There is an urban legend circulating on the Internet about a rather tense conversation between a U.S. Navy captain and a civilian. The conversation goes something like this (note that the name of the ship often varies, but here I use the USS Abraham Lincoln, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier):
Navy Captain: Unidentified vessel, please divert your course 0.5 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.
Civilian: Recommend YOU divert YOUR course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.
Navy Captain: This is the Captain of a United States Navy ship. I repeat, divert your course 0.5 degrees to the South. NOW.
Civilian: No. I say again. YOU divert your course 15 degrees to the South.
Navy Captain: This is the USS Abraham Lincoln. I am the Commanding Officer of a fighting warship of the U.S. Navy. Divert your course now or I will be forced to take active countermeasures to protect my ship.
Civilian: Okay, Captain. I am a lighthouse keeper. This is a lighthouse. Your call.
While humorous, the story is not true. In fact, the story has been around since the 1930's. Regardless, the story is a great example of something called "Situation Awareness." Situation awareness is essentially "knowing what is going around you." There are three levels of Situation awareness:
1. Perception
2. Comprehension
3. Projection or Prediction
Being aware of what is going on around you is the first step (Perception), but you also have to be able to comprehend the meaning and importance of the information being presented to you in real time (Comprehension). Based on your understanding of the information, you then use that information to project into the future and predict what will happen. Using the example above, the Navy captain may have had sufficient Level 1 Situation awareness (the captain correctly perceived that there was something standing in the direct path of the aircraft carrier); however, the captain was clearly lacking Level 2 Situation awareness, as the "something" was actually a stationary object.
Situation awareness may be more clearly defined by examples of its absence. There is a well-known Far Side cartoon of two commercial airline pilots asking, "Gee, what is a mountain goat doing way up in this cloud bank?" If you search using the key words, "Situation awareness" and "shark", you will also find a number of photographs of various swimmers, boaters, or scuba divers doing something stupid in front of the camera while a Great White shark slowly swims up behind them. These are clear examples of the lack of situation awareness.
Situation awareness is absolutely essential for leaders in all disciplines. Moreover, each and every member of the team should share the same level of situation awareness with the leader. Here are a few techniques to improve team Situation awareness:
1. Use a daily brief or huddle to update all members of the team on what is likely to occur on that particular day, how the events will be handled (and by whom), and what is the expected outcome.
2. Leaders should develop a shared mental model with the other members of the team by actually talking out loud what he or she is thinking about a particular issue.
3. Use time-outs before starting on an important task (similar to the daily brief above). Make sure all members of the team are on the same page.
4. Use technology to help gather and quickly process information. However, beware of data overload - too much data, especially irrelevant data, will actually worsen situation awareness.
Any of these four simple techniques would have helped our Navy captain in the story above. Well, that and maybe less arrogance! The best news is that we can improve our situation awareness skills through practice. The important point is to develop and practice your situation awareness skills with the rest of your team.
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
"And the times, they are a changing..."
I recently read somewhere (perhaps on the Internet - everything on the Internet is true, right?) that a group of scientists proved that the universe has been expanding since the moment when the "Big Bang" occurred. Perhaps of even greater interest, the rate at which the universe is expanding has continued to increase as well. In other words, as every second, minute, hour, and day passes, our universe has changed. No second is like any other. We, as it turns out, are undergoing constant, perpetual change!
Change seems to be a four-letter word these days. Why? No one really enjoys change. As one blogger recently put it, "Everyone loves progress - but nobody likes change." We get comfortable with "the way we do things around here." Change elicits feelings of anxiety, discomfort, fear, and maybe even longing for the so-called "good old days." Moreover, I have come across more than a few studies that suggest that change initiatives, especially when "forced" upon an organization (using a "top-down" approach rather than a "bottom-up" approach) lead to perceptions of a loss of autonomy or control and so-called "learned helplessness". But make no mistake about it, change is a fact of life. One of the most important skills that a leader can have is to be an effective manager or facilitator of change.
