Navy Seal Commander Rorke Denver refers to himself as a “sheepdog.” While serving in Iraq, he discovered he had a particular talent for taking care of, and protecting, others. He was there for his men during dozens of missions and he rose through the ranks to become a decorated leader, eventually recruiting and training cadets. Denver learned to value things like character, resilience and empathy over test scores and varsity letters. Like any good Evergreen leader, he realized that the qualities of his team were more important than their qualifications.