Admiral Chester Nimitz - hat tip CDR Salamander

"... the process of decision making ... must be open, must have interchange. You must be able to subordinate your own personal ego to the issues that are under consideration. ... The characteristics that Nimitz brought to the decision making process ... If all leaders in uniform and civilian clothes, can keep in mind Chester Nimitz as a model for decision making process, I think we would all be better off."

- Professor Craig L. Symonds, PhD

Nimitz's Graybook is HERE.

Command Failure = Commanding Officer Failure

When things go wrong at your command, start searching for the reason(s) in increasingly larger concentric circles around your own desk.  Being in the middle of that circle, you'll find that most problems begin and end with the command tone established by the guy/gal with who wears this pin on his/her chest - the Skipper.

Admiral Hyman Rickover on Responsibility

This quote of Admiral Rickover's is borrowed from RDML Sean R. Filipowski.

"Responsibility is a unique concept. 

 

It can only reside and inhere in a single individual. 

 

You may share it with others, but your portion is not diminished. 

 

You may delegate it, but it is still with you. 

 

You may disclaim it, but you cannot divest yourself of it. 

 

Even if you do not recognize it or admit its presence, you cannot escape it. 

 

If responsibility is rightfully yours, no evasion or ignorance or passing the blame can pass the burden to someone else. 

Unless you can point your finger at the man responsible when something goes wrong, then you have never had anyone really responsible."

The Importance Of Letter Writing - Captain Laurance Safford: Father of Naval Cryptology

Navy Captain Laurance Safford is often referred to as the “father of U.S. naval cryptology”. His contributions during WW II were numerous and significant.

Much of what we know about Captain Safford's contributions to naval cryptology come from his own writing. 

 

A number of his personal letters provide insight into events surrounding the congressional investigation into the attack on Pearl Harbor. One letter refers specifically to the “Winds Message” reportedly intercepted by the U.S. days before the 7 December surprise attack. This infamous message reportedly gave clear indications of the planned Japanese surprise attack.

Unfortunately the actual intercept mysteriously disappeared shortly after the surprise attack and the "Winds Message's" very existence is only supported by the testimony of Safford and perhaps one or two others who reportedly also were aware of the intercept.

His personal papers also included a four page letter to Vice Admiral C.E. Rosendahl responding to two pages of questions from Rosendahl about the number, distribution, disposition and construction of PURPLE machines prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Other documents included a petition to the Congress and supporting testimony to award Capt. Safford remuneration for his many secret cryptologic inventions, some of which were cited as among the most important and secure communication systems used by the U.S. during WW II.

As Admiral Stavridis is so fond of saying: "Think, read, write and publish." If you don't tell your story - who will know it?

Mark Miller - The Heart of Leadership

As we close out February, I find that I have one copy of Mark Miller's insightful book left.  If you'd like this copy, shoot me an e-mail and I will get it to you. First come, first served.

Mark Miller is the Vice President for Organizational Effectiveness at Chick-fil-a.  His blog "Great Leaders Serve" is HERE. 

If you've wondered about 'servant leadership', this book will answer some of your questions.

Write to be read

I am a big proponent of writing in a journal to capture ideas and thoughts. There is certainly great value in writing for yourself. I continue to find that my brain is greatly stimulated by writing to be read. The greatest benefit of writing is what it does to expand your brain’s capacity. Find ways to write to be read – by writing things for your friends to read, by capturing the stories of your childhood, starting your own blog or whatever – just write to be read.  21 other ways to overclock your brain from The RIRIAN Project HERE.

Take responsibility

www.dilbert.com

When life does not go our way or we inadvertently make a mistake, it is so easy to make excuses, place blame on others, or argue that circumstances were against us. But we only progress in life to the extent that we take responsibility for our actions and attitudes, and put forth the initiative necessary to create our own circumstances.

-Stephen Covey

Command Culture

"Ask yourself, "What do I like best about my Navy?" Then, "What would it look like if it were perfect; ideal in every way?" If you are honest with yourself, you will begin to see possibilities you haven't seen before. Carry this into your department, division, or command practices. Appreciate what is there, and then aggressively dream as you inquire (with your people) about what would make it even better. Talk about it, design it, and make it so. It really is that simple."

MMCS(SS) Brad Green - From his excellent article in PROCEEDINGS Magazine.  Available HERE

Some people just have absolutely ZERO interest in improving in any way.  Hard to believe, but it is true. In many cases, commands go into decline from benign neglect. Small things are overlooked because they are small. A command's sense of purpose/mission may get lost in the day to day business of fighting fires. One or two small things neglected becomes 5 or 10 things, then 10 or 20.  People show up late for meetings, late for work, submit late awards, late FITREPS/Evals, and so forth.  All hands calls are delayed for days or put off until next month.  Personnel inspections never happen.  Zone inspections are non-existent.  The list goes on.  Finally the command hits rock bottom and we think it can't get worse. And then, people start digging the hole deeper. Stop digging!

