I Like The Cut Of His Jib !!

Excellence in Action

2012-02-01T05:43:00.001-05:00

Commander Matt Bonner, Commanding Officer of USS CONSTITUTION in Charlestown, Massachusetts is an awesome example of the model commanding officer described in Navigating A New Course to Command Excellence.

Superior commanding officers focus on the big picture. They set priorities, establish policy, and develop long-range plans. They target only a few key issues at a time. In explaining his priorities, one CO says: "I regularly have captain's call with all paygrades so I can reinforce any points that I want to emphasize. I always talk about combat readiness, safety, and cleanliness. And whenever I ask them what my priorities are, they always tell me, "Readiness, safety, and cleanliness." Once they identify the critical needs of the command and chart a direction, these COs accomplish the command's mission by inspiring others and working through them.

This means that superior COs recognize the importance of their relationships with other people, and they concentrate on developing those relationships within and outside the command. In dealing with the executive officer, superior COs are concerned not only with immediate issues but with overall progress: they look upon the XO as an assistant, but they know that this assistant is a future CO. Together, they discuss plans and review courses of action, and the CO is especially careful to keep the XO informed of command decisions. Whenever possible, the CO delegates, leaving room for the XO to function independently.

In the same way, the best COs develop their department heads and division officers, delegating work and meeting frequently for planning and review. They monitor morale and try to create a climate of mutual support.

They take an interest in the well-being of their officers and express a willingness to talk about significant personal problems. They pay special attention to first-year officers, making sure they start out on a strong career footing.

With more experienced officers, they provide opportunities for professional development and encouragement to move up through the chain of command.

“Visionary Leadership: Navigating Through Uncharted Waters”

2012-01-31T13:28:00.000-05:00

In the complex and dynamic nature of society in the twenty-first century, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the imminent issues and urgent problems of the moment. In these constantly changing times, simply utilizing temporary or conventional solutions can cause detrimental repercussions to an organization’s employee and customer loyalty, efficiency, and long term goal accomplishment. Visionary leaders, however, focus on the future of an organization and provide a unique vision that reinforces the why of what they do. Through their vision, they instill purpose, meaning and focus, empower and motivate followers, allow for growth and establishment of new ideas, and create organizations that are more adaptable and resilient.

Guy Kawasaki, former Apple Chief Evangelist, opened the Naval Academy Leadership Conference yesterday with a discussion of Steve Jobs' impact on the world. Kawasaki said, "The world is not as interesting a place without Steve Jobs. We were on a mission from Steve to change the world."

Kawasaki went on to say, "For you young people wanting to be leaders ... you need to discover for yourself. You need to investigate. You should have a very skeptical attitude. Do not default to people who claim they are experts."

"The biggest challenges beget the best work."

Intelligence

2012-01-30T04:59:00.002-05:00

Art by David Levine

"Intelligence, the central virtue of moral life, is being able to judge the limitations of knowledge. Though there is no substitute for intelligence, it is not enough. People may be intelligent but lack the courage to act. To find a purpose in life, one must be willing to act, to put excellence in one's work and concern for what is right before personal interest."

Admiral H. Rickover

Fleet Cyber Command/TENTH Fleet - SECOND Anniversary

2012-01-29T05:43:00.024-05:00

Can't let this day pass without notice. U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/TENTH Fleet was established on 29 January 2010. Much progress has been made over the past two years. There is much more work to be done. BZ!

As VADM Barry McCullough said a year ago today, "To remain a global maritime force, our Navy must advance its capability and capacity to plan and execute cyberspace operations. Our way forward will address the talent, capabilities, processes, and partnerships necessary to achieve our vision of cyberspace superiority for dominant seapower."

The folks at U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/TENTH Fleet are making it happen.

No More Autographed Copies Available - right now

2012-01-29T05:16:00.003-05:00

Are you a genius or a genius maker?

As Sailors, we’ve all had experience with two dramatically different types of leaders - whether on the deckplates, in the Goatlocker or in the Wardroom. The first type of leader drains intelligence, energy, and capability from the Sailor around them and always needs to be the smartest person in the room. These are the idea killers, the energy sappers, the diminishers of talent and commitment.

On the other side of the spectrum are those Navy leaders who use their intelligence to amplify the smarts and capabilities of the Sailors around them. When these Navy leaders walk into a room, light bulbs go off over Sailors’s heads; ideas flow and problems get solved. These are the Navy leaders who inspire Sailors to stretch themselves to deliver results that surpass expectations.

These are the Multipliers. And the Navy needs more of them, especially now when leaders are expected to do more with less.

In Liz Wiseman's book, multiplers - HOW THE BEST LEADERS MAKE EVERYONE SMARTER, she and Greg McKeown studied intelligence and how Multipliers can have a resoundingly positive and profitable effect on organizations—getting more done with fewer resources, developing and attracting talent, and cultivating new ideas and energy to drive organizational change and innovation.

