Category Archives: Military

Posts that have a military origin or implication.

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The Bowe Bergdahl Thing

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Bergdahl - 1 This morning I am a little angry.  I apologize up front if any of our readers are upset about what I am going to say here, but I participate in this forum and I am going to use it. I have to admit I am a little torn over what has transpired in regard to Bowe Bergdahl.  I am torn because I am former military, I am a patriot, and I am a father.  Additionally, I feel like we have not heard all of this story.

This is not about me, so I really don’t want to address my role in the Navy.  But let me be clear, I would not have expected this to happen to me.  If I had been captured, I would have followed military protocol, and the rules of the Geneva Convention, and would have dealt with being a POW.  So having said that, it would never have happened because I would not have wandered away from my base.  A FORWARD OPERATING Base, without my body armor or weapon.  I feel like the vast majority, I would guess 95% or better, of currently deployed or enlisted military men and women would say, “You would have found me dead of multiple gunshot wounds, laying in a pile of my spent brass”.

I cannot and will not speculate on why Bowe Bergdahl would leave his base, or why he would leave his base without his weapon or body armor, but IF that is what he did, then he is not a hero or a POW, he is a deserter.  And if he is a deserter, the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Punitive Article 86 states the following:

“Any member of the armed forces who, without authority, fails to go to his appointed place of duty at the time prescribed, goes from that place; or absents himself or remain absent from his unit, organization or place of duty, at which he is required to be at the time prescribed; shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.”

So it seems to me,

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Sacrificial Leadership

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Sacrificial Leadership - 1Real leadership often involves sacrifice. And it is the sacrifices of those that have lead the way and who have forged a path to freedom and liberty that we remember today. Now is also a time to remember those who today stand a watch that allows me to grill hamburgers in my back yard today and then lay my head on my pillow tonight in safety and security.

One of the fallacies that exist today is that the higher one goes in leadership within an organization the more freedom they will have to do what they want. Nothing can be farther from the truth. In fact it is quite the opposite. The higher one rises the less personal freedoms you have and the greater your responsibility is to those who you lead and serve.

Sacrificial Leadership - 2Rodney Mills captured the essence of sacrificial leadership when he wrote on the subject of Being a Servant Leader – A Theme last September. Out of the 8 points he made, the very first one on the list was that being a servant leader requires sacrifice. That is counter culture for many of us. It is counter to human nature that you would run into a burning building while others are running from it. Nevertheless there are brave men and women who do that every day. So, developing a spirit of self-sacrifice is possible. It just isn’t intuitive.

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Leadership in Chaos

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Leadership in Chaos - 1I had the privilege of escorting my wife on a trip over the last few days to New York City.  Now those of you that know me, I am sure cannot imagine why I would want to go to New York City.  Well I’ll tell you, because my wife has always wanted to go there.  So I return to work today to relax a little bit and think about the pure and utter chaos that is NYC.  It caused me to remember a “Leadership In Chaos” workshop I attended while I was in the military.  The man that spoke during the workshop was a Colonel and an Airborne Ranger, and today as I write this, he is a leadership consultant at the Military Academy at West Point.

Last Thursday morning at 0530AM I found myself in Times Square standing outside of the Good Morning America studio preparing to be part of the audience that you see outside their window if you have ever watched the morning show.  As the majority of this was pretty slow, I found myself wandering and looking around in Times Square at 6-ish AM.  What did I see? That’s right you guessed it – chaos.

So I got to thinking how a leader would be able to maintain discipline and focus with surroundings like this? Leadership in Chaos - 2I thought our military leaders could offer some ideas.  If there is anything that today’s military leaders are comfortable with it is in being…uncomfortable.  In places like Afghanistan (and Iraq before it), spans of control are so broad, geographic distances are so immense, and challenges so diverse that leaders cannot possibly be everywhere or know everything that is happening.  The fog of war is an almost constant companion to our military heroes.  “VUCA – Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity – is the new normal.”

Much of what we thought about organizational management is grounded in the “Command & Control” world, a paradigm that just doesn’t fit in today’s VUCA scenario.  Places like Afghanistan are causing us to think differently about some aspects of leadership.  “Decision cycles are too compressed to fit within the top-down Military Decision Making Process (MDMP).”  Things that were accepted norms like, “No more than 5-7 direct reports” are not necessarily true, and can’t be any longer.  Even leadership teachings about things like planning, risk, or scope of responsibility are being re-thought in light of what we are learning downrange.

So, with leadership as we thought we knew it in evolution, how do leaders provide clarity of purpose and thought and drive appropriate actions? 

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Leadership and Fear

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imageIt seems that no matter what we do there is an element of fear involved. I guess first we need to define fear, fear as I know it is not being scared. I believe being scared is the emotion that causes people to freeze up or panic, and fear is something that can be overcome by courage and preparation. I am sure there will be several different definitions, but this is my post so you have to deal with my interpretations of the definitions. This is going to be a discussion about fear, the kind of fear that should push us, the fear of failure, the fear of disappointment, the fear of underachieving.

image“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

Franklin D. Roosevelt cautioned Americans with these words during the 1932 presidential election because he knew the power of fear to bring down an economy, to cripple a nation and to stifle the ingenuity needed to create better solutions in turbulent times.

