Shipmates

Today I chatted with a former shipmate of mine from my first ship. We served together 29 years ago and I last saw him around 22 years ago.


It was just a brief chat over Facebook Messenger, but it was like we just picked up where we left off so many years ago.  That is one thing I have loved about the Navy; making lifelong friends.


The Wardroom on a ship can become pretty tight, because you go through so many things together. I miss that, being a retiree.


I am so glad I can still call my shipmates my friends. No matter what.

Delegation

I recall in my Naval Academy leadership courses, probably in my first year, I learned what delegation was. Since then, I have never forgotten the phrase, "You can delegate authority, but not responsibility."  Over my career in uniform, and now, as a civilian, I've seen numerous examples of delegation, literally from one extreme to the other. Obviously life on the extreme ends can be disastrous, so the goal certainly would be to find a happy medium.

On one end, you have a micromanager, who refuses to delegate anything.  I've worked for micromanagers, who seem to have the need to do everything themselves.  This is not very efficient and it is not good for morale.

On the other end, you have someone who delegates everything; well, as much as they can anyway. This is not efficient either.

When I worked on a numbered fleet staff, my department head, an O6, was a very intelligent man who was constantly thinking outside the box. He had great ideas (and some not so great). Believe it or not, he actually delegated the reading of his email. He gave us all full access to his inbox, and he tasked us with checking and reading his email, and if there was anything of importance, we could respond, on his behalf, then backfill him. This was an interesting concept that actually worked quite well for the officers in his department at the time.

Now, the reason I am writing about delegation today is here at work we have a department head in another department that appears to delegate everything. I may be wrong, but you can never go to this person with a request for information without him having to check with one of his subordinates.  This is not efficient, from my perspective, and it is quite frustrating.  Of course I have stopped going to him for information, because I have learned it would waste my time.

I've always appreciated the supervisors I have had who have trusted me enough to do as much as I could, while holding me accountable. It kept me busy, provided me training for future jobs, and it was quite rewarding. I am glad I work for someone like that now.

When I was in command, I certainly delegated a fair amount, but holding my people accountable was the key. Over time I learned what I could delegate and what I needed to retain for myself. When you empower your people, they will shine!!


On a side note, I just finished a great book entitled Destroyer Captain, by Admiral James Stavridis. I highly recommend this book!!

Great to be Back

As I mentioned in my previous post, after a four year absence, I am employed by the U.S. Navy once again. My time with the Department of Commerce, as a contractor, was good, however, I am glad that part of my life is behind me.

I definitely learned a lot with NOAA, but found that people, in general, did not understand the experiences I had as an officer in the Navy for twenty years and what I brought to the table. At times it was frustrating to me, because I was completely underutilized. This was precisely the reason I pursued other employment.

I had a manager in my previous job who was an ok manager. He was not, however, a leader. I found it funny one day when he told me I should stick with him and he would teach me how to lead people. I thought he was kidding at first, since I knew he had seen my resume. He wasn't. I quickly reminded him that I had been leading people successfully over twenty years, including command of over 400 officers and sailors during my command tour. He seemed to have no comprehension of what I was saying.

For the past nine months, I've been back with the Navy, and I love it. I won't say the command I work for, but I am working on an admiral's staff once again. This is the third flag staff I have worked on during my Navy tenure. The first one (3-Star afloat Fleet staff) was superb and extremely rewarding. The second (2-Star shore staff) was not so superb and I could not wait to leave (retire). I am currently on a 1-Star type commander staff. It is a relatively large staff, mostly civilians, with some very smart and hard working individuals (military and civilian). We also have a leadership team that knows how to lead.

It is so refreshing to have true leadership in the front office. I missed that very much during those four years. The admiral is a people person who inspires us on a daily basis by his words and actions. One thing I like that the previous admirals I worked for did not do are frequent (sometimes bi-weekly) all hands calls. The admiral, Chief of Staff (COS) and/or Deputy Commander (DC) will interact with us and tell us what is going on and how we are supporting the fleet. They tell us about their recent meetings and interactions with other commands and organizations. This really makes me feel like the small part I play can really make a difference and that I am a part of the team.

They all continually thank us for what we do, whether it be in an email or in person. They are very sincere. Our new DC actually leaves his office and gets around the building to interact with us to see how we are doing. All three are very personable and it makes a world of difference. In addition, the staff frequently gathers for social events, whether they be an informal luncheon, bowling, or a barbeque, to include families.

Life is good and once again, I have an example of leadership to be excited about.

Hey Strangers, It's Me!!

Hello there. It appears I've been absent from this blog for quite some time.

The primary reason is around the time of my last posting, I started a new job. Following my Navy retirement in 2007 I was working as a contractor. I am now employed with the Navy again as a civil servant. I must say, I've been pretty busy. Hard to believe I've been in this job nearly nine months already.

I am very glad to be back with the Navy. I just feel like I belong there and the new job is great!!

Recently I had an idea for a new post on here, and after reading my most recent post, back in May, it is somewhat similar. I will post this one very soon.

