Last week, I had the privilege of being the guest speaker at the Chiefs Pinning Ceremony, where we celebrated what will likely serve as the most significant career milestone for 10 leaders from four Commands – Information Dominance Forces Command, Fleet Cyber Command – South, Navy Networks Warfare Command, and […]
Tag: Yes
Here’s To the Enablers…
Last weekend I ran the Virginia Beach Rock & Roll 1/2 Marathon. I woke up at 0430 and drove with my son to the designated parking area. We got on one of the 85 buses lined up to transport us to the starting line where we met up with what […]
Falling Short Differently
Last month, I observed a toddler who was attempting to walk. He struggled, yet persisted. He toddled to the right, he wobbled to the left, and he spent more time on his behind than on his feet. Each attempt resulted in him falling short of his goal, but each attempt […]
I’ll Miss You
The military life is not for everyone. It’s nomadic. It’s filled with separation from loved ones. It requires sacrifice by all involved. That is the case for many professions, but these characteristics are shared by all who wear the uniform (and the people who love them) to varying degrees. And per […]
What Would Erik Do?
In three days, many will celebrate my brother Erik’s birthday. Though he passed away on October 21, 2013, he is far from forgotten in the minds of many. My family still receives many cherished notes from his friends and colleagues, many of whom we never met. It seems they feel […]
Better as a Memory
Last week during what was a wonderful visit from my parents, we enjoyed many adventures – Smithsonian, house hunting for our pending move, and general exploration which often included eating. Near the end of their stay we went out to a Cuban restaurant that none of us had previously been. […]
The Satisfaction Bar
Last weekend was yet another one spent at the swimming pool. I must admit I enjoy weekends like that. My wife and I get to spend time talking with each other and the many other great people supporting those in the water. And we get to see our son push […]
Who Are You?
I have been a long believer that what we do as a profession and who we are as a person are two separate and distinct things. Sure we can make assumptions about who someone is based upon their chosen profession and sometimes we may even be right. I would imagine […]
How Do You Feel?
I feel great! It’s been another wonderful week and I don’t know that I could be more content. I can’t tell you the specifics of everything I did, but I most certainly know how each experience made me feel. Don’t get me wrong, I know exactly what I did and […]
Behind the Scenes
Each of us has a primary duty, a main effort, and a set of responsibilities. Many times we are not the only person executing tasks associated with each, but often times we are. The tasks we execute in support of our duties/responsibilities are usually visible to others and our ability […]
Incremental Yesses
There are a few words used in today’s work-world that just make me cringe. Five years ago, the default combination of effective and efficient began to really bother me. Our quest for efficiency continues to undermine our effectiveness, as many don’t understand that more often than not, an or is what […]
Familiarity
My current job affords me the opportunity to travel to distant lands, experience new things, and meet lots of interesting people. In fact, last month I had the privilege of bouncing around the west coast, Alaska, Hawaii, and a few stops in the Pacific Rim. Each stop was very different, yet […]
Finding vs Looking
Earlier this week on my way to work, I found myself singing along with one of my favorite U2 songs. “I Still Haven’t Found What I am Looking For” starts out as follows: I have climbed highest mountainsI have run through the fieldsOnly to be with youOnly to be with […]
Give Yourself Credit
I know many people who are eager to take credit for the contributions they make and I tend to seek out people who are quick to give others credit for the contributions they make. What I don’t see all that often is people giving themselves credit. I am not talking about participation […]
Just Passing Through
I like to think that there is a reason behind everything we do. It is true that sometimes I try harder than I should to identify the reason, and sometimes we aren’t able to see the reason until long after the activity. There is a reason why we get up in […]
Scaffolding
Over Memorial Day Weekend, we went on a rather spontaneous trip to Niagara Falls and a few other places. It was so spontaneous that I did not bring my passport and therefore, could not go across the border to visit Canada (note: Why I did not have mine is neither interesting […]
Picked
Just as many have inspired me, I continue to encourage others to take permission to do the things they want to in life. To pick themselves instead of waiting for others to select them. Despite my belief in that approach to life, I would be lying if I didn’t admit that it […]
Profiling Normal
Having recently taken a computer network security course, the idea of anomaly detection is fresh in my mind. Security professionals, whether it be in the physical or virtual world are hyper-aware of suspicious behavior. Suspicious behavior by definition is abnormal activity. So it stands that in order to identify the […]
Means of Communication
Like many others, I look around me for inspiration. Fortunately, with the company I keep, the books I read, and the environment in which I live, I don’t have to look too hard. One of the forums I frequent offered the following quote attributed to Joseph Priestley: “The more we […]
Push and Pull
As leaders, we are charged with inspiring the team with whom we lead to create value, accomplish the mission, and continually improve as both individuals and a team. Many of us attempt to do that by pulling the team along. We are so committed to effectively delivering on our mandate […]