25th Navy Commanding Officer Fired

Captain Sean McDonell, CO Naval Mobile Construction Battalion FOURTEEN, was fired by Captain Roger Motzko, Commodore, 3rd Naval Construction Regiment (NCR).  Captain McDonell was fired due to "loss of confidence in his ability to command".

According to NAVYNEWS, Captain McDonell was relieved because of mismanagement and major program deficiencies.

Captain McDonell is the 25th Navy Commanding Officer fired in 2012.

MCPON "zeroing in on excellence"

At our Leadership Mess Symposium in September, I mentioned that my refrain as MCPON will be Zeroing in on Excellence.  For me, that is about solidifying our lines of operation with three fundamental focus areas:

• Developing Leaders
• Good Order and Discipline
• Controlling What We Own

Zeroing in on Excellence is a universal theme we can all apply in our respective positions.  It does not distract from or add to existing individual roles and responsibilities – it provides a sturdy framework around which we can build sound, durable readiness.  Each of you has your own professional obligations, and your sustained success in meeting them is a large reason our Navy is the world’s preeminent maritime force.  I simply ask that as you carry out the business of leading Sailors, you do so not only with energy aimed at accomplishing a stand-alone task but also at building an environment where our entire organization gets stronger.

MCPON Mike Stevens

Check out the MCPON's post on the Official Blog of the United States Navy HERE.

RDML Jan E. Tighe to head the Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, California

Secretary of the Navy has appointed RDML Jan E. Tighe serve as interim NPS school president, and O. Douglas Moses, the current vice provost of academic affairs, will serve as the acting provost. SECNAV also has created a working group that will implement the recommendations in the IG report.

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Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has fired the top two administrators of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., for mismanagement and fostering an atmosphere of defying Navy rules and regulations.

The firings of the school’s president and provost come after an investigation by the Navy’s inspector general. It found that the president, Daniel Oliver, failed to comply with federal and naval regulations, circumvented federal hiring authorities and inappropriately accepted gifts from a private foundation that supports the school.

The investigation also found that the provost, Leonard Ferrari, did not comply with Navy regulations and accepted gifts from the foundation.

“Navy inspection and investigations into management practices at the prestigious school determined that the school’s leadership fostered an ‘atmosphere of defiance of statutory requirements and Department of the Navy rules and regulations’”.

Genius

“Everyone is born a genius, but the process of living de-geniuses them.” 

— R. Buckminster Fuller


For my Shipmate Sean - don't let them de-genius you in your new role.

Set the example

"Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others, it is the only means."

Albert Einstein

Skewed Judgment

“There is something about a sense of entitlement and of having great power that skews people’s judgment.”

Robert M. Gates
Former Secretary of Defense

Command Excellence - The CO

COs in superior commands

»Target 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 Her Cool

»Develops a Strong Wardroom

»Values the Chiefs Quarters (Mess)

»Ensures Training is Effective

»Builds Positive External Relationships

»Influences Successfully

You gotta have a plan

In the Navy's Command Excellence study, superior commands were distinguished from others in part by several of the following planning characteristics:

• Planning is a regularly scheduled activity. Besides planning for special events, planning may be scheduled weekly for tracking progress toward goals. 
• Planning occurs at all levels. Commands, departments, divisions, and work centers plan.
• Planning is long range. A work center may have a monthly long-range planning meeting in addition to weekly short-range operational planning sessions.
• Plans are specific. Plans are documented with milestone charts and a matrix showing who is responsible and when tasks are due.
• Plans are publicized. Plans are not the private information of leaders but are published in the Plan of the Day (POD), posted on bulkheads, and explained at quarters.
• Systems are put in place to implement plans. Routine tasks and operations are standardized with someone in charge of the process.
• The Command makes every effort to stick to the plan. Plans are taken seriously. Though circumstances may require it to change, considerable effort is put into abiding by the plan.

We teach this to 3rd Class Petty Officers yet many seniors don't understand it

As a leader in any organization, understanding the basic theories of motivation and how they relate to performance is a valuable asset. The more you understand your own needs, the better chance you have of recognizing the needs of your peers, seniors, and subordinates. 

Knowing how individual needs influence attitudes, behaviors, and performance, and using that knowledge, will increase your ability to influence others and enable you to be a more effective leader. 

As a Navy leader, you must focus on motivating your subordinates to maintain the standards required in naval service. 

From NAVEDTRA 38201 - Petty Officer Indoctrination Course.

Who watches the watchers?

Many leader preach to their protégés that character was what you did when no one was watching. 

Remember, that someone is always watching.

MCPON on the "Law of the lid"

I believe effectively and efficiently executing mission requires innovative leadership. Without competent leadership, even the most routine tasks can become difficult.

In John Maxwell’s book, the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, he states, “Without leadership ability, a person’s impact is only a fraction of what it could be with good leadership. The higher you want to climb, the more you need leadership.” He calls this the Law of the Lid, which suggests “Wherever you look, you can find smart, talented successful people who are able to go only so far because of the limitations of their leadership”.  If our Navy is going to continue climbing, then we as Chief Petty Officers must always seek to increase our and our Sailors’ ability to lead.