I don't even know if anyone reads these things besides my father, but it is fun writing. See you soon!!

Invisible Leader

A former boss of mine, a commanding officer of a U.S. Navy warship, was someone I would classify as an invisible leader. Well, now that I write those two words, invisible manager may be more appropriate for this person. Regardless, he led from his stateroom, via email, for the most part.

This Naval officer rarely left his stateroom in port and while underway, could be found on the bridge only when his presence was required. While in his stateroom, his door remained shut and he actually had specific hours when he should not be disturbed (during the work day, if you can believe that). When you had to disturb him, he always had his nose in a newspaper or book and he seemed irritated that you violated his "Do Not Disturb" time.

Most tasking from him came via email. It is fair to say that he had a handle on the physical status of his ship, but he had no clue about the pulse of ship; the crew. He did not know people's names or even that one of his junior officer's was getting married over the holidays.

He seemed competent enough; he knew engineering and combat systems and he was a decent ship handler. What he was not was a leader. Him, paired with a substandard executive officer, and you can imagine the morale on this ship. Rock bottom.

He was not very keen on face to face communications and he definitely preferred email. From my perspective, the crew resented him because they rarely saw the guy.

I believe a leader should be seen. He/she should get out on the deck plates and feel the pulse of the crew or organization. Employees (Sailors especially) are proud of what they do, and when they can show the captain, that can really make their day, especially if they receive an attaboy.

Just another lesson learned of what not to do.

Invictus

I must admit, I did not know much of anything about Nelson Mandela before I saw the movie Invictus. After seeing this movie, I definitely had the desire to learn more about this man. I also need to make a note to read the book that the movie was based upon, Playing the Enemy, by John Carlin.

There are many articles available discussing the leadership lessons from Mandela's term as president of South Africa, some of which are depicted in the book/movie. One is from The Washington Post, from John Baldoni, who wrote Five Leadership Lessons from "Invictus" on 16 Dec 09. Time Magazine's Richard Stengel also did a piece on 09 Jul 08 entitled Mandela: His 8 Lessons of Leadership. Both of these articles elaborate on the leadership that Mandela brought to South Africa following Apartheid.

The leadership traits I pulled from the movie are traits that I feel are noteworthy to discuss.

1. Patience. Nelson Mandela showed great patience; he had a lot of practice being in prison for 27 years. When he became president, he faced a significant issue with the unity of South Africa. He had a long term plan to unify the country and he remained focused. As the cliche goes, patience is a virtue. A good leader will demonstrate patience. Impatience leads to short tempers and irrational decisions, which help no one.

2. Accepted Change. Much had changed in South Africa while Mandela was in prison. When he was released, he had to accept the way things were at the moment if he wanted to change them. He did just that. The whites of South Africa loved the Springbok rugby team. The blacks of South Africa loved every team that played the Springboks. Mandela seized the opportunity to unite both whites and blacks behind this national team. It worked! Change is not always good, but neither is the status quo. A good leader will be open to change, to new ideas, and to more efficient ways to accomplish the goals.

3. Perseverance. Mandela never gave up on his goal to unite the citizens of South Africa. There were many obstacles, and I suspect, at times, he felt it was a lost cause. However, he continued the momentum until the goal was achieved. Good leaders don't give up the goal just because it is difficult. They thrive on the challenges until the goal is captured.

4. Determination. Mandela knew his goal of a united South Africa was a necessity for his country. He was determined to make this happen, because it was the right thing to do. This was not an easy task because there were many obstacles in the way. When a leader is faced with an obstacle, it should not deter him/her from achieving a goal; they must resolve to do what it takes.

5. Led by Example. Setting the standards is one thing, but living them is far more important. Mandela practiced what he preached. Others saw this and began to emulate him. This is a key leadership trait that will go a very long way.

I highly recommend this movie and I hope to read the book very soon. A lot can be learned from others; both good and bad. It is up to the individual to decide what traits he/she will adopt that will make the difference in their organization.

The Golden Rule Strikes Again!

During one of my last tours of my 20 year career in the Navy, we had a Navy civil servant who worked on our staff. He was a retired Navy Captain who had been in this particular Civil Service job for two decades.

When I first arrived on the staff, I had very little interaction with him. His boss, a Commander (O5), literally could not control this guy. This crusty aviator seemed to have his own agenda and would not listen to his "boss."

When the commander was transferred, I was directed to move into his billet. I had previously come off of a successful command tour where morale and retention were high and I had a reputation as a people person who got the job done. I was not very crazy about this move, as I came to this staff into a premier position. The admiral "convinced" me it was the right move and I changed offices and filled the new position.

It didn't take long to have my first issue with my new "civilian" employee. He came into my office and said he would be taking the next few days off. I asked him where his leave request was and he said that he had never submitted one in the past. Regardless of how things were done in the past, I was determined to do things right on my watch. Unfortunately, he never submitted that request and lo and behold, he did not come into work the next morning.