I have 10 (zero) autographed copies available. If you are a Sailor who would like to have a copy, send me an e-mail and I will get you a copy of your own. By the end of the day, all 10 copies have been claimed. I will get some more and we can do this again.

Captain Howie Ehret - Make room

2012-01-28T07:50:00.001-05:00

An iconic figure of the former Naval Security Group, Captain Howie Ehret passed away recently and his Shipmate Rusty Smith shared some thoughts about this significant individual.

"...Which leads me to a “Howie-ism” I’d like to pass along. Howie had many “…isms” that he’d dredge up to describe an event or condition while making a point. For instance, if confronted with a calamitous set issues, as his friend Captain John Mitchell recently recalled, Howie would say “when dealing with a bucket of worms, you gotta deal with one worm at a time.”

But the Howie-ism that I want to pass along is, “we make room for what’s important.” We make room for what’s important. I commend that little thought to you whenever you’re debating priorities in life. We make room for what’s important to us. Be they our personal priorities or in the everyday observation of others, room is made for what’s important. So simple in its obviousness yet far more telling when applied to our personal choices or in witnessing what other people or organizations do. For example, all of us here today, Howie’s loving family, the great community of Sonoma, its dignitaries, Howie’s good friends, those who knew Howie well or those who knew him just in passing, we’re all making room here today for something important, for some-one important. "

Make some room. There is more to come about this iconic figure in our cryptologic heritage. You can read about the celebration of his life HERE.

Littoral combat ship program manager fired due to allegations of inappropriate behavior

2012-01-28T07:46:00.001-05:00

The program manager for the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship program was fired Thursday due to allegations of inappropriate behavior, according to Naval Sea Systems Command.

Captain Jeffrey Riedel was reassigned by LCS Program Executive Officer Rear Admiral James Murdoch, pending an investigation into the allegations. Captain Riedel is presumed innocent of the allegations. There has been no timeline published as to how long the investigation is expected to take.

“He will not be reporting back to this command,” NAVSEA spokesman Chris Johnson said Friday.

While not a Commanding Officer, Captain Jeffrey Riedel becomes the first senior Navy official fired in 2012; there were 22 commanding officers fired in 2011.

Captain Riedel's biography follows:

Captain Riedel is a native of Plymouth, MA. He attended Maine Maritime Academy, graduating in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering and a U.S.C.G. 3rd Assistant Engineer license. He graduated from the Naval Engineering Program at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in 1993, earning a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, and the advanced degree of Mechanical Engineer. He was a member of the first group of students to complete the Total Ship System Engineering (TSSE) Curriculum. In 1996, he returned to NPS to participate in the Navy Doctoral Studies Program. He obtained his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a specialty in Autonomous Underwater Vehicle control in 1999.

Captain Riedel served at sea in USS WAINWRIGHT (CG 28) as Auxiliaries Officer, Main Machinery Officer and Damage Control Assistant where he qualified as a Surface Warfare Officer and Engineering Officer of the Watch. As an Engineering Duty Option he transferred to the ED Community upon detachment from WAINWRIGHT.

As an Engineering Duty Officer, Captain Riedel served as a student at the Naval Postgraduate School, as Assistant Production Officer at SUPSHIP Bath, as DDG 51 Class Chief Engineer in PEO TSC, as DDG 51 Class Post Delivery Manager, as the LPD 17 Class Production/Test/Technical Director and as the Amphibious Warfare Programs Manager in PEO SHIPS. He presently serves as Major Program Manager, Littoral Combat Ship (PMS 501).

Captain Riedel is a member of the Acquisition Professional Community and is certified in Program Management, Production, Quality and Manufacturing, and Systems Planning, Research, Development, and Engineering He has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon and various service ribbons.

Sailors

2012-01-27T05:29:00.004-05:00

Sailors are not IN the Navy; Sailors ARE the Navy.

Word to the wise

2012-01-26T05:28:00.003-05:00

It is dangerous to be right in matters where well-established senior Naval officers are wrong.

Ensign Voltaire

Hire The Better Writer

2012-01-25T05:11:00.000-05:00

If you are trying to decide among a few people to fill a position, hire the best writer. It doesn't matter if that person is a marketer, salesperson, designer, programmer or whatever; their writing skills will pay off.

That's because being a good writer is about more than writing. Clear writing is a sign of clear thinking. Great writers know how to communicate. They make things easy to understand. They can put themselves in someone else's shoes. They know what to omit. And those are qualities you want in any candidate.

Writing is making a comeback all over our society. Look at how much people e-mail and text-message now rather than talk on the phone. Look at how much communication happens via instant messaging and blogging.

Writing is today's currency for good ideas.

