Category
Inspiration
Sometimes it’s just obvious that certain people come into our lives for a specific reason. Nine weeks ago, the class I am currently attending started and as customary with any first day of school, we did the standard around the… Continue Reading →
Last week I received a note from a junior officer asking me to explain the significance of the piece of art included on my business card. To me, art is just about anything that changes our emotion. This particular piece… Continue Reading →
I have had the pleasure of spending lots of time with my wife and son during this transition period. We’ve played, we’ve worked, we’ve explored, we’ve traveled, we’ve tried new things, and yes we’ve made mistakes. I don’t know that… Continue Reading →
As we spend our days carving out a living, most of us do so by switching between chasing our pension and pursuing our passion. I don’t know that I have been “chasing” either over the last few years, but I… Continue Reading →
It may not have come out exactly as written, but here were my remarks for OUR Change of Command Ceremony conducted at the National Naval Aviation Museum. On 16 August 2012, Commander Pat Count became the 11th Commanding Officer of the… Continue Reading →
I have come to believe the best way to determine that which is truly important to an individual is by taking a hard look at how he allocates time and what activities she chooses to put on her calendar. While… Continue Reading →
There are some things we as human beings can’t do, many that we won’t do, and even more that we don’t do. Rather than focus on those lists, I like to concentrate on what we can do, should do, and want… Continue Reading →
When I go to bed each night and reflect whether or not it was a day well-spent, I merely ask myself if I did my best to make legitimate progress toward a goal of mine or to help someone else make progress toward one of… Continue Reading →
It’s less than two weeks until the big event. I say “event” and not “race” because my upcoming half Ironman is far from a race for me. It’s an “event” and more than that, it is an “experience”. I’ve only… Continue Reading →
In a recent post, I made mention of the fact that I have a list of people that I refer to as “The Coalition of the Doing”. It evidently struck a chord with at least a few of you who sent… Continue Reading →
As information continues to become more easily accessible, two very different things begin to happen. The Indecisive Leader quickly becomes more overwhelmed and finds it even more difficult to commit to a decision, while the Decisive Leader is just as… Continue Reading →
There are many personal attributes I value in my friends and Shipmates and there are a few that are absolutely non-negotiable. I won’t share the entire list and will instead focus on one characteristic that I cannot overlook…a willingness to… Continue Reading →
I played my fair share of baseball as a child, but I am not a big fan. Each spring, as many of my friends get excited about spring training, I am left scratching my head. That said, I have a… Continue Reading →
I just finished watching “The Social Network” for the second time. I don’t know how much of it is true, but what an amazing story! Makes me think of many things. The first time I watched it, the main takeaway… Continue Reading →
It was a long time ago, but Plebe Year at the Naval Academy is an experience I will never forget. As time goes on, the memories may become a little exaggerated, as we recall “The last real Plebe Year” just… Continue Reading →
The team with whom I currently serve is made up of Sailors and civilians. We have far more Sailors than civilians, but our civilians are equally valued and critical to our success. Civilians bring much specialized expertise to the team… Continue Reading →
As the end of 2011 draws near, my annual ritual of assessing the year in review is here. As it turns out, I, along with my wife and son, are on a plane flying to California to visit my parents… Continue Reading →
As a father, I am interested in doing my part to help my son find his path. As a Navy leader, I take great pride in mentoring others toward realizing their potential. Clearly, there are many similarities between the two… Continue Reading →
“Winners never quit and quitters never win.” -Coach Lombardi Coach Lombardi’s quote about quitters is one that has stuck with me since my childhood. My parents made it clear to us that the merits of seeing things through to the… Continue Reading →
We hear it repeatedly and see it daily across our respective Facebook news feeds, too many people mentioning all of the things that they “Have to do.” Very little about what it is we want to do, or need to… Continue Reading →
The last couple of weeks have been filled with phenomenal experiences that leave me with wonderful memories. In fact, I might go so far as to say that the memories that remain are far better than the experiences themselves. That… Continue Reading →
Of the many life lessons I was taught as a child, there is one that keeps coming back to me. That simple lesson is… NOTHING HAPPENS BY ACCIDENT I am not speaking in the spiritual sense of “Everything Happens for… Continue Reading →
I have heard the term “authentic leadership” used frequently of late, and each time it is used in such a way as to describe one of the many people I have come to admire. So, it must be a positive… Continue Reading →