I called him at home to check on him the next morning and he "reminded" me that he was on leave. I reminded him that he wasn't. To make a long story short, he did not come to work that day, but he did the following day. As he came into our office area, I told him that I wanted to speak with him and he told me to come into his office. I promptly told him to come to my office, which he did. I then asked him to shut the door and sit down. He just stood there. I asked him again, raising my voice a little, and he then shut the door and sat down.

Through conversation with the guy I relieved, and others, I had learned that this gentleman did not like change. That was pretty obvious.

I told this civilian that I understood that he had been here a very long time and that I could see how it would be frustrating to see the leadership change every 1-2 years. However, that is just the way the Navy works. I told him that I was not there to get in his way; rather, I was there to support him, and to possibly even make things more efficient. I told him that I respected his opinions, but I was not going anywhere anytime soon, and that we had better get along.

We had this conversation a few more times and he actually got the message. From that point on, he was a different man. He was friendly and actually fun to be around. The two of us became very close and I really enjoyed my three years in that position working with him. Others on the staff were amazed that I got along with him so well.

Today, we are both retired from the Navy, but we are still very good friends and stay in touch. He is almost like a father to me. It is amazing how things work out.

The moral of my sea story is, once again, treat people like you want to be treated. I treated him with respect and ensured him that I understood his position. I also stressed that we were a team. Apparently he had not encountered that with previous bosses; unfortunately. Once again, this showed me that the Golden Rule can go a along way.

It All Starts With the Chief

I just read, with interest, an article on the U.S. Naval Institute's (USNI) blog entitled A Four Star Blog Post x 2: Lessons Learned from Our Carrier Tours by ADM Harvey and ADM Stavridis, with an introduction by CDR Robb Chadwick, Commanding Officer of USS ROOSEVELT (DDG 80).

Both admirals discussed their junior officer tours on aircraft carriers and their interactions with their chiefs.

This got me thinking of my own tour aboard my first ship, a twenty year old Knox Class Frigate in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. As mentioned in a previous post, my first division officer job was the Auxiliaries and Electrical (A&E) Officer. When I first arrived, as a 23 year old Ensign, a year out of the Naval Academy, I had approximately 25 Electricians (ETs), Interior Communications Specialists (ICs), Enginemen (ENs) and Machinist Mates (MMs) and one chief, EMC David. Most of them were older than I was.

A few months later, two of my First Class Petty Officers made Chief; EMC Lopez and ENC Hentley. Between the three of them, and especially with ENC, they took me under their wings. I thought I had learned a lot about leadership and shipboard life during my four years at the Academy and my two Midshipmen cruises; but that only scratched the surface.

My chiefs took a personal interest in my training as a junior officer. Though I was senior to them in rank, they were far superior to me in knowledge and experience. They did not hesitate to respectfully correct me when I did something that wasn't quite right, and they were always available for my many questions. My initial intimidation of them quickly turned into a professional relationship, with mutual respect, that I will always remember.

Admiral Harvey stated in the article, "The relationship between new division officers and their chiefs is essential to the shaping of our junior officers." He got that right.

During my two subsequent jobs on that ship; Electronics Materials Officer (EMO) and Navigator/Personnel Officer, I did not have a Chief. Fortunately the three chiefs I had from the Engineering Department were still there for me when I needed them.

When I went to my second division officer tour, aboard a brand new AEGIS Cruiser, I was assigned as the Fire Control Officer (FCO). I had approximately 35 extremely intelligent AEGIS Fire Controlmen (FCs), including three chiefs, that worked for me. Once again I was fortunate to have three FCCs (all ranked in the top ten in the Chief's Mess) who guided me, when required, and enhanced my technical knowledge of that impressive warship. I could not have succeeded without them.

I found that each tour I had in the Navy, especially during my command tour, that I relied heavily on the Chief's Mess to get the job done. When given a task to the Chief, I knew it would be accomplished, and no matter what my rank was, they were always there, in case I needed it, to ensure I did not put myself in a position to embarrass myself and to ensure I did the right thing. We were a team!

I salute the 40+ Chiefs, Senior Chiefs and Master Chiefs that worked directly for me during my time on active duty. I could not have done it without you!.

Interesting note: I taught Seamship to CDR Chadwick when he was a Plebe at the Naval Academy. I must be getting old!!!

Micromanagement: What is the Point?

Most people, at least those who have held a job, understand what micromanagement is. Merriam Webster defines micromanagement as "to manage especially with excessive control or attention to details."

One of my biggest pet peeves in the workplace is working for a micromanager. My first captain on my first ship in the Navy was a micromanager. I didn’t realize that until the second captain I had on that ship arrived. What a difference!!

In my view, a micromanager micromanages for one of three reasons: 1. They don’t trust you, or 2. They feel they can do it better themselves, so they ensure they are there to help you accomplish the task, or 3. They feel they need to be in control. I imagine there are other reasons.

Of course, I cannot bring up a topic without a sea story, so here goes. My first captain, let’s call him JA, had a significant engineering background. I don’t mean engineering in the academic sense; he served many tours in the engineering departments of several Navy ships.