From REWORK by Jason Fried

As usual, a day late

2012-01-24T12:00:00.002-05:00

John Hancock's birthday was yesterday. In honor of that day, the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association (WIMA) sponsors National Handwriting Day.

The lost art of handwriting is one of the few ways we can uniquely express ourselves. There’s something poetic about grasping a writing instrument and feeling it hit the paper as your thoughts flow through your fingers and pour into words. So, the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association (WIMA) suggests you take advantage of National Handwriting Day on January 23 and use a pen or a pencil to rekindle that creative feeling through a handwritten note, poem, letter or journal entry.

Handwriting allows us to be artists and individuals during a time when we often use computers, faxes and e-mail to communicate. Fonts are the same no matter what computer you use or how you use it. Fonts lack a personal touch. Handwriting can add intimacy to a letter and reveal details about the writer’s personality. Throughout history, handwritten documents have sparked love affairs, started wars, established peace, freed slaves, created movements and declared independence.

"Though computers and e-mail play an important role in our lives, nothing will ever replace the sincerity and individualism expressed through the handwritten word."

David H. Baker

WIMA Executive Director.

For A Particular Navy Buddy - Once Retired; Now Rehired

2012-01-24T05:34:00.003-05:00

The Navy culture celebrates the idea of the workaholic. We hear about people burning the midnight oil. They pull all-nighters and sleep at the office. It's considered a badge of honor to kill yourself over a project. No amount of work is too much work.

Not only is this workaholism unnecessary, it's stupid. Working more doesn't mean you care more or get more done. It just means you work more.

Workaholics wind up creating more problems than they solve. First off, working like that just isn't sustainable over time. When the burnout crash comes--and it will--it'll hit that much harder. Workaholics miss the point, too. They try to fix problems by throwing sheer hours at them. They try to make up for intellectual laziness with brute force. This results in inelegant solutions. They even create crises. They don't look for ways to be more efficient because they actually like working overtime. They enjoy feeling like heroes. They create problems (often unwittingly) just so they can get off on working more.

Workaholics make the people who don't stay late feel inadequate for "merely" working reasonable hours. That leads to guilt and poor morale all around. Plus, it leads to an ass-in-seat mentality--people stay late out of obligation, even if they aren't really being productive.

If all you do is work, you're unlikely to have sound judgments. Your values and decision making wind up skewed. You stop being able to decide what's worth extra effort and what's not. And you wind up just plain tired. No one makes sharp decisions when tired.

In the end, workaholics don't actually accomplish more than non workaholics. They may claim to be perfectionists, but that just means they're wasting time fixating on inconsequential details instead of moving on to the next task.

Workaholics aren't heroes. They don't save the day, they just use it up. The real hero is already home because she figured out a faster way to get things done.

From Jason Fried's excellent e-book REWORK.

I acknowledge my own guilt here. If you see yourself in this post, there is still time to change. Someone you love is waiting for you at home. Leave now.

Admiral John Harvey asks...

2012-01-23T05:29:00.002-05:00

Who is responsible for what?

Who is accountable to whom?

Who owns it?

Who is the single, accountable Flag Officer?

My experience, over my career is that if you put one person in charge, give that person the appropriate authority, make that person accountable for the results and that is what you get -- RESULTS.

You can watch Admiral Harvey's SNA presentation HERE. It is worth your time.

This is genuine leadership training and should be watched by every wardroom in the Navy.

Preparing Your Sailors For Leadership

2012-01-22T05:09:00.000-05:00

The best time to prepare your Sailors for leadership today was yesterday.

The best time to prepare your Sailors for leadership tomorrow is today.

You've wasted enough yesterdays; don't waste today.

Your Sailors are counting on you.

Heart and Soul

2012-01-21T05:15:00.001-05:00

“My heart and soul belonged to God, country and family long before the Navy got ahold of me.”

Commander Jeremiah Denton
Prisoner of War - Vietnam

Adjust Your Sails

2012-01-20T05:00:00.000-05:00

The pessimist complains about the wind;

The optimist expects it to change;

The realist adjusts the sails.

William A. Ward

Stop complaining and adjust your sails. You can get the print HERE.

FY13 Information Warfare Officer Captain Selection Board

2012-01-19T12:00:00.002-05:00

RDML Sean R. Filipowski, Captain Steve L. Parode and Captain Tim White represented the IW community as members on the recent FY13 IWO Captain Selection Board.

Key experiences in the Competitive Category: Information Warfare (181X)

1. Cyber Operations and Planning

2. Joint Experience

Information Warfare Community Considerations: Demonstrated expertise in one or more of the core missions of electronic warfare, computer network operations and signals intelligence is the foundation of Navy Information Warfare. Information Warfare officers should have balanced professional experience, to include demonstrated leadership, Navy and Joint operational proficiency and qualifications, and technical expertise. Proven and sustained superior performance in documented positions of leadership and in difficult, challenging and arduous operational assignments is the ultimate test of readiness for promotion.