Daniel Markovitz wrote on the Harvard Business Review blog that one of the ways that leaders can successfully manage change is to pose the problem to the members of the organization and have them design the change. I completely agree! In my experience, some of the most successful and transformational change initiatives that I have been involved with were led from the "bottom-up" (or at least were perceived in that manner). How do you do that? I think John Kotter's 8-step change model is a great place to start:
1. Create a sense of urgency
2. Build a guiding coalition
3. Form a strategic vision and initiatives
4. Enlist a volunteer army
5. Enable action by removing barriers
6. Generate short-term wins
7. Sustain acceleration
8. Institute change
There are a number of other change management models - in many ways, they are all very similar and have been successfully applied in a variety of settings. My two cents - first, any change initiative should be tied back to the organization's mission, vision, and core values. If it's not a priority for the leadership in the organization, it certainly won't be a priority for the rest of the organization (and will undoubtedly fail). Second, change initiatives, whenever possible, should be led in a "bottom-up" as opposed to a "top-down" fashion. Changes that are "forced" by leadership are less likely to be successful, and even when they do succeed, no one feels good about it. Third, don't ever underestimate the power of what Kotter calls "short-term wins." Even small successes can lead to big successes. Celebrate the "small wins", learn from them, and turn them into even bigger ones. Fourth, if leaders want a change initiative to be successful, they have to invest the time, energy, and resources so that it will be successful. Again, if leaders don't think the change initiative is important enough to warrant their time or resources, the rest of the organization will see right through that. Finally, make the changes stick. There is probably a time at which point the team can step away and the change has become part of the culture of an organization. However, until that time is reached (and it is difficult to say when that occurs, unfortunately), individuals will be likely to revert back to the "old way" of doing things. Stay vigilant!
Change seems to be a four-letter word these days. Why? No one really enjoys change. As one blogger recently put it, "Everyone loves progress - but nobody likes change." We get comfortable with "the way we do things around here." Change elicits feelings of anxiety, discomfort, fear, and maybe even longing for the so-called "good old days." Moreover, I have come across more than a few studies that suggest that change initiatives, especially when "forced" upon an organization (using a "top-down" approach rather than a "bottom-up" approach) lead to perceptions of a loss of autonomy or control and so-called "learned helplessness". But make no mistake about it, change is a fact of life. One of the most important skills that a leader can have is to be an effective manager or facilitator of change.
Daniel Markovitz wrote on the Harvard Business Review blog that one of the ways that leaders can successfully manage change is to pose the problem to the members of the organization and have them design the change. I completely agree! In my experience, some of the most successful and transformational change initiatives that I have been involved with were led from the "bottom-up" (or at least were perceived in that manner). How do you do that? I think John Kotter's 8-step change model is a great place to start:
1. Create a sense of urgency
2. Build a guiding coalition
3. Form a strategic vision and initiatives
4. Enlist a volunteer army
5. Enable action by removing barriers
6. Generate short-term wins
7. Sustain acceleration
8. Institute change
There are a number of other change management models - in many ways, they are all very similar and have been successfully applied in a variety of settings. My two cents - first, any change initiative should be tied back to the organization's mission, vision, and core values. If it's not a priority for the leadership in the organization, it certainly won't be a priority for the rest of the organization (and will undoubtedly fail). Second, change initiatives, whenever possible, should be led in a "bottom-up" as opposed to a "top-down" fashion. Changes that are "forced" by leadership are less likely to be successful, and even when they do succeed, no one feels good about it. Third, don't ever underestimate the power of what Kotter calls "short-term wins." Even small successes can lead to big successes. Celebrate the "small wins", learn from them, and turn them into even bigger ones. Fourth, if leaders want a change initiative to be successful, they have to invest the time, energy, and resources so that it will be successful. Again, if leaders don't think the change initiative is important enough to warrant their time or resources, the rest of the organization will see right through that. Finally, make the changes stick. There is probably a time at which point the team can step away and the change has become part of the culture of an organization. However, until that time is reached (and it is difficult to say when that occurs, unfortunately), individuals will be likely to revert back to the "old way" of doing things. Stay vigilant!