The engineering department is responsible for maintaining the ship’s propulsion plant. Older ship’s had large steam boilers which made steam to drive turbines, which in turn, rotated the ship’s screw or propeller. Newer ships have gas turbine engines, which are very similar to jet aircraft engines. There are also nuclear powered ships, but that is an area I am not qualified to discuss.

My first ship had two large steam boilers that heated water/steam to a pressure of 1200 psi. This was an older ship, but the engineering plant ran very well. My first shipboard job as a 23 year old Naval officer was the Auxiliaries/Electrical Officer, or A&E. The Auxiliaries side was affectionately known as A-Gang. The A&E Officer “owned” the entire ship’s electrical distribution system, the telephone and alarm systems, the emergency diesel generators, the helicopter fuel system (JP-5), all of the hot water systems, galley equipment, and many other systems that I cannot recall now, after 23 years (half my life ago). My Sailors were always busy and in constant demand. I learned so much from them, especially my three Chief Petty Officers.

Ok, so you have some background now; sorry to drag this out.

I recall two distinct incidents with JA during this tour. One time I was the Engineering Officer of the Watch (EOOW), the watch stander in charge of the engineering plant while underway. We had some casualty to the plant that required us to shutdown the one boiler we were operating. The effect of this is steam is no longer produced, which makes the ship “dead in the water;” no propulsion. We also use that steam to generate electricity, so, until the emergency diesel generator comes online, the ship goes dark.

I know JA was on the bridge as we started shutting the boiler down, because he was screaming at me over the bitch box (appropriately “named” intercom system). As the boiler shut down, the ship went dark. I would imagine the lights were off for a couple minutes, and when they returned, JA was in Main Control standing next to me, continuing his rant. He promptly took control of the plant and restored the engineering plant. Hmmm, isn’t that what he qualified me to do? He didn’t do this just because I was the EOOW. He would have done if for anyone. He was just that way.

Another story, involved the emergency diesel generator; it was not working. Without it, if power was lost, you remained dark. As the division officer, I was down in Auxiliary Room #2 (Aux 2) checking on the Sailors who had the expertise to fix this equipment. I certainly did not have the knowledge and I wasn’t about to try to offer any technical advice. I was there to get the big picture to report back up the chain of command. Well, once again, JA didn’t waste any time coming to Aux 2 to “repair” the casualty.

I distinctly remember JA on top of the diesel engine turning wrenches. I’m pretty sure he was not a diesel mechanic. He then called me over and handed me a rag to wipe up some oil that had spilled on deck. He was an O5 and I was an O1 on my first ship. I certainly was not going to question his order. My Engineman Chief quickly interceded, taking the rag from my hand, and wiping up the oil. I had a lot of respect for Chief, and it was mutual. We discussed the incident later, at length.

So, why was JA like this? Did he not trust me to restore the plant? Did he not trust the Enginemen to fix the diesels? I don’t know his motive. What I do know is that his actions were insulting to me personally. I felt he did not trust me, even though I knew I was more than capable of restoring that plant. His leadership style was very demoralizing. I did not respect his actions.

Micromanagement may have a place at times, in rare circumstances under specific conditions. However, routine micromanagement can be detrimental to accomplishing the mission. The good leader will empower their people with the tools and knowledge to do the job and hold them accountable if they don’t.

This reminds me of another story that depicts the opposite of micromanagement (macromanagement?). My second captain on this same ship, let’s call him GA, was an electrical engineer by education. In my second position on this ship, I was the Electronic Materials Officer (EMO) in charge of all the electronic systems (radars, communications equipment, the closed circuit television system, etc.).

Our air search radar was not working and I had to go brief GA on the status. I conveyed the symptoms we were experiencing and our plan of action. GA asked me to bring him the electronic schematics of the radar, which I promptly did. After about five minutes of reviewing the schematics, he pointed to a component and said, “Check this.” I took this information back to the Electronic Technicians (ETs) and lo and behold, that was the problem. I was quite impressed.

GA knew what he was talking about, but he didn’t feel the need to go to the Radar Room to fix it. He offered a suggestion and let the ETs fix the problem. This is just how GA was.

I think it is obvious who I liked working for more. When I became a commanding officer, it was easy to determine which leadership style I would follow, and I must admit, it worked quite well.

Calm, Cool, & Collected

"Leadership has been defined as the ability to hide your panic from others"

— Anonymous

This quote reminds me of a former captain I had. When he first came aboard, my impression was that he was extremely smart, as most of the captains I served with were. It did not take long for me to look up to this man as a mentor and I learned a lot from him.

I recall being in the north Pacific evading a super typhoon. I don't recall the circumstances why we were there, but we certainly were. The seas were the roughest I had ever seen during my 20+ years in the Navy and routine work throughout the ship was secured, for safety considerations.

I was Officer of the Deck as we plowed through swells and waves that appeared higher than the bridge of this ship as it bobbled in the sea. We were looking up to see the tops of them. This was not a big ship and we were rolling, hawing and pitching all over the place. I must admit, the thoughts in the back of my mind at that moment were that men had built that ship, it was an older ship, and I really hoped it didn't break in half. That wouldn't be good.