Small Plans

2012-01-19T05:36:00.002-05:00

"Make no small plans for they have no power to stir the soul."

Niccolo Machiavelli

Treasures

2012-01-18T09:18:00.001-05:00

Over a 30 year Navy career one collects a number of meaningful momentos. I suspect that hundreds of Sailors have CNO, MCPON, and assorted other command coins.

Less than 20 Sailors have a "Sutton". I only know one Sailor who has more than one "Sutton". I was fortunate to get my own "Sutton" in 2003 when I completed my assignment as Director of Training at the Center for Naval Cryptology at Corry Station in Pensacola, Florida. Dick Sutton did this commemorative cartoon for me and it's a real treasure.

If you have a "Sutton", let me know.

Overmanaged - Under Led.

2012-01-18T05:17:00.001-05:00

The problem with many commands, particularly the ones that are failing, is that they tend to be overmanaged and underled. They may excel in the ability to handle the daily routine, yet never question whether the routine should be done at all. There is a profound difference between leadership and management, and both are important. Good leadership is what makes the difference between a command that just “gets by,” and one that excels.

Even the definitions speak volumes—to manage means to “bring about, to accomplish, to have charge of or responsibility for, to conduct.” Leading is “influencing, guiding in direction, course, action, opinion.” The distinction is crucial. Leadership is what gives an organization its vision, its focus, and its ability to translate that vision into reality.

As the commanding officer, you stand at the helm of the leadership agenda.

Slightly reworded extract from Lt Col. Jeffrey F. Smith's excellent book on command.

Do The Right Thing

2012-01-17T05:43:00.001-05:00

Mike Mullen in GQ Mag

"Can you be courteous in the face of an insult? Will you be harsh when your own treatment’s, unkind? Can you be compassionate when cruelty finds you? And will you be upright, when you or those you love are victimized? That is when you have to reach deep and take full measure of the content of your character. That is when you have to rely on your honor, your courage, your commitment, – core values that guide us in the Navy – and resolutely, persistently do the right thing."

Admiral Mike Mullen

while Chief of Naval Operations in 2007

They Want To Be Us

2012-01-16T05:22:00.001-05:00

"The United States Navy is the envy of every other navy in the world. They don't want to be like us - they want to be us."

Admiral Leighton Smith

For Ensign Justin Rogers and Master Chief Hughes

2012-01-15T05:27:00.003-05:00

My boat back in 1978 - Black Panther of the Fleet

"In each submarine there are men who, in the hour of emergency or peril at sea, can turn to each other. These men are ultimately responsible to themselves and each other for all aspects of operation of their submarine. They are the crew. They are the ship."

The Submariner's Creed (Excerpt)

Ensign Rogers

May you become the kind of submariner that MCPO Hughes was. Our Navy always needs such men. I salute you both for your service and for your dialog on this blog. We are all still learning. Admiral Vern Clark used to tell us that when we stop learning, we stop living. Keep learning.

Never wrong

2012-01-15T05:18:00.002-05:00

We all know the Navy is never wrong, but it is sometimes a little weak on being right.

Being effective in the world

2012-01-13T05:03:00.000-05:00

To be effective in the world, it is not sufficient to be well-read. One must also write clearly and succinctly. It is not easy to write well. It means studying to gain a good vocabulary, and practicing to learn how to use it. Joseph Conrad compared writing to carrying heavy bails under a low rope on a hot day. It has been said that good writing is inherently subversive; I agree. Good writing can last for years, stimulating, and inspiring those who read it, and causing them to reassess their views of the world and its institutions. But then, of course, we have gone full circle to the importance of reading books.

Admiral H. Rickover

You must be willing to speak out.

2012-01-12T05:30:00.001-05:00

The deepest joy in life is to be creative. To find an undeveloped situation, to see the possibilities, to decide upon a course of action, and then devote the whole of one's resources to carrying it out, even if it means battling against the stream of contemporary opinion, is a satisfaction in comparison with which superficial pleasures are trivial. But to create, you must care.

You must be willing to speak out.

Admiral H. Rickover

And I would add, you must be willing to write. You must be willing to own your opinion, to state it and to claim it as your own.

Noise versus difference

2012-01-11T05:45:00.001-05:00

Given a choice, I prefer making a difference to making noise. Time for some of you to stop talking (noise making) and to start making a difference.

Get busy. People are waiting.

Comfort

2012-01-10T07:26:00.005-05:00

There is something very comfortable in having plenty of stationery.

Charles Dickens

Navy Values

2012-01-09T05:52:00.000-05:00

"If the Navy holds a different value system than the society as a whole, then what is that value system, and how do we inculcate it into our Sailors, young and old, in order that we may be an effective institution?

