One of the secrets

“Sir, one of the many secrets of good leadership lies in respecting those Sailors that you are privileged to lead.”

Advice to a young JO from a salty old Chief Petty Officer.

Precious GIft

Charted course? Aimless drifting?

As a leader, you are either diligently sailing toward one or more objectives consistent with your charted course or you are drifting aimlessly. Drifting aimlessly is the sure path to shoal waters. The choice is entirely up to you and your navigation team!

Saying thanks

A hand-written note – This simple, seemingly outdated means of communications is still one of the most powerful, and universally appreciated forms of recognition. Throughout my career, I’ve been amazed at the reception I get from writing short notes of appreciation. I don’t write enough of these! P.S. An email is not the same as a personal note.

From Mark Miller
Author of The Secret

Commanding Officer, Center for Information Dominance

Captain Maureen Fox is a native of New Castle, Del. She was commissioned as a General Unrestricted Line Officer upon graduation from the United States Naval Academy in 1991. Following her graduate work at the Defense Intelligence College, she was designated a Naval Intelligence Officer in 1993.

A qualified Information Dominance Corps (IDC) officer, she has served in numerous joint, afloat and shore operational intelligence assignments.

Significant afloat assignments include Intelligence Systems officer, USS Nimitz (CVN 68); Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Commander, Amphibious Strike Group 3 aboard USS Peleliu (LHA 5) and USS Boxer (LHD 4); and plank-owning N2 for Carrier Strike Group 1 aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). She has conducted multiple extended combat deployments at sea supporting every United States numbered fleet, directing operational intelligence support to missions as varied as combat strike in Iraq and Afghanistan, counter-piracy in the Gulf of Aden, theater engagement in South America, power projection in the Pacific, and disaster response in Haiti.

Ashore, Fox served as Defense Intelligence Agency’s Congressional Liaison to the House Permanent Select Committee for Intelligence; Executive Assistant to the Director for Intelligence on the Joint Staff; Intelligence Liaison to Deputy Director for Regional Operations, Joint Staff J3; Director for Intelligence, Tactical Training Group, Pacific; Senior Analyst and Intelligence Briefer, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, Bahrain; Deputy Director, Maritime Intelligence Operations Center, Commander, Third Fleet; Intelligence Systems and Training Officer, Commander U.S. Pacific Fleet, Intelligence Readiness Cell; and Instructor, Fleet Intelligence Training Center; and Force Intelligence Officer for Commander, Naval Special Warfare.

In September 2014 Fox became the Commanding Officer of the Center for Information Dominance based at Corry Station in Pensacola, Fla.

Fox’s awards and decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (four gold stars) and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (four gold stars.)

Science shows writing is beneficial

No matter the quality of your prose, the act of writing itself leads to strong physical and mental health benefits, like long-term improvements in mood, stress levels and depressive symptoms. In a 2005 study on emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing, researchers found that just 15 to 20 minutes of writing three to five times over the course of the four-month study was enough to make a difference.

Rachel Grate

A bit of self promotion, if I may

This is a bit of self promotion but it is really more of a call for my writer friends to put their work out there in the public domain for consumption – free and otherwise.

Today, I received my first royalty check from Amazon Digital Services for my short piece about VADM James Bond Stockdale Inspirational Leadership Award Winners HERE. It is not a large check, but it is a significant return for the time and effort I invested. I tried to get United States Naval Institute PROCEEDINGS to publish it several years ago. It was the first thing that I sent them that they rejected. My 5 previous articles were purchased and published – one after another. This is a bit of redemption for me with this piece. If PROCEEDINGS had published it, I would have lost money and the experience of self-publishing on Kindle.

Virtues of a leader

The humble leader asks:

Does my experience really qualify me to work this issue? Am I quick to admit when I’’m in domains beyond my expertise?
To what extent do my prejudices, attitudes or experiences bias my judgment?
Am I open to consider novel approaches to this problem, and willing to learn and study where warranted?

The empathetic leader asks:

To what extent have I analyzed the beliefs I hold which may impede my ability to think critically?
Do I demonstrate a willingness to yield my positions when sufficient evidence is presented against them?
To what extent am I willing to stand my ground against the majority (despite ridicule)?

The intellectually courageous leader asks:

Do I listen and seek to understand others’ reasoning?
Do I accurately represent viewpoints with which I disagree? Do I accurately represent their views?
Do I appreciate insights in the technical views of others and prejudices in my own?

The leader with intellectual integrity asks:

To what extent do I expect of myself what I expect of others?
Do what extent are there contradictions or inconsistencies in the way I deal with technical issues?
To what extent do I strive to recognize and eliminate self-deception or self-interest when reasoning through challenging issues?

The persevering leader asks:

Am I willing to work my way through complexities in an issue or do I tend to give up when challenged?
Can I think of a difficult similar problem in which I have demonstrated patience and tenacity?

Leaders with confidence in reason ask:

Am I willing to change my position when the evidence leads to a more reasonable position?
Do I adhere to technical principles and evidence when persuading others of my position or do I distort matters to support my position?
Do I encourage others to come to their own technical conclusions or do I try to coerce agreement?

Leaders with intellectual autonomy ask:

Do I think through technical issues on my own or do I merely accept others’ conclusions or judgments?
Am I willing to stand alone against irrational criticism?

The fair-minded leader asks:

Am I giving dissenting opinions adequate consideration?
Has self-interest or bias clouded my judgment?

R. J. Niewoehner
United States Naval Academy
Applied Disciplines: A Critical Thinking Model

NAVY INFORMATION DOMINANCE FORCE TYPE COMMANDER – Stand Up 1 October 2014

“This idea of standing up a type commander is really important for the Information Dominance Force, but it’s also very important for the rest of the fleet to understand who you are and what you’re doing,” Greenert said to the NAVCYBERFOR audience, which will soon be part of the new NAVIDFOR TYCOM.

“We, the fleet, have to understand the tremendous value of information dominance,” he said. “Those who control information will certainly define the pace of any future conflict and probably the outcome of the conflict itself.”

NAVIDFOR TYCOM will stand up Oct. 1 and be fully operational Dec. 31. The new TYCOM mission will be to provide commanders ashore and afloat, forward deployable, combat-ready information dominance forces capable of conducting prompt and sustained naval, joint and combined operations in support of U.S. national interests.

From NavyNews

FORT MEADE, Md. (September 26, 2014) Adm. Michelle Howard, vice chief of naval operations (VCNO), greets Vice. Adm. Jan E. Tighe, commander U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/ U.S. 10th Fleet (FCC/C10F), during a visit to FCC/C10F headquarters. VCNO received an update on FCC/C10F operations and plans, met with Sailors and civilian staff, and participated in a roundtable discussion with Tighe and her leadership team. The visit was also a remarkable moment for gender integration, with the two leaders having each made history in 2014. On July 1 of this year, Howard made U.S. Navy history as first female ever promoted to the rank of four-star admiral. Earlier, on April 2, Tighe became the first female commander of a numbered fleet in U.S. Navy history when she took the helm of FCC/C10F. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class David R. Finley Jr./Released) 140926-N-VE701-005