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Leadership essentials from A to Z
I came across a great article by Lolly Daskal in Inc. magazine the other day, entitled "26 Qualities That Will Lead You to Greatness". See if you agree:
A = Authentic
B = Brave
C = Character-Driven
D = Decisive
E = Engaging
F = Fearless
G = Goal-oriented
H = Humble
I = Inspiring
J = Just
K = Knowledgeable
L = Listener
M = Motivating
N = Noble
O = Optimistic
P = Progressive
Q = Qualitative
R = Reliable
S = Supportive
T = Trustworthy
U = Unbiased
V = Visionary
W = Wise
X = Xcellent (she apologized for taking "liberties in spelling" here)
Y = Yearning
Z = Zealous
All things considered, not a bad list. There are certainly others that I could add to or substitute on the list. For example, rather than "Xcellent", I would have picked "Xecution" (having a vision, i.e. V = Visionary, is not enough; a leader needs to be able to execute on that vision) instead. While I certainly appreciate it when a leader has an "Engaging" personality, I think that being "Enthusiastic" is just as important. Finally, I think "Progressive" as used here is another word for "Innovative" (though I do like "Inspiring" better here) or "Leading-Edge" (may fit better than the noun, "Listener" in this list of adverbs); "Punctual" is something I admire in leaders - never keep your team waiting!
A = Authentic
B = Brave
C = Character-Driven
D = Decisive
E = Engaging
F = Fearless
G = Goal-oriented
H = Humble
I = Inspiring
J = Just
K = Knowledgeable
L = Listener
M = Motivating
N = Noble
O = Optimistic
P = Progressive
Q = Qualitative
R = Reliable
S = Supportive
T = Trustworthy
U = Unbiased
V = Visionary
W = Wise
X = Xcellent (she apologized for taking "liberties in spelling" here)
Y = Yearning
Z = Zealous
All things considered, not a bad list. There are certainly others that I could add to or substitute on the list. For example, rather than "Xcellent", I would have picked "Xecution" (having a vision, i.e. V = Visionary, is not enough; a leader needs to be able to execute on that vision) instead. While I certainly appreciate it when a leader has an "Engaging" personality, I think that being "Enthusiastic" is just as important. Finally, I think "Progressive" as used here is another word for "Innovative" (though I do like "Inspiring" better here) or "Leading-Edge" (may fit better than the noun, "Listener" in this list of adverbs); "Punctual" is something I admire in leaders - never keep your team waiting!
Thursday, April 20, 2017
Lighthouse Leadership
A funny thing happened to me the other night. I left for my one-week vacation at the beach, and my cell phone just happened to die. I mean really dead - blank screen. Nothing. No more checking the e-mails while away. No more texting back and forth to check in on folks. No more checking in on the morning news, how the Cubs are doing, the NBA play-offs, etc, etc. As the saying goes, I was off the grid. I have obviously become addicted to instant access to information that can only be provided with a smart phone. But I have to tell you, the freedom from the cell phone was liberating! My wife kept asking if I wanted to go to the local Verizon store to see about getting the phone fixed - "No, it can wait 'til we get home."
The beach is my sanctuary - it is where I can fully decompress, rest, relax, and re-energize. Minus the temptation to check in at work took things to a whole different level. I highly recommend it (but maybe not by having your cell phone die!). Anyway, I was able to get to a few books that I have been waiting to read. One of the books that I read was the new book by Matthew Dowd called "A New Way: Embracing the Paradox as We Lead and Serve." It was fairly concise and easy to read. Dowd used a lot of analogies and personal stories to describe what he thought was the way that leaders should lead in society today. He used one analogy in particular that I liked a lot. He compared being a leader to a lighthouse.
A lighthouse serves two critical functions (or at least historically they served these functions - the modern age of navigation and GPS has made them more and more obsolete). First, a lighthouse serves as a beacon so that sailors can find their way home. The rotating, powerful light at the top of the lighthouse can be seen from far away, and sailors would navigate towards the light to be able to find their way back to shore. Second, the lighthouse serves as a warning to keep sailors away from dangerous shoals and rocks near shore. The sailors would see the light from far away, but they would also know not to sail too close to the light, as the lighthouse was usually positioned near the shoreline.