We cannot be effective as a military force if we simply accept, and so adopt, the liberal trends in society as a whole.
Our problem is we can’t even articulate the necessary Navy value system for ourselves, let alone lay it out in a convincing coherent way for the Sailors, Chiefs, and officers of our Navy. This we must do."

Smart Flag officer ~ circa 1979.

Shout Out for One of the Best 1810 Cryptologic Leaders I Know

2012-01-08T05:15:00.007-05:00

One of the guys that I feel truly honored to be associated with has some critical leadership traits that more of our cryptologists need to embrace. Here are the traits that he has which have made him more significant in our Navy:

He is always looking for ways to make a difference.
He sees his own job description as the bare minimum. Throughout his Navy career he has created opportunities. I think that’s a big part of what leaders do. He identifies opportunities and applies himself and his team, frequently without invitation to do so. And he takes a large part of their crew right along with them - sometimes kicking and screaming (with delight).
He follows that overwhelming desire to take action and leads his crew to more action.
He uses the regular hours of his day job as a commanding officer to teach his Sailors that there is no known limit to their capabilities. He and his crew seem to have a voracious appetite for learning and teaching. They thrive on multiple tasks or projects, which lead to increased productivity. He and his team are always talking about "excess command capacity for more work." Then they go into action to use that excess capacity to the Navy's advantage.
He exerts his influence as much as possible.
He resigned from the Navy at one point in frustration over major differences in direction. As a leader he's been in the trenches long enough to stand above it all and provide his crew with a big picture view where the whole team can assess cause and effect.
He always helps other would-be leaders.

Thanks Shipmate. You know who you are. And, so does most everyone else.

Thinking

2012-01-07T05:44:00.000-05:00

"Few people think more than two or three times a year; I have made an international reputation for myself by thinking once or twice a week."


George Bernard Shaw.

Multiplying Ideas

2012-01-06T05:41:00.000-05:00

"If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple... But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas."

- George Bernard Shaw

Stockdale Leadership Award Winners

2012-01-05T14:19:00.001-05:00

“Leadership must be based on goodwill. Goodwill does not mean posturing and, least of all, pandering to the mob. It means obvious and wholehearted commitment to helping followers. We are tired of leaders we fear, tired of leaders we love, and most tired of leaders who let us take liberties with them. What we need for leaders are men of the heart who are so helpful that they, in effect, do away with the need of their jobs. But leaders like that are never out of a job, never out of followers.”

– VADM James Bond Stockdale,
Military Ethics. “Machiavelli, Management, and Moral Leadership.” 1987

The 2011 Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Inspirational Leadership Award winners are Commander Robb Chadwick (CO, USS ROOSEVELT) and Commander Gerald Miranda (USS ASHEVILLE). These two fine leaders were recognized by the Chief of Naval Operations - Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert on Thursday, 5 January 2012 in the Pentagon's "HALL OF HEROES".

You can read my article about this award and prior year's winners HERE.

Information Warfare Officers - What We Look For In Lateral Transfers To OUR Community

2012-01-05T05:23:00.002-05:00

Information Warfare (IW) - (1810). Applicants within this community will be considered from any designator. Primary consideration should be given to sustained superior performers with the skills, education, and background to contribute to the IW core competencies of Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), Electronic Warfare (EW), and Computer Network Operations (CNO).

The IW community has technical leadership opportunities for officers with undergraduate and graduate degrees in the following preferred fields of study: electrical engineering, systems engineering, computer engineering, physics, mathematics, or computer science. Experience and certifications gained outside traditional academic venues should also be recognized and considered by the Board.

From the Lateral Transfer Board Precepts.

Leadership is EASY

2012-01-04T05:38:00.000-05:00

You can purchase Hugh's work HERE.

Ten Lessons From My Son's Former Boss

2012-01-03T05:56:00.004-05:00

1. The most enduring innovations marry art and science.

2. To create the future, you can’t do it through focus groups.

3. Never fear failure.

4. You can’t connect the dots forward – only backward.

5. Listen to that voice in the back of your head that tells you if you’re on the right track or not.

6. Expect a lot from yourself and others.

7. Don’t care about being right. Care about succeeding.

8. Find the most talented people to surround yourself with.

9. Stay hungry, stay foolish.

10. Anything is possible through hard work, determination, and a sense of vision.

From "The Top 10 Lessons Steve Jobs Taught Us"

For 2012: Write Or Do Something Worth Writing About

2012-01-02T05:39:00.001-05:00

If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write things worth reading or do things worth the writing.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

also

Admiral James Stavridis

Reminder for Commanding Officers For 2012 - Command Responsibility is Absolute

2012-01-01T05:24:00.003-05:00

The Commander's responsibility for his command is absolute and he must and will be held accountable for its safety, well-being and efficiency. That is the very foundation of our maritime heritage, the cornerstone of naval efficiency and effectiveness and the key to victory in combat.

