Leader - lead thyself

Put it on paper! Write out your personal and professional goals with clear targets. Read them once a week. Are your day-to-day actions aligned with your values, your standards, your philosophy of leading? (Have you expressly stated your values, standards and philosophy??)What are your boundaries? (Not everything is black and white. Be careful as you venture into the gray areas. Plan for the gray.) Do you take measures to protect them? If your answers to these questions are negative, what is causing this? What insight does this give you? Use this information as a means to spur yourself to action rather than complacency and inaction.  Develop that bias for action you know you need to succeed.

"It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, 

for which we are accountable." 

Jean Baptiste de Poquelin

What is it that you are avoiding doing that really must be done? For example, are you putting off that difficult conversation with your Skipper about his womanizing and his excessive use of alcohol? Are you delaying that important decision about your Sailors' nomination for Limited Duty Officer? Are you delegating away uncomfortable responsibilities that really belong in your court?  You are as responsible for the things that you don't do in exactly the same way that you are accountable for the things you do.  Take action now while you have a chance to change things for the better.  Tomorrow may be too late.  Next week certainly will be.  And don't even think about waiting until next month.  DO IT NOW.

Leader, lead thyself.