Category: Uncategorized

Two Years of "Leading Differently"

A Shipmate of mine has spent the last two years ‘leading differently’.   By that,  I mean that he has spent much of his time as Commanding Officer ‘flying solo’, despite his persistent and absolutely unrelenting attempts to collaborate with his ‘fellow’ Commanding Officers and senior Navy officers.  

Fortunately, he enjoys some top cover from his senior leadership.  
Over the past two years, his disruptive thinking and acting has both perplexed and amazed his own Sailors, Chiefs, officers and civilians.  Where does a guy like this come from?  Where does he go from here?  In two years time, he’s won the hearts and (more importantly) minds, as well the loyalty of some converts – lost some stalwarts and inspired some new guys. He’s been fearless in sharing his thinking in every area and has confounded several of his seniors by ‘holding them accountable.’  Good job, man.

Steve Jobs and Admiral Stavridis are proud of you. So, am I.

The Importance of Letters – sharing ‘my’ soapbox with Dr. Moser

By Rod Moser, PA, PhD

Letter writing may be a dying art as communication is increasingly done through emails, Tweets, and Facebook postings. But I love going to the clinic and finding a letter on my desk, perhaps written by a grateful patient. While not all letters indicate good news, I find the written word so much more personal than getting an email.

I save letters (the good ones). I have a drawer full of feel-good letters and cards that I have collected. I save important emails, too, but they are unlikely to bear the test of time. Recently, I moved my office from one area of the clinic to another, so I found my collection. As I recover from shoulder surgery, it made me feel better to read a few.

I have written letters to patients. One letter in particular was written to a sedentary man who was 150 pounds overweight, diabetic, hypertensive, and having periodic chest pains. As much as I harped at him to make lifestyle changes before it was too late, I didn’t seem to be making an impact. I wrote him a letter telling him how worried that I was about his health. His reaction? He stopped coming to see me as a patient. About six months later, I got a call. He was in intensive care after having a heart attack. He called to tell me that my letter made a difference. As soon as he was discharged, he was now ready to make some changes.

Letters can make an impact. After my recent surgery, the anesthesiologist accidentally scratched both of my corneas, resulting in several days of unnecessary pain. It took him a week or so, but he sent me a letter of apology. It really made a difference and diffused much of my anger. Since medical providers make mistakes all of the time, it is really appropriate to acknowledge them and apologize. Some attorneys may question this as an admission of guilt, but it is the human thing to do.

I got a college graduation announcement from a young man today. His father, a PA colleague of mine, died of pancreatic cancer when he was just a child. I have stayed in touch with him and his family ever since, and today I will write him a letter. I will tell him how proud I am of his accomplishment. His father would have been proud, too.

It really doesn’t take very much time to send a handwritten letter. Don’t just send a card on a birthday, include a letter. For the price of a stamp (still a bargain), you have the potential to make an important impact on someone’s life. A hundred years from now, someone may pick up that letter and read it.

We have all learned to pay it forward, but perhaps we need to remember to write it forward, too.

System of values and standards

The lure of something new and different is powerful in a society where change for its own sake is considered good, and has much more appeal than the lowlier and more painful process of re-establishing our identity and redirecting our internal philosophy to express that identity.  Nevertheless, the time has come for us to move from a period of accommodation to one of reassertion of our basic principles.
The place to start is with our people.  The education and professional development of each Navyman, from recruit (or officer candidate) to trainee to qualified professional, should be founded on a system of values and standards that are unequivocally stated the day the prospective Navyman walks into the recruiting office and professionally developed throughout the entire process of training and service.

The Stranger in the Crowd
Lieutenant Commander K.C. Jacobsen
USNI Proceedings
September 1974

Thoughts borrowed liberally (stolen) from the Army…

As the Navy struggles with its emerging prominent role in the Post-Iraq War military, it will need to strive to reach an understanding of professionalism as applied to Sailors and to the Department of the Navy itself. Is there one professional military ethic or multiple ethics? Does a professional military ethic apply only to officers? Are officers the only Sailors who should be held to professional standards? Or, should all Sailors be committed to professional standards and functions utilizing specific professional ethics appropriate to their duties?
To help answer these considerations, we can re-conceptualize these nine questions as they apply specifically to the Navy:
  • Who are the Navy’s primary stakeholders?
  • What are the central values held by the Navy?
  • What is the ideal relationship between Sailors and their stakeholders?
  • What sacrifices are required of Sailors, and in what respects do the obligations of this profession take priority over other morally relevant considerations affecting Sailors?
  • What are the norms of competence for this profession?
  • What is the ideal relationship between Sailors and co-professionals?
  • What is the ideal relationship between Sailors and the larger community?
  • What should Sailors do to make access to the profession’s services available to everyone who needs them?
  • What are Sailors obligated to do to preserve the integrity of their commitment to the profession’s values and to educate others about them?
As the Navy answers these questions, it can better develop initiatives to establish codes of conduct and professional education within the military that allow it to more fully meet standards of professionalism. By identifying and achieving professional standards, the Navy can campaign to develop social awareness and encourage endorsement of the Navy’s unique service to our country, an endorsement that recognizes the professionalism of the U.S. Navy Sailor.
Stolen from Joint Forces Quarterly article – Are We Professionals?.

Enduring Mission Vision and Goals of the Center for Information Dominance

The Center for Information Dominance Goals have not changed since they were developed in 2000.  I would say that those are enduring goals.  The mission has evolved to include cyber and intelligence training.  The CO’s command philosophy is ‘right’ on the money.

Mission“The mission of the Center for Information Dominance is to deliver full spectrum Cyber, Information Warfare, and Intelligence training to achieve decision superiority.”
Vision“Driving global information dominance for our nation by providing an innovative and adaptive information force.”
Goals

  • Train for War
  • Take Care of People
  • Leverage Technology
  • Build Positive External Relations
  • Influence Resources and Programs Wisely

CO Command Philosophy
“Do What’s Right” (DWR) in implementing the 5 Ps: Purpose, Pride, Patience, Persistence, and Perspective.

8 Rules Worth Following

1. When you say you’re going to do something, do it. I believe that without his word, a Sailor is nothing.
2. Don’t lie, don’t exaggerate, don’t withhold information, don’t mislead.
3. Show up on time, always.
4. Listen to people.
5. Do the right thing, even if it comes at personal cost.
6. Do things other people aren’t doing.
7. Always be learning something.
8. Work hard not to break these rules.

True Leader

“No man is a true leader until his appointment is ratified in the minds and hearts of his men.”
“You see, you don’t accept the troops, they were there first. They accept you And when they do, you’ll know. They won’t beat drums, wave flags, or carry you off the grinder on their shoulders, but you’ll know. You see, your orders will appoint you to command. No orders, letters, no insignia of rank can appoint you as a leader. Leadership is an intangible thing. Leadership is developed within yourselves and you’ll get stronger as you go.”
––Anonymous