masters of leadership to deliver impactful and practical leadership insights for over 1000 clients.
