The naval profession has many dimensions, and they cannot be mastered all at one time.  First things must come first, and a fundamental knowledge of the sea and ships must precede all else.  I think it can be said, however, that any young man embarking on a naval officer’s career today can rest assured of two fundamental points:  The Navy will be around in force for some time to come, and there will be plenty of challenges for his energies, not matter how great they are.

RADM James Calvert
1965

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 opportunities 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.

If your Sailors can’t follow the way you lead, perhaps you should consider leading in a way your  Sailors can follow.

The book is available for pre-order now from AMAZON HERE.  I have my order in already for KINDLE. 

In a time of constant change, success depends on seeing the world through rookie eyes, and in this essential guide, the bestselling author of Multipliers explains why we are often at our best when we are doing something for the first time—and how to reclaim and cultivate this curious, flexible, youthful mindset called Rookie Smarts. 

In a rapidly changing world, experience can be a curse. Being new, naïve, and even clueless can be an asset. Rookies are unencumbered, with no baggage to weigh them down, no resources to burden them, and no track record to limit their thinking or aspirations. For today’s knowledge workers, constant learning is more valuable than mastery. 

Leadership expert Liz Wiseman argues that the most successful rookies are hunter-gatherers—alert and seeking, cautious but quick like firewalkers, and hungry and relentless like frontiersmen. Most importantly, she identifies a breed of leaders she refers to as “perpetual rookies.” 

Despite years of experience, they retain their rookie smarts, thinking and operating with the mindsets and practices of these high-performing rookies. 

Rookie Smarts addresses the questions every experienced professional faces: “Will my knowledge and skills become obsolete and irrelevant? Will a young, inexperienced newcomer upend my company or me? How can I keep up?” The answer is to stay fresh, keep learning, and know when to think like a rookie. 

Rookie Smarts isn’t just for professionals seeking personal renewal; it is an indispensable resource for all leaders who must ensure their workforces remains vital and competitive.

The article is HERE.