Cyber's awkward days

 “We need cyber to be wired into the whole force.  In the future, cyber will become both a standalone warfighting instrument with global reach and a ubiquitous enabler of the joint force. In other words, cyber forces should be capable both of operating on their own, like strategic bombers on long-range missions deep into enemy airspace, or in close conjunction with other combat arms, like those same bombers providing close air support to ground troops in Afghanistan. Right now, however, the military is at a stage with cyber more comparable to the early, awkward days of aviation in the 1920s, when everyone knew this new technology could have awesome effects but no one was quite sure how.”


General Martin Dempsey
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

In an ideal world - three rules for your career

1) Don't try sell your Sailors on something you don't believe yourself

2) Don't work for anyone you don't respect and admire; and 

3) Make yourself an enjoyable person to work with.

 And, of course, Albert Einstein weighs in with:

Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

Navy SEAL appeals for megalopsychia - 'greatness of soul'

Former Navy SEAL Eric Grietens, PhD, (CEO, The Mission Continues) addressed the 3,360 graduates of Tufts University at their commencement ceremony on 22 May.  To these graduating young people, Greitens issued a unique challenge, one rarely heard at commencements today: to sacrifice, to serve one's country and to live magnanimously. 

Eric challenged the graduates to think above and beyond their own dreams, their own desires, and to be strong. Aristotle called this megalopsychia, greatness of soul, and considered it one of the greatest moral virtues.

 

Eric challenged them to ask themselves, 'What kind of service can I provide? What kind of positive difference can I make in the lives of others?'

“You can endure the ‘how’ if you have the right ‘why’,” Greitens said. “The ‘why’ must always be larger than you.”

He told them that if they worked every day to live an answer to that question, then they would be stronger.

“Life is about getting it right one day at a time.  You will have to deal with pain, suffering and fear ­— but with that you will gain wisdom, strength and courage.”

Adapted from various news reports.

I like Ike

From the good people at The Art of Manliness.  Full blog post on Eisenhower is HERE.

Noble Opportunity

"The most exciting and noble opportunity in the world is developing other people."

Liz Wiseman

Author

MULTIPLIERS

Liz is doing great things for the Navy.  She's helping create Multipliers among our senior leadership.  She's also helping folks recognize themselves as accidental Diminishers.  Thank you, Liz !!  

If you'd like an autographed copy of her Wall Street Journal best selling book (not to mention MULTIPLIERS won as a finalist in the Leadership category for the Best Business Books of the Year Award by 800-CEO-Read!), send me an e-mail.

New Information Warfare Commanders

Belated congratulations to the newest group of Information Warfare Lieutenant Commanders who were selected for Commander.  BZ!

Chris Weech (Above Zone)
Brian Barrow (In Zone)
Kevin Lock (In Zone)
Dom Lovello (In Zone)
Bill Daniels (In Zone)

Excellence

“No man ever reached to excellence in any one art or profession without having passed through the slow and painful process of study and preparation.”
 
—Horace

Tips from Valve Software for Navy leaders

First, senior Navy leadership should express an inspirational mission for their Sailors, describing the overriding goals of the Navy and how those goals serve both the Department of the Navy and the American people.

Second, Navy leaders at all levels of command should communicate and model those goals, ensuring that all Sailors in the Navy are on the same page.

Third, deckplate leaders — those supervising Sailors at the deckplates — should help all Sailors see how their own individual actions play a role in achieving the Navy's goals.

This is what provides meaning to the Navy's mission.

A better course of action

 

"Never criticize a policy unless you can convincingly depict a better course of action."

-Raymond Aron

Today's failure

"I have not failed.  I have just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

Thomas A. Edison

New Deputy Commander, Fleet Cyber Command/TENTH Fleet

Rear Admiral Diane E.H. Webber has been nominated as the new deputy commander of the Fleet Cyber Command and the Tenth Fleet at Fort Meade, Maryland, according to a recent Defense Department release.

RDML Webber is currently the director of communications and networks at the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Although, the official U.S. Navy website carries her biography as Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command's Director, Command Control Systems. Her bio is HERE.

The Commander of Fleet Cyber Command is Vice Admiral Michael S. Rogers.

Remarkable Sailors

A remarkable Sailor was born on this date

CTT1 (SW) Steven Daugherty was born today (my birthday) in 1979. No one thought he would leave this earth before he was 30, 40, 50 or even 60 years old. But, the young man is gone. Gone, but not forgotten. No. Not by a long shot.

He was from Barstow, California and really never intended to join the Navy. He was a student in my schoolhouse at the Naval Center for Cryptology at Corry Station, Pensacola. We had about 8000 students graduate in a year. So, I can't say that I even recall who he was. That won't keep me from remembering him.

After his time at Corry, he served in the typical billets of our young Petty Officers. He went to sea and advanced reasonably quickly. While at Navy Information Operations Command Norfolk he became interested in the SEALs and qualified to deploy to a U.S. Navy SEAL team operating in Iraq. He advanced to Petty Officer First Class (E-6) at a pretty good pace.

On 6 July 2007 (my daughter's birthday) he was killed in Iraq by an improvised explosive device (IED).

We can argue about whether Steven Daugherty was a hero or not. We can't argue about his patriotism. There is no doubting that.

Carry on - a remarkable Sailor died today

"Our charge today is clear: Carry on.

Lead with zeal, serve with pride, learn about and honor our heritage . . . and that will be the Admiral Boorda legacy and the only really fitting memorial and with it will come the strength to carry on. 

God Bless you, Admiral Boorda. We love you and will forever miss you."

MCPON John Hagan

I like this - Junior Leader Innovators

Junior Leader Innovation Symposium

6 June 2012

Engaging and Empowering Junior Leaders

To Regain Our Innovation Advantage

Click HERE 

On The Roof Gang (OTRG) Declaration

This is a nice On The Roof Gang (OTRG) Declaration for the five surviving members of the OTRG.  Vice Admiral Michael S. Rogers was kind enough to sign and read this declaration at the 76 Anniversary Celebration of the Cryptologic and Information Warfare communities.

My Friends over at LeaderLab put this out

Take a look at your Navy Information Operations Command. How many of these characteristics do you share? If the answer is “not many”, then your Commanding Officer has a whack of work to do because this is the type of environment that moves commands from the comfort zone to the significant zone.

1. Inaction is frowned upon.
2. Fire, Ready, Aim is the mantra.
3. Failure is lauded. 
4. Every innovation is applauded and the great ones rewarded
5. Successful innovations are Navy sea story folklore.
6. The leaders have track records of innovation success.
7. The organization reeks of pride. 

You can read more HERE.