This is a summary of my 360 degree feedback to a former commanding officer. Skipper, there's no doubt you're going to be the leader of this community; these things may help you. You are a great speaker. Be careful not to lose the feeling behind the words. Words have meaning; actions have con­sequences.  Ensure your actions match your words.  Some Sailors actually listen to every word. They can sense any hint of insincerity. Your command philosophy should be written down and distributed widely in the command. This is a huge reason for the CNO's success in the Navy. We all know whe ..read more

If you were to assess your command in these six categories, how would you score?  The foundation for success in any command can, in part, be attributed to these six areas that form the enduring foundation upon which a successful career can belaunched:    1. Sponsorship/first 72 hours: Proactive interaction by a sponsor and ombudsman can solve many issues before the Sailor and family arrives aboard. Paving the way for a smooth transition and making each Navy family feel like a genuine part of their new command can ensure a family commitment of suppor ..read more

 I did a random survey of 100 people on my Socials about who the number 1 handwritten letter influencer in the United Kingdom was. The results are not surprising to me. Dinah Johnson, founder of The Handwritten Letter Appreciation Society in Swanage, Dorset, United Kingdom was easily #1. You can find her here https://thehandwrittenletterappreciationsociety.org/ I was member #0005 and she now has over 1100 members. Her manifesto is simple: MANIFESTO: We believe that a handwritten letter is one of the loveliest, most personal things, anyone can receive. We feel people may be missin ..read more

  I was inordinately fortunate during my early professional career.  I worked for some truly awful leaders. Thus, during the subsequent free time that life sometimes provides, I always had a full wagonload of professional grist waiting to grind.  The important questions were always the same.  Why had my bosses acted without apparent thought?  Why didn't my supervisors understand the effects their actions had on people? Why had our team always done everything the hard way? I had spent hours on these questions. For the answers to these and other penetrating le ..read more

  Planning to write is not writing.  Outlining a book is not writing.  Researching is not writing.  Talking to people about what you are doing, none of that is writing.  Writing is writing. E. L. Doctorow Today, I received letters from two NIOC COs, a NIOC XO, a NIOD OIC, a retired Navy Captain colleague, my sister, a priest and a NWC graduate attending the Warfighting school.  As you can imagine, it was a very good day for me. These men and my sister understand what it means to write.   As per H.L. Mencken's example, I will send out my respon ..read more

In no particular order. 1.  It allowed me to engage with a wonderful author and to write the Chapter 1 opening vignette for a Wall Street Journal/Amazon best-selling business book.  Dr. Stephen Covey and Bono 'open' for me. 2.  It gave me the opportunity to help a Pulitzer prize winning author with research for his story on The SeaWitch in TIME magazine. 3.  It has allowed me to remain connected to the Navy's cryptologic community, which I love. 4.  It earned me an invite to speak at a Women In Defense forum and to contribute ideas to numerous professional publicat ..read more

 Seth Godin - Delivering on never I will never miss a deadline I will never leave a typo I will never fail to warn you about a possible pitfall I will never charge you more than the competition I will never violate a confidence I will never let you down I will never be late for a meeting There are lots of sorts of never you can deliver to a customer. You can't deliver all of them, of course. Picking your never and sticking with it is a fabulous way to position yourself. Mike Lambert - Delivering on always I will always answer the mail. I will always give my best advice. I will always del ..read more

First, let me tell you that it is a true honor and privilege to be a part of this ceremony today.  I love the United States Marine Corps.  I love the Marines.  In fact, I am a proud member of the Marine Corps family.  For you to fully understand how I feel about TOP ROGERS, I have to tell you about another Marine.  50 years ago this month, my wife's Uncle Richard Roznowski shipped out from San Diego to Korea.  He was a private fresh from Recruit Training at Parris Island in South Carolina.  He was trained as a machine gunner.  In high school, he was a ..read more

 I served on the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) staff as the Branch Chief for Information Assurance (J6K) and on the Secretary of Defense's staff as Staff Director for the Detainee Task Force from 2003 to 2006.  I am fairly certain I am the least decorated O6 during that time but I am proud to have this letter instead ..read more

    I think this can be applied equally to leadership. Becoming truly great at anything -- (leadership included) -- requires ten years of experience and 1,000 hours of practice per year.  "Ten thousand hours is the magic number of greatness," he argues. Becoming a leader requires "deliberate practice."  What are the elements of 'deliberate practice'?  It's designed explicitly to improve performance -- the little adjustments that make a big difference.  It's repetitive, which means that when it's time to perform for real, you don't feel the pressure.  I ..read more