The words leadership and fear seem to be in direct contradiction with one another, yet if we are honest and authentic, I believe most leaders would admit there is something that they fear. As a leader, it can be alluring to let fear dictate your decisions. NO RISK=NO FAILURE, and in the short term, that type of thinking might seem easier. However the nature of fear can be debilitating and often times can leave you stuck in the same place.

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Manday: Lone Survivor

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I experienced Lone Survivor on this weekend.  Simply put.  Go see it.

During the film, two Operators were seated in front of my spouse and me.  They were sobbing through the entire film.  Several times, they were calling out the names of actual SEALs who were making cameos in the film.  To say the film was powerful would be an understatement.

Veteran Chris Marvin wrote in Parade–

In my opinion, seeing Lone Survivor should be a civic obligation.

As citizens, we don’t owe much to our country from a legal perspective. Paying taxes, obeying laws, and serving on juries are mandatory. Voting is optional. Yet our democracy depends on citizens exercising more than the bare minimum of civic responsibility.

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I do not have much to add to the many comments about the film.  Just go see it.

 

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Manday: A Husband and Father’s Take on the Ranger Creed.

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I was never a Ranger but many of my friends are.  I have always admired their Creed and see it as one of the most motivational things I’ve ever read.

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Recognizing that I volunteered as a Ranger, fully knowing the hazards of my chosen profession, I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor, and high esprit de corps of my Ranger Regiment

Recognizing that I volunteered as a Husband and Father, fully knowing the difficulties of staying happily married and raising good children in the modern world, I will always endeavor to uphold the Honor, Happiness, Faithfulness and Fidelity of my family unit.

Acknowledging the fact that a Ranger is a more elite soldier who arrives at the cutting edge of battle by land, sea, or air, I accept the fact that as a Ranger my country expects me to move further, faster and fight harder than any other soldier.

Acknowledging the fact that a Husband and Father is an all encompassing and life changing job, I accept and relish the fact that my family expects me to work harder and be better that other Husbands and Fathers around me.

Never shall I fail my comrades. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong and morally straight and I will shoulder more than my share of the task whatever it may be, one-hundred-percent and then some.

Never shall I fail my wife or children. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong and morally straight and I will shoulder more than my share of the task whatever it may be, one-hundred percent and then some.

Gallantly will I show the world that I am a specially selected and well-trained soldier. My courtesy to superior officers, neatness of dress and care of equipment shall set the example for others to follow.

Gallantly will I show the world that I am a special kind of Husband and Father. My love and faithfulness to my wife and my love and caring for my growing children shall set the example for others to follow.

Energetically will I meet the enemies of my country. I shall defeat them on the field of battle for I am better trained and will fight with all my might. Surrender is not a Ranger word. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy and under no circumstances will I ever embarrass my country.

Energetically will I meet the challenges and pitfalls of being a Husband and Father. I will overcome any challenge for I am a better and more motivated Husband and Father and will try with all my might. Breaking my sacred Oath is not an option. I will never leave my Wife or Children behind and will in no circumstances will I ever embarrass my Wife or my Family.

Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission though I be the lone survivor.

Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to continue on according to God’s plan and complete my mission of taking care of my wife and raising good capable children no matter the circumstances placed upon me.

Rangers Lead The Way!!!

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Memorial Day Heroes

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Memorial Day - 2013Not all of our heroes have died in battle.

Please don’t take that the wrong way.  I truly mean no disrespect.  But a thought came to me as we stopped by Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery late yesterday afternoon.  The thought was that heroes come in many forms.  Consider if you would, the man that came home from the war and made a life for himself.  He married his sweetheart.  He got a job.  He went to work every day.  He helped his wife raise some children.  He served on the church board.  And he lived a full life.  That man may not be a military hero.  But he was a hero nonetheless.

Such can be said for both my father and my father-in-law.  Both of these men served in the military.  Both served in times of war.  My father served during the Korean War.  It was a somewhat forgotten war.  Dad dodged a few bullets while in Korea and he served with honor.  My father -in-law served during the Vietnam War.  And if Korea was a forgotten war, then Vietnam was certainly a forgettable war to many Americans.

Dad - USAFHowever, neither of these men are my hero because of what they did in the service of their Country.  Both of these men are my heroes because of what they did in the service of their family.  The late 1950s saw them leave the military and rejoined civilian life.  And the 1960s and 1970s were times of great social upheaval in our Country’s history.  It was almost social warfare.  So many of their contemporaries and colleagues may have been military heroes, but they were wounded by that social warfare and went AWOL as husbands and fathers.

So, on Memorial Day and on Manday, I encourage those of us who are fathers to be a hero.  Do not be AWOL.  I encourage you to show up for duty every day.  Be a “Hero of the Home“.

And to those of you who have lost loved ones in the service of our Country and for the sake of freedom, we at LeadershipVoices say, “Thank You” for paying the ultimate sacrifice that we can lift our voice in freedom.