We develop leaders through a combination of mentorship, practical experience and training. Do not downplay the acute impact you have in your routine daily interaction with enlisted and commissioned Sailors on how they ultimately evolve as leaders. It, more than any other element, sets the tone for exactly how singularly irreplaceable personal example is in building bold, accountable, confident leadership.

MCPON Stevens

From NAVY NEWS

More on 'the law of the lid'

http://seanheritage.com/blog/lidless-leadership/

Twenty three and twenty four

Two commanding officers have been fired for misconduct in unrelated incidents, the Navy announced on Monday.

Capt. Ted Williams, CO of the amphibious command ship USS MOUNT WHITNEY, and Cmdr. Ray Hartman, CO of the amphibious dock-landing ship USS FORT MCHENRY, were both fired by 6th Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Frank Pandolfe.

Williams was temporarily reassigned to 6th Fleet staff and Capt. Craig Clapperton took command of the Gaeta, Italy-based ship.

Hartman was sent to Destroyer Squadron 60 staff and Cmdr. Eric Kellum assumed command of the Little Creek, Va.-based LSD.

In both instances, 6th Fleet cited “allegations of misconduct” as the reason for the firings, but did not elaborate on the nature of the accusations.

Fit to command

WWW.TIME.COM

"No man is fit to command

another that cannot

 command himself." 

~ William Penn 

Don't give in to temptation!

2012 Navy Firings - A quick review

• Captain Jeffrey Riedel was fired Jan. 26 as program manager for the Navy’s littoral combat ship program due to allegations of inappropriate behavior.

• Commander Diego Hernandez was fired Feb. 4 as CO of the ballistic-missile submarine USS WYOMING’s gold crew for mishandling classified materials.

• Captain Robert Marin was fired Feb.10 as CO of the cruiser USS COWPENS “while an investigation into inappropriate personal behavior is conducted.”

• Commander Jeffrey Wissel was fired Feb. 27 as CO of Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron ONE amid allegations of “personal misconduct.”

• Commander Jon Haydel was fired March 12 as CO of the yet-to-be commissioned amphibious transport dock USS SAN DIEGO amid an investigation into “personal misconduct.”

• Captain Kim Lyons was fired April 6 as CO of Navy Health Clinic New England after a survey found a poor command climate.

• Commander Dennis Klein was fired May 1 as CO of the attack submarine USS COLUMBIA due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command after a number of external assessments.

• Commander Lee Hoey was fired May 1 as CO of the Navy Drug Screening Lab in San Diego due to command climate problems at his command.

• Commander Derick Armstrong was fired May 8 as CO of the destroyer USS THE SULLIVANS due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command.

• Captain Chuck Litchfield was fired June 18 as CO of the amphibious assault ship USS ESSEX, in the wake of ESSEX’s May 16 collision with the replenishment oiler Yukon as both ships were en route to San Diego.

• Captain Liza Raimondo was fired June 29 as CO of Navy Health Clinic, Patuxent River, Md, due to a loss of confidence in her ability to command due to a significant lack of leadership and integrity.

• Commander Michael Ward was fired Aug. 10 as CO of Los Angeles-class submarine USS PITTSBURGH for allegations of personal misconduct.

• Commander Franklin Fernandez was fired Aug. 21 as CO of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion TWENTY FOUR due to loss of confidence in his ability to command.

• Commander Martin Arriola was fired Aug. 30 as CO of the destroyer USS PORTER due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command.

• Commander Sara Santoski was fired Sept. 1 as CO of Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron FIFTEEN due to a loss of confidence in her ability to command.

• Commander Sheryl Tannahill was fired Sept. 14 as CO of Navy Operational Support Center Nashville, Tenn., due to a loss of confidence in her ability to command.

• Captain Antonio Cardoso was fired Sept. 21 as CO of Training Support Center San Diego due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command.

• Captain James CoBell was fired Sept. 27 as CO of FRC Mid-Atlantic after an investigation found he was abusive to subordinates and used them to conduct personal favors.

• Rear Admiral Charles Gaouette was fired Oct. 27 as head of the USS JOHN C. STENNIS Carrier Strike Group while the CSG was deployed to the Arabian Sea. The Navy cited “inappropriate leadership judgment” for his “temporary reassignment.”

• Commander Joseph Darlak was fired Nov. 2 as CO of the frigate USS VANDEGRIFT, along with his XO, OPS and CHENG, after investigators found the ship's crew had behaved inappropriately during a September port visit to Russia.

• Captain Michael Wiegand was fired Nov. 8 as head of the Southwest Regional Maintenance Center “due to loss of confidence in his ability to command.”

Know your Sailors

Learning Names is Important

Names of your Sailors are important. The sweetest sound to anyone is his or her own name. Learn it and use it!

After a formal and impressive change-of-command parade and ceremony at one of our larger NIOCs, the departing CO was honored at a reception at the officers club. As he greeted the line of Sailors, officers, Chiefs and their wives, he called each by name, asked something about their families or status and then greeted the next. 

Someone in attendance remarked,  “He is one of few COs in recent memory that I have served with who can do that. And I can guarantee you that not one member of his command will ever forget him, and many will seek to serve under him again.”