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 […]
Leadership Musings
Creating Experiences, Accumulating Memories
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 might sound odd, but it is a sentiment that seems […]
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 […]
Willy Wonka’s Mentorship Factory
It happened again. This time it was my birthday outing to see the live musical Willy Wonka. I’ve seen the movie many times, and yes the Gene Wilder version still scares me. I’ve always enjoyed the story, but just like my most recent experience watching my son’s play, The Pied […]
Biographies – WHO not WHAT
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 the traditions we will witness during the ceremony and biographies […]
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 […]
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 […]
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)… “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 […]
Successful and Significant
When attending any conference we hear many thoughts, some good, some great and some that we wouldn’t give a second thought. Last week I was at a conference and though it is an oversimplification, that was exactly my experience. Of the many thoughts shared with us, one distinctly caught my […]
Experimenting Without Positional Authority
One of the fallacies that too many people believe is that one must have positional authority to lead. I have heard it too often when speaking to protégés, “What do I need to do to set myself up for a leadership opportunity?” When asking that question, nearly all are quick […]
Experimenting with 360 Degree Feedback
Life is an adventure and WE have every opportunity to both succeed and fail as WE try new things, experiment with new ideas and create opportunities to both improve ourselves and those around us. Life is easier if WE stay inside our comfort zone, do the things WE are told […]
Little League Baseball – The Second Time Around
Over the last month, I have been reintroduced to Little League Baseball. My observations of the very same situations from the perspective of a parent, as opposed to that of a child, are so very different! I have no reason to believe (and recent conversations with my father confirm) that […]