The Cooperative Leadership Model

Commander Sean Heritage just finished writing "The Cooperative Leadership Model", Book Three in the Commanding Cooperatively series. It builds upon the Command Philosophy articulated in "Leading Upon  Arrival".  Some of you left reviews on Amazon for the other books.  Consider leaving a review on one, two, or all three of the links below. If you think Sean missed the mark, please let him know that as well. Meanwhile, he is working to finish out the remaining two books in the leadership series.

Kindle Version of Book One  Leading Prior to Arrival

Kindle Version of Book Two Leading Upon Arrival

Kindle Version of Book Three  The Cooperative Leadership Model

I own all three books and look forward to the final two.  It's rare that we have a Commanding Officer in our community so willing to expose his thinking and his leadership style for public scrutiny.  In this information age, we still have senior leaders who are afraid to share their opinions or even the opinions of others with their wardrooms and goat lockers, much less their Sailors.  Sean has put it all out there for our consumption.  We can all learn something from his example.

Lessons learned riding fast attack submarines in the late 70s

While I never reached Malcolm Gladwell's magical 10,000 hours of experience to master my skills as a sub-rider, I did learn a few things during my time aboard submarines.  Here is a short list of a few things I learned (not listed in any particular order):

1.  You are eating someone's chow; they are not happy about it.
2.  You are breathing someone's air; they are not happy about it.
3.  You are drinking someone's coffee; they are not happy about it.
4.  You are sleeping in someone's rack; they are not happy about it.
5.  You are using someone's water; they are not happy about it.
6.  Screw the mission, clean the position is not my favorite slogan.
7.  The Auxiliaryman of the watch is not your buddy.
8.  Open/closed valve signage is really important.
9.  You can never have enough amine.
10.  Fires underwater terrify just about everyone.
11.  Underwater, SWO pins aren't impressing anyone.
12.  Same for Naval Aircrewman pins!
13.  If you're not a qualified submariner, why are you breathing?
14.  This life is not for everyone.
15.  Some believe this life is not for anyone.

Navy messaging on cryptology continues...

I don't think it's an accident that the news keeps reporting on VADM Rogers and RADM Tighe as CRYPTOLOGISTS.

 

Tighe Tapped to Lead 10th Fleet

USNI News, 14 February 2014

The current deputy commander of the Navy’s cyberwarfare arm — 10th fleet — will be promoted to commander of the services cyber enterprise, the Pentagon announced on Friday.

Rear Adm. Jan E. Tighe has been appointed to take over 10th Fleet and be promoted to vice admiral for the command based in Ft George G. Meade, Md. Her predecessor — Vice Adm. Michael Rogers — was selected to run the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command.

Prior to being 10th Fleet’s number two, Tighe was the interim president of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif.

Tighe is a 1984 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a career cryptologist.

http://news.usni.org/2014/02/14/tighe-lead-10th-fleet

The Naval Officer

As the Officer Fact Book, NAVPERS 15898, states, the naval officer is above all a leader--responsible for directing the human effort of an organization and for property and lives.  The naval officer is a planner, responsible for large scale mobilization and world-wide logistic programs and operations.  He is an administrator concerned with thousands of people, millions of dollars worth of material, and extensive facilities.  He is an industrialist, a comptroller, a diplomat; a good manager of men and equipment, an exemplary ambassador of democracy in all parts of the world.  He is always a student.  His opportunties for experience are varied, and for education they are limitless.  As he improves in his job, he improves the naval service and contributes to the welfare of the nation and the world.

Above all, the naval officer is a leader, in all the moral, psychological, and managerial meanings of the term.  His leadership is expressed by precept and example, by planning, and by action within the greatest Navy of all time -- a Navy that numbers its officers, enlisted personnel, and civilians in the hundreds of thousands, its operations in the complexities of tens of thousands of organizations and activities.

From the MCPON

As Chief Petty Officers, we embrace increased responsibility and authority while accepting the highest obligation to embody the confidence, employ the expertise of our Sailors and earn the trust from both our superiors and subordinates. As I've said in the past, we MUST ensure that we are providing the leadership our Sailors expected the day they joined the Navy. If we don't, how can we expect others to? We can't afford to foster or be part of an environment that fails to uphold the expected standards of integrity. Our fundamental standard is to work hard, stay out of trouble and be good and decent people.

His full article regarding the Navy Nuclear Power School Cheating Scandal is HERE.

A national asset

Christine Fox was the inspiration for the TOP GUN character portrayed by Kelly McGillis.

Commander Salamander says you should keep an eye on Christine Fox.  I agree.

http://youtu.be/oBagtZqueN0

RADM Jan E. Tighe nominated for assignment as Commander, Fleet Cyber Command/Commander, TENTH Fleet

Flag Officer Announcement
02/14/2014 12:33 PM CST
IMMEDIATE RELEASE    No. NR-085-14
February 14, 2014
Flag Officer Announcement

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced today that the president has made the following nomination:

Navy Rear Adm. Jan E. Tighe for appointment to the rank of vice admiral and for assignment as commander, Fleet Cyber Command/commander, Tenth Fleet, Fort George G. Meade, Md.  Tighe is currently serving as deputy commander, Fleet Cyber Command/deputy commander, TENTH Fleet, Fort George G. Meade, Md.