Have a great Memorial Day

 

 Photo credit: davidyuweb / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

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As a soldier sees it

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As a soldier sees itI came across another great quote the other day. But, as I am getting old and didn’t write it down, I have to try to recall it from memory. The gist of it was the way that a soldier sees leadership. Leadership as a soldier sees it went something like this:

I do not follow orders, I obey them. Instead I follow a leader.

Let that sink in for a few minutes.

Now what does that mean?

Try as I might, I just cannot get some of the courtroom scenes from “A Few Good Men” out of my head. If you take some of the military bashing out of the film you are left with some riveting dialog. At some point along the way the characters Dawson and Downey lost sight of the impact of following an order from a leader who is not worthy. They followed an order and things went terribly wrong.

The premise of the movie is not a perfect analogy for me. But it does point out to me that we need to be clear regarding those that we chose to follow. And further, we need to be aware of the impact that we have on those who follow us.

And consider this as well.  We don’t always get to choose our leaders.

Are you following, obeying or leading?

 

Photo credit: Atfyfe / Foter.com / Public Domain Mark 1.0

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Leadership Ethos

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ethosEthos is a Greek word meaning “character” that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology.  Ethos forms the root of ethikos, meaning “moral, showing moral character”. Late Latin borrowed it as ethicus, the feminine of which is the origin of the modern English word ethics. Strong morals however, without a strong “Ethos”, will only create a pseudo leader in the eyes of subordinates, due to one’s inability to turn a decision into action, especially during a crisis situation, when there is no play book to follow, and the ability to seize the moment is a must. It is my belief that leadership strategists, to a degree, have ignored the cultivation of a leadership ethos, and have instead created moral compartmentalization, behaviors that focus on self preservation and careerism, which inevitably erodes the important foundation of trust between would-be leaders and their rank and file. In my opinion, this does nothing to encourage the “follow me” leadership attitude needed to move ahead in today’s challenging times.

Aristotle described “ethos” as a type of leadership in which a leader influences others to change their values, and thus their performance. A leadership ethos is not about what a person says or promises. It is about one’s presence, behavior, beliefs, and core leadership principles that affect how others will follow. A leadership ethos creates a personal “aura” that is attractive and one that others will turn to in time of need.

So what is a leadership ethos?

A leadership ethos is based upon principles rather than values. Principles are foundational and timeless, whereas values are usually derived from accepted norms whose underlying bases rely on contemporary wisdom of ideas of the day. Values tend to fluctuate with trends and conventional wisdom. Principles however, transcend time, feelings, and individual desires, and involve fundamental truths as the basis for reasoning or action.

In his book, “Leadership Secrets of the Rogue Warrior”, Richard Marcinko (founder of SEAL Team Six) created his own leadership ethos which contained seven basic principles that include: 

  1. I will test my theories on myself first. I will be my own guinea pig
  2. I will be totally committed to what I believe, and I will risk all that I have for these beliefs
  3. I will back my subordinates all the way when they take reasonable risks to help me achieve my goals
  4. I will not punish my people for making mistakes. I will only punish them for not learning from their mistakes.
  5. I will not be afraid to take action, because I know that almost any action is better than inaction. And I know that sometimes not acting is the boldest action of all
  6. I will always make it crystal clear where I stand and what I believe
  7. I will always be easy to find: I will be at the center of the battle

 

I leave you with one final thought on character. I once heard it defined as this:  Your character is defined as how you act, and what you do, when nobody is watching, or how you treat people when you have no reason to treat them well. 

I think to be a good leader, you have to be willing to be a good follower.  One of the men I am following is Richard Marcinko.  And that is a bit of my leadership ethos.

 

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A Leader and His Sword – Part 1

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In reading some of these articles there are a few Bible verses and stories that come to my mind that I would like to share with you.

The first story is found in Nehemiah 4:18 and surrounding verses.  Here the Jews are rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem.  First I will point out that all the men were armed with swords (duh).  But swords at this time were the most powerful hand held weapons that existed.  It would be like carrying a tricked out assault rifle today.  The workers went about their daily routines, but they were ready for war at a moment’s notice.

Does this mean we should all keep an AR-15 nearby?  I leave that decision for you to make.

The second part of this story is the building of the wall itself.  Walls serve to protect us from the outside.  What is “outside”?  It’s anything that would harm or threaten us.  This could include storms or enemies or floods or anything we have never even thought of.  Do we need to build cinder block walls 10 feet thick around our homes?  Maybe.  Maybe a good first step would be to fix that loose back door or that one window that never shuts all the way.

Now that that’s out of the way, the second part of scripture that I wanted to mention is one that almost everyone is familiar with.  It is found in both Matthew 26:52 and also in John 18:11.  Here, Peter is standing ready to defend himself and those he cares about.  In the preceding verses we read that it was the priests that came with swords and clubs.  Peter’s life was put in danger and I believe he acted in self-defense.  Jesus told Peter to “put away” his sword.  Jesus did not say “throw away”, nor did He say “get rid of it”.

 

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