Leaders are a lot like lighthouses. As we have discussed a number of times in previous posts, leaders set the vision, the so-called "North Star" for their organization. Just as the lighthouse serves as a beacon, true leaders serve as beacons of hope for their organization. They point the way home, to where the organization will achieve its greatest success. Leaders light the way and show the path forward.
Leaders can also play a cautionary function by making sure that the organization does not stray from its true, intended path. When leaders notice that the organization is moving towards "troubled waters", they pull the organization back on the right path to success.
Maybe it was being at the beach this week. Maybe it was Matthew Dowd's analogy. Maybe it was the freedom and liberation from my work that allowed me to think about things in a different way. Regardless of what it was, I did think a lot about lighthouses this week. Leaders are a lot like lighthouses...
The beach is my sanctuary - it is where I can fully decompress, rest, relax, and re-energize. Minus the temptation to check in at work took things to a whole different level. I highly recommend it (but maybe not by having your cell phone die!). Anyway, I was able to get to a few books that I have been waiting to read. One of the books that I read was the new book by Matthew Dowd called "A New Way: Embracing the Paradox as We Lead and Serve." It was fairly concise and easy to read. Dowd used a lot of analogies and personal stories to describe what he thought was the way that leaders should lead in society today. He used one analogy in particular that I liked a lot. He compared being a leader to a lighthouse.
A lighthouse serves two critical functions (or at least historically they served these functions - the modern age of navigation and GPS has made them more and more obsolete). First, a lighthouse serves as a beacon so that sailors can find their way home. The rotating, powerful light at the top of the lighthouse can be seen from far away, and sailors would navigate towards the light to be able to find their way back to shore. Second, the lighthouse serves as a warning to keep sailors away from dangerous shoals and rocks near shore. The sailors would see the light from far away, but they would also know not to sail too close to the light, as the lighthouse was usually positioned near the shoreline.
Leaders are a lot like lighthouses. As we have discussed a number of times in previous posts, leaders set the vision, the so-called "North Star" for their organization. Just as the lighthouse serves as a beacon, true leaders serve as beacons of hope for their organization. They point the way home, to where the organization will achieve its greatest success. Leaders light the way and show the path forward.
Leaders can also play a cautionary function by making sure that the organization does not stray from its true, intended path. When leaders notice that the organization is moving towards "troubled waters", they pull the organization back on the right path to success.
Maybe it was being at the beach this week. Maybe it was Matthew Dowd's analogy. Maybe it was the freedom and liberation from my work that allowed me to think about things in a different way. Regardless of what it was, I did think a lot about lighthouses this week. Leaders are a lot like lighthouses...
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
"Good luck is the twin of hard work"
I was watching the Masters Golf Tournament on Sunday afternoon - the first faculty position that I accepted out of fellowship was at the Children's Medical Center at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, so the Masters holds special interest for me personally. Sunday turned out to be a great day to watch golf, as the tournament came down to the final pairing of Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia. The fact that Sergio Garcia was even in the running seemed pretty lucky - he had a couple of disastrous holes on the back nine before rallying to tie the tournament up on the last few holes. Both golfers had a chance to win on the 18th and final hole, but both golfers missed their putts. Sergio ended up winning in the subsequent play-off. It was his first major golf championship of his career.
One could certainly argue that luck played a role in Sergio's final round. However, while I certainly believe in "luck", I think that the truly great players, regardless of what sport, make their own luck. I would go even farther to say that no matter what you do for a living, you create your own luck. As a famous American proverb said, "Good luck is the twin of hard work." The individuals that work hard are the same ones that end up lucky!
Thomas Jefferson once said, "I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it." I completely agree! If you work hard and do your best, you will have a greater chance of success in whatever endeavor you choose. Peter Economy wrote an article for "Inc." magazine entitled, "5 powerful ways to make your own luck every day". He lists five ways to "make your own luck", and I think you will agree with him:
1. "Tap into your optimism" - hard work and a great attitude go a long way!
2. "Be open to the possibilities" - take advantage of whatever life throws your way.
3. "Listen to your inner voice" - follow your intuition as much as you can.
4. "Shoot for the moon" - aim high, set your goals in advance and work hard to achieve them.
5. "There is no finish line" - never stop! Be persistent and continue to grow and learn.