The Captain came up to the bridge and noticed the watchstanders each had themselves wedged between pieces of equipment and bulkheads (walls). I recall I was between a radar repeater and a small table that we worked maneuvering board solutions on. We were all quiet, just watching the bow go in and out of the swells and waves. Fear was in the air and the Captain noticed it.

His first reaction upon "reading" his bridge team was to smile. As he held the wire rope traversing the width of the bridge, so he would not fall over, he stated, "Isn't this great?!!!" He said this like he was riding his favorite roller coaster. His reaction definitely put me at ease, as I trusted him, and he appeared to trust the construction of this ship.

His persona at all times was calm, cool and collected. Nothing seemed to phase him as he made the daily decisions of a successful warship captain. It was quite impressive from my perspective.

Years later I had the pleasure of meeting up with this captain again. I was on another ship and we pulled into a port where he was stationed at the time. He had never been aboard of ship of this class, so he was anxious for a tour. After the tour, we went to my stateroom and talked for quite some time. It was a great conversation, hearing his present perspective of his time in command several years ago. I was very surprised what he told me. He mentioned that as captain, he hated every time the phone rang or someone knocked on his door. He was afraid that bad news was coming; someone jumped overboard (yes, this did happen during his tour) or a piece of vital equipment was no longer working (on a 20 year old ship, this was not uncommon).

I never would have guessed these things bothered him. He certainly did not display these feelings, and believe me, I delivered plenty of bad news to him (that guy that jumped overboard worked for me).

I am pretty certain he did not panic, as he was a very competent mariner and leader, but he did mask his true feelings very well, which, for a person in his position, was vital to his crew.

Inspire!!

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”  John Quincy Adams

I find this quote by John Quincy Adams to be very inspirational. It really says a lot to me about being a leader.  As a commanding officer in the Navy, I was responsible to ensure we accomplished our mission.  How I chose to carry out this responsibility directly affected the morale of my Sailors.

In my role, I tried very hard to inspire the men and women who worked for me. I wanted them to enjoy coming to work each day, putting forward their best efforts, and feeling a sense of accomplishment that their hard work contributed to our successes.  How do inspire someone you may ask? There is no canned answer to this one, but I believe there are several factors involved.

First, the leader should set the example of what he/she is trying to promote.  The leader should be positive and upbeat, have a vision and work toward it, be competent, and treat others with respect.  If this is the example you have to follow, you probably won’t go wrong.

I always thought it was important to provide positive feedback whenever I could and to make common sense decisions, even about the most mundane things.

It was also important to me to delegate. I could not do all the work myself and it would be foolish of me to think I could. I had to let my people do their jobs.  As such, I gave them the authority they needed to accomplish their tasks.  On the other hand, I also held them accountable.  If they messed up, they knew about it.  No, I did not have to be harsh to provide guidance or constructive criticism.

I also encouraged my people to learn. Training was something we took seriously because I believed there was always something everyone could learn to make them better at their jobs. We routinely utilized leadership type books and outside sources to supplement the training plan.

Extra efforts were recognized and rewarded. Going “above and beyond” impressed me because I knew they were doing their very best and would not settle for anything less. I don’t believe they were doing it for me, because they just weren’t like that. They were working for the “cause.”

My Sailors were superb because each of them was outstanding. Our command had a reputation for professionalism and getting the job done, and I was very proud of that.  Morale was also high, which made it a very pleasant place to work each day.  I was reward in the end, as they inspired me every day, which was my motivation.

Consistency

"Most great leaders understand intuitively that consistency is an important part of leadership. That’s because the most effective leaders know that in order to be perceived as a strong leader they must maintain a strong set of values, live by a certain code of conduct, effectively communicate these to different constituencies, and then lead by example." Jeffrey Krames 


This quote by Jeffrey Krames is very profound. In my opinion, having a consistent leader makes life a lot easier in the workplace. I knew I wanted to write about consistency so when I searched for a quote about consistency, this one opened my eyes to other aspects of it.


My original premise was to discuss the consistency of personality.  I will use examples to demonstrate what I mean here.  


I had a former boss in the Navy who was very firm and often yelled.  His standards were high and he ensured he enforced them at every opportunity.  The image of our command was very important to him.  If we were away from work, he wanted to ensure we were on our best behavior and looked our best, because we worked for him.  At the time, I thought he was a real jerk.  Life was not easy working for him.  However, we knew what to expect every day. There were no surprises. Also, looking back, he was very competent at what he did and we were very successful. He was consistent and morale was relatively high.


I had another boss who was not consistent. When dealing with this person, you never knew what to expect; would it be Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde?  Sometimes this person would be so mean that it was quite intimidating. At other times, they would be the nicest person you would ever meet,and it would catch you off guard.  It was very difficult working for a person like this because you just did not know what to expect.  Sometimes life would be good and the work would flow and at other times life sucked and we struggled.  In this situation, we were not successful.  We would be hit and miss on inspections and our reputation was in the pits. Morale was low too.


