All Engines Ahead Full!
It was the Independence Day holiday weekend and all of my buddies were going out to paint the town. It had been a long 10 weeks of training during Officer…
How To Speak Your Team’s Language!
It was January, 2009, and (of course) I had come down with my usual Winter sinus infection. And this one was not your “run of the mill” infection. It was…
Build Communities
Standing there (in nothing but a large pair of boxer shorts) during my first 2 days of Navy Boot Camp, I stenciled my clothes as quickly as my chubby hands…
Take No Prisoners!
The organization I inherited was a mess! I should have remembered that NAVY stood for Never Again Volunteer Yourself when I raised my hand for the job to be the…
Make It Through The Trials
I was two months into my first Command tour when the call came in. It was the call I hoped would never happen but, in the back of my head,…
IMPROV TO IMPROVE!
“FREEZE!” I yelled as I clapped and turned around to take the place of one of my improv troupe members who were already on stage. The premise of “blind freeze…
What’s Luck Got To Do With It!?
As I crossed the bridge on my way from the train station to the college, the comedic irony of the situation made me burst into laughter. At the end of…
Light a Fire of Motivation!
When I first joined the Navy I, like every young Sailor, went through the required training to learn how to fight and prevent fires. Twenty years later, I still remember…
YOU Are the Guide Ship!
As we pulled alongside the guide ship in our small frigate to transfer fuel and supplies, I worked and watched (in amazement) at a symphony of coordinated efforts that ensured…
Deckplate Leadership
My first two years in the Navy were less than productive. As a young 18 year old, I was loud, obnoxious, and thought many things were funny that my supervisors…