Beyond Your Why

Meet Robert Teschner. His WHY is Contribute. Interviewed by WHY Institute Founder Dr. Gary Sanchez (Better Way). Robert Teschner, callsign “Cujo”, is a retired Air Force fighter pilot. He was the top F-15C “Eagle” graduate in his class at the USAF Weapons Instructor Course—the Air Force version of “TOP GUN”. Cujo was asked to return as a Weapons School Instructor and subsequently became the Air Force’s subject matter expert on team accountability, something high-performance teams refer to as a “Debrief”. Cujo eventually commanded one of America’s very few operational F-22A “Raptor” squadrons. During his Air Force career, Cujo flew combat missions over Iraq, homeland defense missions in the United States, and deployed with his F-22 squadron across the Pacific. In 2014 Cujo was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. This adversity fundamentally changed his trajectory—he went from accepting a leadership position in the F-22, to retiring early and having to figure out how to provide for his family with