This is the essence of the special trust and confidence placed in an officer's patriotism, valor, fidelity and abilities.

Every day in command tests the strength of character, judgment and professional abilities of those in command. In some cases, Commanders will be called upon to answer for their conduct in a court of law. In all cases, they will be professionally judged by seagoing officers -- a far more stringent accountability in the eyes of those who follow the sea.

We in the Navy would have it no other way, for the richest reward of command is the personal satisfaction of having measured up to this responsibility and accountability.

From the CNO's Memorandum For All Flag Officers and Officers in Command of 2 October 1976.

10 Reasons I've Enjoyed Posting To This Blog Over The Past Year

2011-12-31T05:30:00.031-05:00

In no particular order.

1. It allowed me to engage with a wonderful author and to write the Chapter 1 opening vignette for a Wall Street Journal/Amazon best-selling business book. Dr. Stephen Covey and Bono 'open' for me.

2. It gave me the opportunity to help a Pulitzer prize winning author with research for his story on The SeaWitch in TIME magazine.

3. It has allowed me to remained connected to the Navy's cryptologic community, which I love.

4. It earned me an invite to speak at a Women In Defense forum and to contribute ideas to numerous professional publications.

5. It has allowed others to freely express their frustrations on a variety of topics important to them.

6. It allowed me to expand the network of Sailors of all paygrades that I mentor and with whom I share lessons learned.

7. It allowed me to collaborate with the former CNO on avenues to gain recognition of the Navy as a TOP 50 Employer in the United States.

8. It allowed me to keep alive the memory of some stellar Sailors.

9. It has allowed me to write everyday, which I love.

10. It has connected me to some great Navy veterans and many others who proudly serve today.

10 Signs Your Skipper May Not Like You and 10 Signs That He/She Just Isn't That Into You

2011-12-30T04:43:00.005-05:00

1. He has the promotion list with your name on it and he makes you wait outside his office for 40 minutes stewing over it before sharing the good news with you.
2. She doesn't answer your letters or e-mails.
3. He won't endorse any of your requests to higher authority.
4. She insults you in front of family and friends at every opportunity.
5. He takes all the credit for good deeds and blames failures on you.
6. She never repays her $$$ debt to you.
7. He's happy to have you do all of his 'dirty' work and does all the fun stuff himself.
8. She NEVER respects your time or that of your subordinates.
9. He never accepts any of your suggestions or recommendations.
10. She tells you, "You know, I just don't like you."

AND, here is something from Alison Green at US NEWS and WORLD REPORT on 10 signs that your boss just isn’t that into you:

1. You ask for more feedback and don’t get it.
2. He doesn’t introduce you to important contacts.
3. She turns your raise request down without much explanation.
4. He doesn’t trust you to get your work done.
5. You imply you’re looking at other jobs and she doesn’t seem to care.
6. You hear little positive feedback.
7. She never asks for your advice.
8. You have trouble getting his attention.
9. She shows no interest in trying to solve your problems.
10. He tells you (he's not that into you). See my #10 above.

The Role of The Crew in Command Excellence

2011-12-29T05:39:00.001-05:00

It is the crew, led by the officers and Chiefs, who must ultimately accomplish the command's mission. The crew is where "the keel meets the water." Without a top-performing crew, no command can be successful.

Commanding Officers of superior commands are particularly adept at molding their crew into a highly unified, spirited, fighting team with a laser-like focus: accomplishing the command's mission. When asked, these crews can not only clearly describe the command's philosophy and goals, but they also voice wholehearted support of the CO and his approach. Because the CO, XO, officers, and Chiefs frequently explain what they want done and why, the crew knows what is expected of them and feels a part of the team. The result is enthusiasm, motivation, and pride in the command. These crews often praise their CO with the ultimate accolade: "I'd go to war with him." In average commands, the crew may not be sure of the command's philosophy or may withhold their total support of it.

The crew in superior commands also live up to the high standards demanded by their officers and Chiefs. They know that when they succeed, they will be recognized and rewarded; equally well, they know that when they make mistakes, they will be told and corrective action taken. Their commitment to upholding the command's standards generates a strong sense of responsibility for their individual work areas. They act on the principle that if you're going to do something, then do it right, and do it right the first time.

Crew members of superior commands realize that success depends on a team effort. They don't act or do their jobs in disregard of the rest of the command. They communicate frequently, coordinate activities, and help each other out when necessary. In addition, they are careful about following the chain of command. They know that violating it disrupts teamwork, creates confusion, hurts morale, and hinders leadership.