The lesson I took out of this is the obvious one.  Be who you are all the time. It will really make a difference.


Going back to the quote above, maintaining a "strong set of values" goes a long way.  If you have a leader who consistently does this, you cannot have a better example.  I had one boss, who would falsify records to look good and pass inspections.  He did not garner much respect from me. That is one leadership example I made sure was not emulated.


Consistency is the key.  Do the right thing all the time.

Inspiring Action

Simon Sinek, author of the book Start With Why, is a marketing consultant known for developing "The Golden Circle," a model based on human decision-making that guides organizations on how to inspire people to buy or support any product, company or idea.


To learn firsthand about this concept, please view the short video.


The Golden Circle is an interesting way to look at how people think. Sinek states that most people think conventionally; from outside in, or from What to How to Why. Sinek proposes that thinking inside-out, is not only unconventional, but can produce remarkable results.


In his video, Sinek provides the examples of Apple and Martin Luther King to explain his theory. From a leadership perspective, what exactly does this mean?


From the conventional view (outside - in), here is an example. The boss comes down and states he just got an order for 1000 widgets. He tells his team that they need to build these by the end of the week. This order must be on time, or the company will lose a big profit. That is not very motivating, especially to the employees who already may be overworked.


Here is the example from the inside-out. The boss comes down and says, "You all do such great work and the quality of our product has really garnered a lot of positive attention. We just got an order in from one of our best customers and they are really counting on us to deliver this order on time." Do you see the difference?


In the Golden Circle, the Why is the purpose/cause/belief; the reason why we get out of bed each day; the reason why anyone should care.


I believe most inspired leaders I have encountered follow this line of thinking without thinking about it. They believe in the cause or purpose of their mission.


Sinek says, "People don't buy what you do. They buy why you do it." He also believes the Golden Circle is ingrained in us biologically. He cited that if you take a cross section of a human brain, there are three major areas; the outer area is the Neocortex (the What) that is responsible for rational and analytical thought and language. The inner two regions are called the Limbic brain, which controls feelings (the Why), like trust and loyalty; human behavior and decision making.


Sinek says, "If you talk about what you believe, you will attract those who believe what you believe. People who believe you will take your cause as their own." If every leader had followers that did this, life would be easy. However, as we know, it takes a lot of effort to inspire followers. "We follow those who lead, not because we have to, but because we want to;" says Sinek, "not for them, but ourselves."


When a person is inspired as to the reason why they are doing something or understand the mission, they gain a sense of belonging or being part of the team, from which they gain their sense of importance to the team.


The Golden Circle is an interesting marketing tool that seems quite effective, which very much applies in the leadership world.

Respect

Respect is a very important attribute in every relationship.  When you think of a leader/follower or manager/subordinate relationship, especially in the military, respect from the follower/subordinate up is often assumed, based upon the hierarchy of the relationship alone.  However, is the same true from the top down?

A good leader should absolutely display sincere respect toward those below him.  You cannot beat mutual respect in a relationship to ensure it lasts and functions the way it was intended.

Most of the people I have worked for did gain my respect by treating me with respect. These leaders made me feel important, ensured I felt that I was part of the team, took a personal interest in me and my family, and encouraged me.  When I had the privilege of serving as a commanding officer, I worked hard to do the same to those in my command. To be honest, it just made sense to me.

The Golden Rule; treat others as you would like to be treated, is the basis for displaying respect toward someone.  The majority of the people I have encountered, live by this rule without thinking.

Unfortunately, I have met some people who have never heard of this rule.  I've worked for some people who seemed to look down on people who worked for them and basically treated them like crap.  It was obvious they had no respect for people "below" them, and I will admit, I had little personal respect for them.  Sure, I did respect their rank and position, but not the individual.

In relationships like this, where there is little respect, there is not a lot of motivation to go out of your way to do something for this person. Why bother, since it won't be appreciated.  When this happens on a large scale, for example, on a ship, this can be the root of low morale.

It is difficult for me to comprehend how some people can treat others so poorly.  Since I have no control over these types of people, I suppose I should just concentrate on what I can do and continue to follow that Golden Rule.



"If you have some respect for people as they are, you can be more effective in helping them to become better than they are." John W. Gardner

One CEO’s View on Leadership

On November 3, 2010, Walter P. Havenstein, CEO of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), spoke to students, faculty and staff at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business as part of their CEO@Smith Speaker Series. A segment of the event can be viewed here.

As a Naval Academy graduate, retired Marine Corps officer and successful leader in business, Havenstein shared his thoughts on leadership and his philosophy of how he leads SAIC. 


According to Havenstein, his four basic principles of management are partnership, safety, fact-based management, and continuous improvement.