For those of us serving in or directly affiliated with the military, the summer months are filled with retirement and change of command ceremonies. At each, we receive a nice program that includes the schedule of events, some background on… Continue Reading →
We see it all of the time and last week I read and heard it repeatedly, the terms “effective” and “efficient” used as if they were synonyms with the assumption that an efficient process is a de facto effective process…. Continue Reading →
I have often wondered why we in the Navy are so quick to use the word “innovative” (and derivatives thereof) in our daily vocabulary. In doing so, I am convinced most don’t realize how meaningless the word really is (or… Continue Reading →
A week ago Friday, I had the pleasure of participating in my first American Cancer Society Relay for Life. Like so many other great things associated with where I work, this idea was not mine. A core of Sailors have… Continue Reading →
Promotion board result season is upon us, and yet again, the questions fill the air as members of our team attempt to do their own analysis of the results. Despite the numerous flaws in such analysis, individuals will use their… Continue Reading →
In the wake of a recent post about Loving What You Do, I have enjoyed a few off-line discussions on the topic. What I found interesting about those who chose to engage me in conversation on this particular subject was… Continue Reading →
Though I spend a good portion of my days with a second grader, I don’t find myself in a room full of them very often. Over the last two weeks, I have had two opportunities to do just that. Earlier… Continue Reading →
The Super Bowl will soon be over and with it the beginning of far more productive weekends for me. Admittedly, I spend more time watching football than I should. I consider myself a college football fan and fantasy football has… Continue Reading →
Most of us go to work at least five days a week with varied levels of interest and each of us for different reasons. Some people work to live, while others live to work. Some people work for love of… Continue Reading →
Earlier this month, I had the privilege of re-enlisting another valued member of our team. In this case, the venue was just as unique as the Sailor…we were on the roof of our building. As unique as the venue was,… Continue Reading →
Undoubtedly, the best part of my job is interacting, sharing ideas and learning with fellow members of the NIOC Pensacola Team. One of many mechanisms to ensure we get the opportunity to exchange ideas, perceptions and experiences is by requiring… Continue Reading →
Just as with any holiday season, I have made the time for thoughtful reflection as I both appreciate the past and consider the future. This year is a little different in that as much as I am enjoying every day… Continue Reading →
I grew up the son of a (now retired) police officer and, as you might imagine, he and my Mom created a rather specific environment in which to nurture my brother and me. As children, my brother and I would… Continue Reading →
Two weeks ago, I enjoyed a nice telephone conversation with a colleague where I pitched him on how we (OUR Command) were going to create additional value for our existing customers and at the same time posture ourselves to significantly… Continue Reading →
During a recent command physical training session, I had the pleasure of running with one of our many talented young Sailors. As I grow older my definition of young changes and in this case I mean 19 years old (he… Continue Reading →
Like so many others, I have spent too much time in my life chasing what I interpreted to be the end goal. It might have been a sports trophy, a diploma or a specific qualification. No matter what it was,… Continue Reading →
Those of you who know me are well aware that I waste far too much time each fall watching college football. I make no apologies…I love it. Like any sports fan, I enjoy sports analogies. So, couple that with my… Continue Reading →
As I was enjoying the last weekend prior to my 40th Birthday, I started to contemplate the idea of the stereotypical “Mid-Life Crisis” that some “grown men” express by buying sports cars or chasing after younger women. I then picked… Continue Reading →
As mentioned in an earlier post, my family very much enjoys the nomadic lifestyle. Once we are notified of an imminent move, we begin picturing life in our new home with new friends and enjoying new adventures. (That is not… Continue Reading →
I haven’t made the time to post for almost a month now, as I have instead been making the time for other things. Of all the wonderful things I have enjoyed over the past month, by far the most significant… Continue Reading →
I recently had the pleasure of spending a day on the beach with two childhood friends, Dan and Mark. After catching each other up on our journeys since our last interaction, we began talking of our current place in life… Continue Reading →
It doesn’t necessarily take personally witnessing death to realize how short life truly is. In fact, death needn’t be involved at all to be reminded how quickly things come to an end. Last month I was in Great Lakes and… Continue Reading →
Every couple of years the Navy provides us with the opportunity to move to another part of our great nation or even beyond its borders. Though the purpose is to facilitate individual professional development, optimize the contributions of the service… Continue Reading →