2012 Cryptologic/IW Leadership Lineup

2011-12-28T04:29:00.006-05:00

1. VADM Michael S. Rogers - 1810
Commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/TENTH Fleet

2. RADM William Leigher - 1810
Director of Warfare Integration for Information Dominance (OPNAV N2/N6F)

3. RDML Sean Filipowski - 1810
Deputy Director of Operations, U.S. Cyber Command

4. RDML Jan E. Tighe - 1810
Director, Decision Superiority, OPNAV N2N6F4

5. RDML Willie Metts - 1810
Deputy Chief of Tailored Access Operations, National Security Agency

6. Mr. Mark Neighbors - Former 1610
Special Assistant to Vice Admiral Kenneth Card

7. Mr. Jerome Rapin - Former 1610
Director - Cyber, Sensors and Electronic Warfare - OPNAV N2N6F3

Rear Admiral Michael A. Brown will have a retirement ceremony at the United States Naval Academy on 13 January 2012. We thank him for his selfless service to the Navy and the Nation and for his leadership in the cryptologic community.

Give Your Officers A Little More Praise

2011-12-27T04:49:00.000-05:00

"Hereafter, if you should observe an occasion to give your officers and friends a little more praise than is their due, and confess more fault than you can justly be charged with, you will only become the sooner for it, a great captain. Criticizing and censuring almost everyone you have to do with will diminish friends, increase enemies, and thereby hurt your affairs."

Benjamin Franklin in a note to Captain John Paul Jones

Sharing Information

2011-12-26T07:07:00.000-05:00

Sharing what one knows is intuitive. This is particularly true within the Navy and Marine Corps where teamwork is held in the highest regard. Excellent examples of intuitive knowledge sharing are Navy Chief Petty Officer messes and Company Non-Commissioned Officer discussions within the Marine Corps.

However, the consistent application of knowledge management concepts, techniques, tools, and technologies will improve knowledge identification, sharing, and re-use. In turn, this will help optimize decision-making, improve efficiency and effectiveness of task accomplishment, and empower the Naval warfighter.

Knowledge management fosters collaboration across organizational boundaries, time and space, and links people who have the requisite tacit and explicit knowledge with those who need it to do their job.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T05:33:00.000-05:00

Boy, Do I Know The Truth

2011-12-24T05:30:00.001-05:00

"By ignorance the truth is known."

Henry Suso

Bad Detailing Assignments

2011-12-23T11:30:00.002-05:00

I loved hearing this from a detailer buddy of mine recently :

"There really isn't any such thing as a bad Information Warfare/Cryptology assignment. There are only different kinds of good assignments."

I'm not going to argue with that. Sign me up for another tour.

USS NEW YORK (LPD-21) XO fired for fraternization - unduly familiar relationship

2011-12-23T04:53:00.002-05:00

The Executive Officer of the amphibious transport dock USS NEW YORK (LPD-21) was fired on 21 December for having an “unduly familiar relationship” with a female member of the crew, the Navy announced Thursday.

Commander John Pethel was relieved by Captain Mark Scovill, commander of Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 8, and was given a punitive letter of reprimand for fraternization, according to a statement by Naval Surface Force Atlantic.

Commander Pethel has been temporarily reassigned to SURFLANT. Lieutenant Commander Ethan Mitchell has assumed responsibilities as Executive Officer.

Commander Pethel had been Executive Officer since January 2011. He almost survived a year. He was relieved as Executive Officer in November while under investigation and was awarded Nonjudicial Punishment in December.

His bio follows:

Commander John Pethel was born in Sumter, SC and joined the United States Navy upon graduating high school in Mount Pleasant, SC in 1986. Completed Naval Aircrew School and Aviation Rescue Swimmer school in 1987 with subsequent operational tours in Helantisubron Twelve in Atsugi, Japan (USS MIDWAY CV-41) and Helantisubron Eight in San Diego, California (USS INDEPENDENCE CV-62). Shore duty was served as an instructor at FASOTRAGRUPAC from 1992-1995. In 1995, was selected to attend Officer Candidate School with Division Officer tours in USS TAYLOR (FFG-50), and USS KITTY HAWK (CV-63) from 1996-1999. Attended the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA and received a Master’s of Arts for National Security and Affairs in the summer of 2001. Surface Warfare Department tours were conducted in USS TORTUGA (LSD-46) from 2002-2003 and USS WASP (LHD-1) from 2003-2005, both as the First Lieutenant. Shore duty assignment was as the Deputy Director for a NATO program while attached to the US Joint Forces Command from 2005-2007, with follow-on orders to serve as the Amphibious Placement Officer in Millington, TN from 2007-2008. Volunteered for an Individual Augment while assigned to Millington and served 8 months in Kandahar, Afghanistan working with the Afghan National Army. Upon completion of the Afghanistan tour, served as the Assistant Personnel Officer on the Staff of Commander, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic until reporting in USS NEW YORK (LPD-21) as the Executive Officer in January 2011.

CDR Pethel has received the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (2), the Navy Commendation Medal (3), Navy Achievement Medal (3) and various unit awards and decorations.