• Partnership. Havenstein said he "looks at those who work at SAIC not as employees but as partners, or colleagues. As such, he said, they should be trusted and empowered to do what they do best."
• I do like this philosophy.  As an employee of SAIC myself, the company does empower us to do our jobs, which allows me to be much more efficient in getting the job done.  The sense of teamwork is clear and the support mechanism between divisions, operations and business units is very active.  From a military perspective, I would call this teamwork.  Because of the military chain of command, it is not feasible for everyone to be "partners" and "colleagues," but we can be on the same team. It is important for  the leader to make each person feel like they are an important member of that team; giving them specific responsibilities and empowering them with the authority to do their jobs.

• Safety. "One of the biggest responsibilities of a leader," Havenstein said, "is to provide a physically and emotionally healthy and safe place, where people can express themselves without fear of being criticized, ridiculed or ignored."
• This is important in any organization.  You don’t want your team worrying about their environment; they have far more important things to be concerned about like getting the job done.  It is the leader’s job to ensure their team is physically safe (unless in a war zone, of course) and free from any discrimination or disrespect.

• Fact-based management. "Leaders," Havenstein said, "must make decisions based on the facts, even while recognizing some uncertainty, and not just facts that support a single point of view, but all of the relevant facts."
• A good leader will base decisions based upon all the facts he/she knows. However, in some cases, the leader will need to make decisions based upon only what is known at a certain moment.  That is why they usually get paid the big bucks.  It is important for the leader to instill into the team the importance of not keeping secrets or from filtering important information as it goes up the chain.  It is also important, at times, for the leader to solicit discussion and recommendations from the team regarding important decisions.  This will also contribute to building teamwork.

• Continuous improvement. Havenstein said that he "believes that continuous improvement is crucial, but not in the sense of enterprise wide continuous improvement projects. What is most effective is creating a culture in which people are not afraid to ask two questions — "Why?" and "Why not?" While tools such as Six Sigma are important, they are just tools."
• I would hope that every leader would desire to continuously improve their team; to make them more efficient to increase output and reduce the required resources.  There are many tools out there, with just as many opinions on their application, that can aid in improvement.  However, from a military perspective, it is not wise to have subordinates question decisions and orders, unless done so tactfully.

Havenstein also addressed the importance of “principled leadership, life-long learning and continuous service.” He discussed six key traits that a good leader should possess to be successful.

·         Technically competent:  A good leader must “know their trade.” They don’t need to know the technical details of an engineer or scientist, but they must be able to understand what they are responsible for.

·         Must have energy:  A good leader must have “passion or the innate capability” to motivate the team and themselves.  A leader without energy will quickly fail.

·         Must have resilience:  Every leader will face difficulty at one point or another. The good leader will know how to face it, deal with it, learn from it and move on.

·         Must have passion for learning:  As I mentioned in a previous post, the good leader will continually learn every day to improve his/her knowledge.  Knowledge is power!!

·         Must have a moral compass: A good leader will not sacrifice his/her ethics or reputation to achieve success dishonestly.  What goes around will come around.

·         Service:  A good leader cannot be self serving; they must take an honest interest in the success of others.  This will strengthen teamwork and build morale. 

Walter P. Havenstein, SAIC CEO with an Old Sailor

“    "Leaders who are self-serving are usually those who don't succeed. When you take more interest in the success of others, you will be amazed at how successful you will become." Walter P. Havenstein, CEO, SAIC, November 3, 2010

Leadership Versus Management

Leadership and management. Should a good leader be a good manager? Should a good manager be a good leader? Can a good leader be a bad manager? Can a good manager be a bad leader? All these questions are touched on in Leadership 101.

In my experience, I have had good leaders who were not good managers. I've also had good managers who were not good leaders. I've also worked for bad leaders who were good managers. I can say, without a doubt, that the best people I worked for were good at both leading and managing.

A good leader must inspire people; to motivate them. They must have the "big picture" and set the goals of the organization.  The good manager needs to execute the plan to achieve the goals.

A good leader needs to have vision and think outside the box.  A good manager needs to be organized and possess good attention to detail.

I recall reading somewhere that leaders have followers; managers have subordinates. That sums it up pretty well, if the person in those roles is not dual hatted with their abilities.

Since most of my experience in leadership and management are from the Navy, the examples I refer to are Navy related.  To have a successful command, the commanding officer, or CO, should be a good leader.  The CO sets the tone for the ship by establishing the mission and priorities.  The good CO should inspire his or her crew to do their very best to accomplish the mission.

The executive officer, or XO, runs the ship.  The XO ensures the missions are met, by establishing and enforcing the daily routine and overseeing the administrative actions.  A good XO should be a good manager.

Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, whom I had the pleasure of meeting when I was a midshipman at the Naval Academy, summed it up, "You cannot manage men into battle. You manage things; you lead people."

If you are lucky, you will be able to work for both a good leader and a good manager. There are a few out there. Is it necessary to be both? No, but the person with both skills has a far greater chance of success.

Fear and Intimidation

Fear and Intimidation. Not two words a normal person would consider when thinking about leadership. Can fear and intimidation be used to describe a leader? In my opinion, if a person has to use fear and intimidation to lead, they are not a leader.

