VADM Stockdale Award Winners Reinforce Proven Command Excellence Principles

The superior Commanding Officer:

(Commanding Officers such as Commanders Paul E. Lyons and Robert E. Smith, the 2008 VADM James Bond Stockdale Inspirational Leadership Award winners)

• Targets Key Issues
• Gets Crew to Support Command Philosophy
• Develops the Executive Officer
• Staffs to Optimize Performance
• Gets Out and About
• Builds Esprit de Corps
• Keeps His Cool
• Develops Strong Wardroom
• Values the Chief Petty Officers Quarters
• Ensures Training if Effective
• Builds Positive External Relationships
• Influences Successfully

The Complete Text below:

Navigating a New Course to Command Excellence

Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Inspriational Leadership Award Winners for 2008

The 2008 winners of the VADM James Bond Stockdale Leadership Awards, Commanders Robert E. Smith and Paul J. Lyons, gave credit to their families and their subordinates. Admiral Gary Roughead presented the awards in the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes on Tuesday, 4 November 2008.

Cmdr. Robert Smith is the Atlantic Fleet winner and Commander Paul Lyons won for the Pacific Fleet.

Smith commanded SEAL Team 2 and is the first SEAL to receive the Stockdale Award.

Smith led his SEALs in CENTCOM, South America and Africa. Lyons was the Commanding Officer of the forward-deployed destroyer USS STETHEM in Japan. Both men are known as "GO TO" men.

To read about the history of the VADM James Bond Stockdale Award and prior winners click on

A League of Extraordinary Officers and Gentlemen - Article rejected by PROCEEDINGS magazine.