As a leader, I have lived on the creative end of the military spectrum and my most recent (and last) tour in the Navy positioned me on the more disciplined end of the creative spectrum. I have long subscribed to the philosophy that a leader must be the leader the […]
Tag: Yes
Eat Your Broccoli First
I am certain that I have not been doing it my entire life, but I have eaten this way for as long as I can remember. First I assess the plate of food in front of me. Next, I express my gratitude for those who have prepared it as 99% […]
Letting Go
Over the years, I have observed many people transition from military service. I did so with great interest because I knew, like everyone else who is called to serve, I would eventually be facing the same challenges. I learned enough by watching them to know that preparation matters. Of all the challenges […]
Just Being There
I like to win as much as the next guy. To this day, my competitive juices get flowing as I turn most things I do into a game. How fast can I unload the dishwasher? Can I get my son to swim practice without having to stop at a single […]
Personal Values
As a reflection tool and in preparation for my upcoming career change, I have been giving deliberate thought to my personal values. Values are the foundation of who we are as human beings and, whether we acknowledge them or not, they are what drives how we spend our time, how […]
Far From Alone
Changing careers is one of the most daunting missions I have undertaken in many years. I am excited and nervous. I am confident and hesitant. I am many things, but alone is not one of them. Since focusing my attention on preparing for my next career, I have been amazed […]
Sharing Time
Being a military family means living a nomadic life. Because of the fact that I left home for the Navy just three weeks after high school, the nomadic lifestyle has been all I have known as an adult. The life of a nomad is one of great adventure. New experiences, […]
Experiencing Memories
It’s fun to reminisce with family and friends about shared experiences. At the same time, I find it extremely enjoyable to listen to people tell stories of events past, reliving memories, sharing laughs, and catching up on what has happened over time. Without fail, there is a part in every […]
Journeys and Adventures
We use the words Journey and Adventure quite often when we talk about life. Some people use them as synonyms but they aren’t. A Journey is an act of traveling from one place to another. An Adventure is an unusual and exciting experience or activity. Last week, one of my proteges reached […]
Choices and Decisions
I enjoy eating at In-N-Out Burger. The service is efficient, the food is high quality, and the menu is simple. When I eat there, it’s not difficult for me to choose what I want to eat – it’s usually a “double-double, animal style.” I also enjoy eating at The Cheesecake […]
Interim Leadership
It’s that day. It’s the end of my tenure as the Interim Leader of the team to which I am currently assigned. It’s been 201 days and for the first time in my career, I am more than good with passing the baton to someone else. The main reason I […]
Intent to Scratch
I remember the first time my son participated in a swim meet that had preliminaries and finals. It was his first year swimming and the meet was held at the US Naval Academy. During preliminaries he tied for second alternate in the 50 free. That meant that if he won […]
Parting Clouds
It is often said that we don’t appreciate what we have until it’s gone. I am certain that we have all personally experienced that feeling at one point or another in our life. I know that I have on more than a few occasions. It is for that reason that […]
It’s Not an Act
Very few things in life go according to the script we wrote. Sometimes a reality that deviates from a plan is extremely disappointing and sometimes lady luck presents a reality that is far more amazing than any plan we could have imagined. Last summer I joined a team that I never […]
Enjoyment Enablers
Enjoyment is the state of process of taking pleasure in something. It is also defined as the action of possessing and benefitting from something. Of late, I am increasingly reminded that some people in this world are very focused on and take great pride in providing enjoyment to others – they […]
Outside the SCIF
There are many things I am enjoying about my new assignment and among them is the opportunity to live life outside the SCIF. I have spent almost all of my 25 years of naval service working in a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF). For the unfamiliar, a SCIF is a […]
Shaping Memories
It’s that time again. Time for the family to pack up our bags, bid farewell to local friends and teammates, and embrace the nomadic life we live. I am not complaining one bit. Moving every 2-3 years continues to provide us with opportunities to meet even more amazing people, accumulate […]
Responsible Friction
The health of an organization can often time be measured by the friction within. Friction is defined as (a) the rubbing of one body against another, (b) the force that resists relative motion between two bodies in contact, and (c) the clashing between two persons or parties of opposed views. Earlier this […]
Unfinished By Design
There are few things in life that are as satisfying as finishing something that you started. In my life, the two feats I am most proud of finishing were graduating the US Naval Academy and completing Ironman Austria. I don’t confuse those two things with the most significant milestones or […]
Jumping to Solutions
I am confident that this is not the first time you have read this quote from Albert Einstein: “If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it.” At the same time, I am all but certain […]