Pace Yourself

2011-12-22T05:42:00.001-05:00

A good leader does not routinely operate at anywhere near his physical, emotional or intellectual capacity. The good leader is always pacing his efforts so that he has enough reserve to sustain his concentration as long as necessary when unexpected events require.

A person operating near 100% capacity is a person operating at the edge of his envelope of reliability.

That person will not have the ability to take a bullet - of any caliber.

No individual is so good or so indispensable that he is immune to professional trauma. It's all in the leadership game. Susceptibility to taking a bullet is one of the downsides of the game. The ability to recover from adversity is an ability a leader must have.

From RADM Dave Oliver's great book LEAD ON!

A thought

2011-12-21T05:33:00.002-05:00

"Be ashamed to retire from the Navy until you have won at least one victory for your Sailors."

Paraphrasing Horace Mann

Accountability

2011-12-20T05:16:00.001-05:00

"Men will not trust leaders who feel themselves beyond accountability for what they do."

Admiral Kinnaird R. McKee

Director, Navy Nuclear Propulsion (1982-1989)

Inordinately Fortunate

2011-12-19T05:29:00.001-05:00

I was inordinately fortunate during my early professional career. I worked for some truly awful leaders.

Thus during the subsequent free time that life sometimes provides, I always had a full wagonload of professional grist waiting to grind. The important questions were always the same. Why had my bosses acted without apparent thought? Why didn't my supervisors understand the effects their actions had on people?

Why had our team always done everything the hard way?

I had spend hours on these questions.

For the answers to these and other penetrating leadership questions, read Rear Admiral Dave Oliver, Jr.'s book, LEAD ON! A Practical Approach to Leadership

You can get a preview HERE.

My signed copy is available for loan. Shoot me an e-mail.

The Standing of The Whole Is Essential

2011-12-18T05:21:00.004-05:00

Character and standards of personal conduct remain of highest importance, as has always been true of military leaders. The effective naval officer of the present and future, like his brother of the past, must regard his commission as a career, not a mere job. He dedicates himself to the high ideals of military leadership. Some who receive commissions, all being human, will prove unequal to these standards (e.g. the 22 COs fired in 2011). There have been a few unfortunate events of recent years, well known to most people, which have weakened the standing of the Armed Forces in the eyes of many people. To whatever extent this feeling persists, to that degree the security of the nation has been compromised. People will not entrust willingly their sons or husbands to military leadership, even in time of emergency or war, unless they have abundant faith in the character as well as the professional competence of the great mass of military leaders. The presence of a few names of national prominence will not alone suffice. Ensigns and lieutenants are important, as captains and admirals are important. The standing of the whole is essential. Enlisted men will not willingly and effectively train or fight if they have doubts where there should be confidence.

From: The Naval Officer's Manual

The reality of an organization is in the hearts and minds of men

2011-12-17T05:55:00.003-05:00

"Charts, lines of command, and directives do not create organizations by themselves. They are a pattern, but the reality must be in the hearts as well as in the minds of men."

The Honorable James Forrestal
Former Secretary of Defense

Developing A 5000 Year Old Mind

2011-12-16T05:32:00.000-05:00

Jay Luvaas, the great American and Civil War historian, once said, "There is no excuse among professional officers for not having a 5000 year old mind." What he meant was across the sweep of recorded time, the literature of war lays at our feet nearly the sum total of man's warfare experience. In these works, there are lessons to be found that provide guideposts for virtually every challenge or dilemma we may encounter on the modern battlefield; new technologies notwithstanding.

General John R. Allen
United States Marine Corps

The Myth of the DADT Forced Lie

2011-12-15T05:46:00.003-05:00

Retired Admiral Mike Mullen said repeal of DADT was a matter of INTEGRITY for him. He said DADT forced service men and women to lie every day about who they were. Just for the record, I know three gay Captains with more than 82 years of Naval service between them. So far as I know, they never lied once about who they were (certainly not to me). And, they don't lie today. All served honorably; all retired honorably - as many gay Sailors in every paygrade have. No one forces anyone to lie. Lying is a choice; one's sexual preference may not be and I appreciate that. For those who believe they were FORCED to live a lie - the truth may not have been as damaging as you believed. In any case, lying or not - thank you for your service.

David Ignatius says, "Mullen knows that his greatest legacy will be a cultural and legal issue — ending discrimination against gays in the military by dismantling the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. He did it for reasons of conscience and never looked back. It was a moment of leadership, pure and simple."

BTW, Admiral Mike Mullen didn't dismantle DADT. He simply added his important voice to endorsing the President's position for repeal of DADT just as previous Chairmen had added their important voices in support of their President endorsing DADT. Rarely do we hear a JCS Chairman publicly voice opposition to the President's position. That would take incredible courage.