If you follow military news, there are recent stories regarding a Naval officer who left command early (not by choice) due to cruelty and maltreatment of the crew, and conduct unbecoming an officer.

This Naval officer led by fear and intimidation. I've included several links below that describe the incidents and stories. If you read some of the comments on a popular military blog, I Like the Cut Of His Jib, you may be surprised and wonder how these stories could even possibly be true.

Even if half the stories are true, how can a Naval officer stay in the U.S. Navy for over 25 years with this type of personality? It sounds like several people complained about the wrath this Naval officer spread, but it fell on deaf ears.It is my opinion that the U.S. Navy failed here. They should not have allowed this person to promote or take command of two ships.

Working for a person in authority who rules by fear and intimidation is cruelty. Officers and sailors can be motivated by this, but it is negative motivation whose results are mediocrity. Who would want to do their best work when no recognition is afforded them. Who wants to go the extra mile if they will be ridiculed or embarrassed in front of their peers and subordinates?

This type of perceived leadership is ineffective. It is not conducive to good order and discipline and the results could be costly and deadly. This Naval officer should have been sent "home" long ago.

Regarding the Navy's stand, what type of leadership did this Naval officer's superiors exhibit when complaints were received. Why did the complaints fall on deaf ears? Was it because this Naval officer was a woman, a woman on the "fast track" destined to become an admiral?

I don't believe her misconduct was gender related, but her being put into positions of increasing responsibility was. Navy leadership failed!

Having served under this Naval officer for 18 months, I know first hand that every story reported and written is very plausible.  I lived through many of them.

There is one good thing from all this; I learned a lot about leadership from this Naval officer; I learned what is not effective when leading officers and sailors.


05 Dec 10: Update from Navy Times (see bottom link below):


"By a vote of 2-1, the board found CAPT Graf had committed misconduct; by unanimous vote, it found she had committed conduct unbecoming of an officer for the maltreatment and cruelty toward her crew as commanding officer of the Yokosuka, Japan-based cruiser Cowpens.  The panel unanimously voted to recommend she be separated from the Navy with a general discharge and be allowed to retire as a captain."

This recommendation will now go to the Secretary of the Navy for approval.


http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1971246,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1969602,00.html
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/03/nt_graf_to_dahlgren_030810w/
http://www.stripes.com/news/admiral-relieves-cowpens-captain-1.98063
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/11/navy-graf-board-convenes-112910w/
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/11/navy-graf-board-of-inquiry-cruelty-113010w/ 
http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/12/01/reckoning-for-a-female-captain-bligh/#comment-220130
http://www.militarycorruption.com/hollygraf5.htm
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/12/navy-officers-in-graf-inquiry-say-they-feared-skipper-120110/
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/12/navy-panel-general-discharge-for-captain-holly-graf-120310w/

Are Leaders Born or Made?

Someone suggested this topic. Thanks Miss T.!!!!! This is a very good question and I'm sure many people have many different opinions about this.

I haven't done any research on this topic, but I believe it is probably a little of both. However, I would suspect that the environment the person is exposed to has a lot to do with it.

I do consider myself a leader. As a Naval officer, I held many positions of responsibility, including a very successful tour as a commanding officer. In my case, I don't believe I was born a leader. I was raised predominantly by my mother and two older sisters, and no, I really was not old enough to be considered the "man of the house." It wasn't until I got into high school where I became involved with clubs and sports, where I was exposed to my first instances of leading people and projects. I personally believe I learned the most about leadership while at the Naval Academy and as an officer in the Navy. My leadership learning curve never leveled; I was always learning something new about leadership. I still do today.

I suspect there are exceptions to every rule. I'm sure some men and women showed leadership traits as a toddler. I do know for a fact that I attended the Naval Academy with some people who were not leaders at all; at least early on.

You have probably heard the phrase that before you can lead, you have to follow. I believe this is true. It was for me.

What do you think? Do you know anyone who is a natural born leader? Can someone learn to be a leader?

"Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile." - Vince Lombardi

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other." John F. Kennedy

This quote, by JFK, is very profound. In my experience, a good leader must constantly be in the learning mode. Though it is not expected that a leader of any organization should know the specific details of a subordinates job, they should have a very good understanding of what their people are doing.

I've worked for people who had a very solid understanding of what was going on below them. I've also worked for people who had no clue and did not bother to try. I can say, the former was a much better person to work for. I believe you can figure out who I respected more.

I strongly believe in the saying, you are never too old to learn something new. I think a person should attempt to learn at least one thing new everyday.

Leadership

The basic definition of leadership from Webster (see link). 

1. : the office or position of a leader

     2. : capacity to lead

  

     3. : the act or an instance of leading

     4. 

: leaders <the party leadership>

As a retired Naval officer, I've had the opportunity to study leadership, both as a follower and a leader. Leadership fascinates me; both good and bad. I've read quite a few books about leadership, but not as many as some. I am no expert on leadership by any means, but I do believe I have enough experience in the subject to talk about it. That is what this blog is all about; leadership.