I must admit that I enjoy “giving high-fives”. That is to say that I enjoy recognizing others for a job well done, and I feel comfortable admitting that doing so is far more satisfying than being on the receiving end. As I reflect upon the recognition I choose to give […]
Tag: No
The No Jar
There are two verbal answers to a Yes or No question: Yes and No (Note: For those who migrate to “sure”, please consider showing a little less apathy). It is my experience that over time too many of us are conditioned to constrain ourselves by defaulting with the negative response. […]
Warmth
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 and brother. As my wife sleeps and my son plays […]
Deciding: To Kill or Create
I must admit that I enjoy making decisions. I enjoy committing to a way ahead. I enjoy turning idle chatter into deliberate action. As much as I enjoy doing those things, I enjoy empowering and observing others doing the same. In fact, one of the characteristics I respect most in […]
Team AND Family
Often times, I refer to my family as “Team Heritage” and the team with whom I work as “The NIOC Pensacola Family.” Recently, I spent some time with one of my best friends who happens to be a CEO of a multi-national company. As we spoke of leadership, he told […]
Everything is a Choice
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 do, but a heck of a lot about what we […]
Waiting to Lead
Note: I am repeatedly reminded of how fortunate I am to be surrounded by such great people. The below post (my first guest posting) comes from a Shipmate whom I have yet to meet in person. Though we haven’t met, we have created a few side projects and have plans […]
Wanted: Elephant Killers
For the unindoctrinated and according to my favorite reference Wikipedia, “Elephant in the room” is an English metaphorical idiom for an obvious truth that is being ignored or goes unaddressed. The idiomatic expression also applies to an obvious problem or risk no one wants to discuss. It is based on […]
Speaking Decisively
It never fails. Whenever I consider a new purchase, it is made very clear to me just how abundant that very item is. If I am shopping for a new car, the road becomes filled with the same make and model of which I am most interested. If I am […]
Mistakes, Yes; Accidents, Never
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 a Reason”. Though I also believe that to be true, […]
Authentic Followership
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 behavioral trait, right? what does it really mean to be […]
Mine, Mine, Mine
At work, my computer sits on my desk next to my phone in my Office. When I am not there, no one uses in my office, no one dials out on my phone, no one sits at my desk, and no one types on my computer. It’s not because I […]
Seeking Inefficiencies
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. Yes, they sound pretty when used together and they roll […]
Please Say "Rats!"
Over the last two months, my son has been preparing for his roles as both a rat and a child in the Pensacola Little Theater’s production of The Pied Piper of Hamelin. The production has since ended, but before it did, I had the pleasure of watching it on three […]
Work – Play Alignment
“Work – Life Balance”, we’ve heard the phrase many times and each time my stomach turns. Either the intended message is completely miscommunicated or the primary assumption that one’s work and life have to be at conflict is flawed. According to wikipedia, the phrase describes the prioritizing between “work” (career […]
The Innovative Treadmill
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 we made it)…Â “characterized by, tending to, or introducing something new.” […]
Opportunity, Mentorship and…
Each week we welcome new Sailors to our command, and I am impressed by each addition. Monthly, I get the opportunity to meet with the newest Information Warfare Officers to join our community. The high quality of person we continue to attract to our specific line of work within the […]
Celebrating Life…Dealing with Loss
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 turned our command’s participation in this event into a newly […]
Chasing Collar Devices
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 “findings” as reason to either validate or alter their desired […]
Experiencing, Sharing, Multiplying…
Those who know me are well aware of the fact that I work both directly and indirectly with incredibly smart, creative people. In fact, I often celebrate the fact that I am rarely (if ever) the smartest person in any given room. It is that acknowledgment that all but ensures […]