Good advice for individuals. Even better advice for leaders.
One could certainly argue that luck played a role in Sergio's final round. However, while I certainly believe in "luck", I think that the truly great players, regardless of what sport, make their own luck. I would go even farther to say that no matter what you do for a living, you create your own luck. As a famous American proverb said, "Good luck is the twin of hard work." The individuals that work hard are the same ones that end up lucky!
Thomas Jefferson once said, "I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it." I completely agree! If you work hard and do your best, you will have a greater chance of success in whatever endeavor you choose. Peter Economy wrote an article for "Inc." magazine entitled, "5 powerful ways to make your own luck every day". He lists five ways to "make your own luck", and I think you will agree with him:
1. "Tap into your optimism" - hard work and a great attitude go a long way!
2. "Be open to the possibilities" - take advantage of whatever life throws your way.
3. "Listen to your inner voice" - follow your intuition as much as you can.
4. "Shoot for the moon" - aim high, set your goals in advance and work hard to achieve them.
5. "There is no finish line" - never stop! Be persistent and continue to grow and learn.
Good advice for individuals. Even better advice for leaders.
Monday, April 10, 2017
"United Breaks Guitars..."
I was going to write about "not making excuses" today - I have been trying to post something new on my blog at least twice a week and usually on Sunday and Wednesday evenings. I had all kinds of excuses for why today I am 24 hours overdue - there was the fact that I am in the middle of training for an upcoming half-marathon and ran 10.5 miles yesterday. Perhaps more worthy of an excuse, my wife and I did our taxes last night, which took longer than I wanted (and by the time we were finished, we were both ready to just go to bed). I was going to throw in some quotes about how great leaders don't make excuses and then discuss how leaders can support their teams in such a way that they don't feel the need to justify their failures by making excuses.
I was all set and ready to write this evening - but then I checked my Twitter feed. Wow! There were several tweets about an incident that occurred today on a United airlines flight from Chicago to Louisville. I don't know the full details (other than what has been reported all over social media and in several national news media outlets), but apparently United overbooked the flight (as many airlines do) and had been offering vouchers for passengers to volunteer to take a later flight instead. None of the passengers volunteered, and they were then told that the airline would be randomly selecting passengers to step off the plane and take a later flight (by some reports, there was another flight crew that needed to get to Louisville to fly another plane). One of the passengers refused to comply, security was called, and several videos (taken by other passengers on their cell phones) showed airport security and one man in plain clothes (reportedly an airport police officer) forcibly removing the man from his seat and dragging him (semi-conscious) off the airplane.
I am confident that more details will emerge - I am less confident that we will hear them, as I suspect that the case will be adjudicated in our legal system. However, the video is clearly damaging to United's reputation. How the leaders at United handle this particular crisis will determine how significant an impact this incident will have on their business (it will have some!). At the very least, United needs to get in front of the story (it is probably too late for that at this point) and get their side of the story out there and control the rumors. As in many cases like this, when the details are not readily available, people tend to "fill in the blanks" with whatever story that they can come up with that seems reasonably logical. It would be appropriate for United to issue an apology, but I suspect that they won't (most lawyers would suggest that an apology is an admission of guilt - we know that this is not necessarily the case in the health care industry, which doesn't necessarily change the advice that many hospital attorneys give).
Regardless of what happens next, United will take a hit - indeed, the airline has already suffered a significant amount of negative press (perhaps deservedly so - time may tell). As anyone who has attended business school knows, this is actually the second time that United has been on the wrong end of a viral video. There is a very famous Harvard Business School case study, called "United Breaks Guitars" (the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto wrote a similar case study). Basically, a guitar player named Dave Carroll was traveling with his band, on a United flight and overheard another passenger on his plane claim that the baggage handlers outside the plane were tossing around a bunch of guitars. Carroll's guitar was damaged, and he later filed a claim against United to pay for the repairs. United refused (several times), so Carroll wrote a song about his experience that went viral on YouTube. Within four weeks of the video going viral, the United stock price dropped over 10% at a loss in shareholder value of nearly $180 million. The whole point of the case study is to address issues such as (1) communication with customers, (2) handling negative complaints and facilitating service recovery, (3) dealing with and minimizing the impact of negative press.