Over the last two weeks, I had the pleasure of attending the Command Leadership School in Newport, RI. The purpose of the two weeks was to help those of us fortunate enough to be selected to be Commanding Officers think… Continue Reading →
It’s time to move yet again and like every other time, we leave thankful for the experience and equally excited about the next adventure. Personally, my family and I learned the Memphis area has much to offer in the way… Continue Reading →
It’s spring and with it comes nice weather, baseball and much happiness for those of us not fond of winter. Those of us in the Navy also recognize it as the season of promotion board results. Last week, many good… Continue Reading →
In my readings of late, I have seen time and time again that the most successful business plans are executed as they were originally intended. In each instance, there was a Plan A, but the business that actually made it… Continue Reading →
We all know that to have the courage of your convictions means to hold strong to your personal beliefs despite what others are thinking, saying, or doing. There are countless examples of heroism displayed by people having the courage of… Continue Reading →
It is unfortunate that today’s economy is preventing so many good people from enjoying employment in a traditional sense (i.e. they have a job for which they are compensated monetarily). Even more unfortunate are the individuals who are compensated for… Continue Reading →
A few nights after the Olympics commenced, I stumbled across a broadcast of the curling competition and decided to put the metaphor to the test. My first thought was to not only see how curling might relate to parenting but… Continue Reading →
I became a reluctant member of the FaceBook revolution in the early summer of 2008 with the sole intent of using it as a tool to plan our 20th High School Reunion. I had every intention of deleting my account… Continue Reading →
“We can accomplish anything provided no one cares who gets the credit.” – (then) CDR Joseph Rochefort In my current job as Information Dominance Corps and Information Warfare Officer Community Manager (OCM), I serve on a team of four uniformed… Continue Reading →
Throughout my youth athletic career and up through college, I thoroughly enjoyed wearing the uniform of the sports team to which I was a member. In fact, uniform issue day was one of my favorite days of the season, as… Continue Reading →
Over the last month, I have spent much time evaluating where I am and where I would like to ultimately go in my professional life. Though the self-evaluation initially focused on the WHAT I want to do with the remainder… Continue Reading →
It’s the New Year and for many with it comes the annual tradition of establishing New Year’s Resolutions. Being that I am a chronic list maker and goal setter, one might think that I am a fan of resolutions. The… Continue Reading →
As more people stumble across this forum, I am increasingly asked “Why are you doing this?” I am not one to self-promote and though I do not lobby for the spotlight, I am not necessarily one to hide from it…. Continue Reading →
There are many types of employees, but for the sake of argument let’s bin all of us into three categories…hourly, salaried and commission. Without question, those of us who fall into the hourly employee category recognize that in the most… Continue Reading →
As a college football fan and a Notre Dame supporter (I remain a sucker for tradition), today is a sad day. It is a sad day because a college football program that once stood for so much has become just… Continue Reading →
There are many things in life for which I am extremely grateful. When I consider each and every blessing, I see a trail of gratitude lined by others who continue to contribute to my good fortune whether they know it… Continue Reading →
Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to participate in the retirement ceremony of a friend, mentor, and shipmate by the name of Commander Scott Fields. Scott is a wonderful man who is generous, sincere and caring among many other positive attributes. Yesterday,… Continue Reading →
After a recent meeting, I was thanked for TAKING the time to participate. This was not the first time I have heard someone use that phrase to express such gratitude, though each time I hear it, I leave the conversation… Continue Reading →
As an avid reader of blogs (so much to learn from so many), there are a dozen that I monitor regularly. Chris Brogan’s is one of them and he recently described a decision point in life as an intersection on… Continue Reading →
The adjective “authentic” is used to describe someone or something that is “not false or copied; genuine; real.” There are many people in my life who can be described in such a way. Unfortunately, there are more than a couple… Continue Reading →
Though it is a sport I never really enjoyed playing and only watch in March, I see the goodness in any team sport. In honor of the fact that the NBA season kicked off last night, I dusted off the… Continue Reading →
In what is clearly a strange set of circumstances, the ESPN family of networks is currently airing two live football games. Though nothing about that is strange, the fact that one channel has my college alma mater’s rival, West Point,… Continue Reading →