I Survived an Assassination Attempt: But My Mind Nearly Beat Me - Dr. Jen Donahue

September 11, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In 2012, Dr. Jen Donahue was a U.S. Navy Captain commanding 800 troops in Afghanistan when she learned that an interpreter had just helped thwart an assassination attempt against her. Her immediate reaction was not relief or fear for her life. Instead, her mind spiraled into a familiar loop: Am I a good enough leader to even respond to this interpreter? I bet Commander So-and-So would know exactly what to say. She was comparing herself to others and questioning her competence in the very moment she learned someone had tried to kill her. That moment, she says, is a perfect illustration of how the internal enemy—self-doubt and imposter syndrome—can hijack the brain even when the external stakes are life and death.

The Two Cousins in Your Head

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What you'll learn

1 I Survived an Assassination Attempt: But My Mind Nearly Beat Me - Dr. Jen Donahue
2 Timestamped Outline
3 (00:36) **The Internal Battle Was the Hardest Part** - Dr. Jen Donahue introduces the paradox of facing external threats while the real enemy is inside
4 (05:36) **Resilience Means Feeling the Emotions and Performing Anyway** - Jen explains that being tough doesn't mean being numb
5 (06:36) **What the Military Gets Right and Wrong About Leadership** - Jen contrasts hierarchical military structure with flat corporate organizations
6 (09:48) **The Mean Little Voice and the Sneaky Little Bastard** - Jen introduces the two "cousins" that live in our heads and keep us playing small
7 (11:37) **Where These Voices Come From** - Jen traces these inner critics back to instinct and intuition

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Jenn Donahue is a retired U.S. Navy captain, international keynote speaker, business coach, and engineer who helps people lead with courage and confidence. During her twenty-seven-year military career, she built a bridge across the Euphrates River in Iraq, commanded an eight-hundred-person battalion in Afghanistan, and led combat construction missions in hostile environments. In her debut book, Becoming the Warrior: Harnessing Your Inner Strength to Silence Self-Doubt, she shares a research-backed framework for overcoming imposter syndrome and strengthening self-leadership. Jenn holds a Ph.D. in engineering and lectures at universities including UC Berkeley, UCLA, Cal Poly, and Virginia Tech.

Connect with Jenn Donahue:

🌐 Website: https://www.jenndonahue.com

📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamjenndonahue

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenndonahue-phd-pe

Explore tools from past guests of the podcast. Some links below are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you:

💓 HeartMath: https://www.heartmath.com/resilient

🧠 Muse: https://choosemuse.com/resilientmind

🌿 Brain Ritual: https://www.brainritual.com/THERESILIENTMIND

🌍 The Resilient Mind Podcast is a proud member of 1% for the Planet — building resilient minds and a resilient planet.

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