The value of a meeting is sometimes measured by the side-conversations that accompany it. The quality of a speaker’s talk might be assessed by the number of questions it inspires. The interest in a particular blog post could be gauged by the number of comments that follow it. But what if […]
Tag: Maybe
Be Safe? No, Be Smart!
I hear it all too often, but you won’t hear me say it…”Be safe!” We hear parents tell their children before they head out for the day to “Be Safe”, we hear seniors remind Sailors before a long weekend to “Be Safe”, and when I lived in Pensacola many encouraged […]
Try, and Mean It!
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 my son has had more reason than normal to use […]
Lidless Leadership
Though I don’t always agree with John Maxwell, I remain a big fan of his teachings. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is my favorite of his books and though I believe in each of the laws contained therein, the one that captured much of my attention over the last […]
Think. Do. Become.
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 paying personal attention to the same, I have witnessed changes in […]
Personal Validation
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 theirs. A simple “yes” to either or both is the only […]
Succession Planning
As I just about reach the midway point in my current tour of duty, I acknowledge I am having a “Mid-tour Crisis”. I assess the progress we have made over the last year and my immediate response is that there is not enough time to fully develop some of the […]
Loving What You Do
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 money or power, while others go simply to make a […]
Finish Strong
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 has since turned 20). We conversed as he pulled me […]
Where are Your Blockers?
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 passion to share insights and help others navigate their careers, […]
Workplace Culture: Google and the Military
It is no secret that Google enjoys a unique corporate culture. Last week, as part of the Information Dominance Corps Senior Leadership Seminar, I had the privilege of witnessing it first hand. The uniqueness is in the extremity with which the underlying principles were adopted and not in the cultural […]
Mid-Life Crisis…Not Here (at Least Not Yet)
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 up my iPad to read a bit from Rick Johnson’s […]
Because All Goals Require a Team Effort…
I am in the process of meeting individually with each of the 150+ members of our team to discuss their personal goals, among other things. Given the high caliber of person the Navy continues to attract and the fact that Cryptologic Technicians are far above even the average Sailor, I […]
Empathy, Personal Connection and Effective Communication
Over the years, I have been guilty of incorrectly using the terms sympathy and empathy. Empathy – The ability to co-experience and relate to the thoughts, emotions, or experience of another without them being communicated directly by the individual. Sympathy – The ability to understand and to support the emotional […]
The Beginning, The End and The Journey Connecting Them
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 had the pleasure of talking with new recruits about their […]
Menteeship
The Navy has been focused on mentorship for longer than I can remember. We have witnessed forced mentorship, where mentors are formally assigned to individuals. We have seen models where mentorship opportunities are facilitated, as we let relationships take shape on their own. And we have seen varied initiatives that […]
Letter to Me
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 friends received news, both positive and other, about their promotion […]
Life: A Succession of Plan Bs
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 to market was a Plan B. I have been giving […]
The Whole Person
Over the past few weeks, I have had varied involvement in two selection boards considering a large number of applicants desiring to serve in our Navy. In the process, our prime directive has become “The Whole-Person Concept.” That model is intended to overtly encourage all of us to acknowledge applicants […]
Choosing Happiness
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, he demonstrated his eloquence, humility, and love for those of us […]