It seems that United has another ""United Breaks Guitars" crisis on their hands - this time, it's much, much worse. While the "United Breaks Guitars" case did not result in legal action, I suspect that the current crisis will involve the courts. There are several lessons in leadership here - mostly what not to do and how not to handle a crisis involving negative press. I will let you, the reader, be the judge of how United deals with the current issue.
I was all set and ready to write this evening - but then I checked my Twitter feed. Wow! There were several tweets about an incident that occurred today on a United airlines flight from Chicago to Louisville. I don't know the full details (other than what has been reported all over social media and in several national news media outlets), but apparently United overbooked the flight (as many airlines do) and had been offering vouchers for passengers to volunteer to take a later flight instead. None of the passengers volunteered, and they were then told that the airline would be randomly selecting passengers to step off the plane and take a later flight (by some reports, there was another flight crew that needed to get to Louisville to fly another plane). One of the passengers refused to comply, security was called, and several videos (taken by other passengers on their cell phones) showed airport security and one man in plain clothes (reportedly an airport police officer) forcibly removing the man from his seat and dragging him (semi-conscious) off the airplane.
I am confident that more details will emerge - I am less confident that we will hear them, as I suspect that the case will be adjudicated in our legal system. However, the video is clearly damaging to United's reputation. How the leaders at United handle this particular crisis will determine how significant an impact this incident will have on their business (it will have some!). At the very least, United needs to get in front of the story (it is probably too late for that at this point) and get their side of the story out there and control the rumors. As in many cases like this, when the details are not readily available, people tend to "fill in the blanks" with whatever story that they can come up with that seems reasonably logical. It would be appropriate for United to issue an apology, but I suspect that they won't (most lawyers would suggest that an apology is an admission of guilt - we know that this is not necessarily the case in the health care industry, which doesn't necessarily change the advice that many hospital attorneys give).
Regardless of what happens next, United will take a hit - indeed, the airline has already suffered a significant amount of negative press (perhaps deservedly so - time may tell). As anyone who has attended business school knows, this is actually the second time that United has been on the wrong end of a viral video. There is a very famous Harvard Business School case study, called "United Breaks Guitars" (the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto wrote a similar case study). Basically, a guitar player named Dave Carroll was traveling with his band, on a United flight and overheard another passenger on his plane claim that the baggage handlers outside the plane were tossing around a bunch of guitars. Carroll's guitar was damaged, and he later filed a claim against United to pay for the repairs. United refused (several times), so Carroll wrote a song about his experience that went viral on YouTube. Within four weeks of the video going viral, the United stock price dropped over 10% at a loss in shareholder value of nearly $180 million. The whole point of the case study is to address issues such as (1) communication with customers, (2) handling negative complaints and facilitating service recovery, (3) dealing with and minimizing the impact of negative press.
It seems that United has another ""United Breaks Guitars" crisis on their hands - this time, it's much, much worse. While the "United Breaks Guitars" case did not result in legal action, I suspect that the current crisis will involve the courts. There are several lessons in leadership here - mostly what not to do and how not to handle a crisis involving negative press. I will let you, the reader, be the judge of how United deals with the current issue.
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Calvinball: "you make up the rules as you go"
Several years ago, I read a book that President John F. Kennedy wrote (and actually won the 1957 Pulitzer Prize) when he was the U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (several sources now question how much of the book that Kennedy actually wrote, but that is a topic for another day!) called Profiles in Courage. The book was actually a series of 8 short essays on U.S. Senators throughout history that demonstrated courage and integrity while serving in the Senate - as an example, one of the stories is about Thomas Hart Benton, a Senator from the state of Missouri whose "act of courage" involved opposing his own party by speaking out against the extension of slavery to newly formed territories. It is actually a pretty good book and short enough that it can be easily read in a single afternoon.
I don't expect that anyone will try to write a sequel to Kennedy's book any time soon. At least in my opinion, there are few "profiles in courage" or examples of leadership (at least the kind that I would like to emulate) in today's Senate. I would point to the current debate on whether to use the "nuclear option" for the appointment of Supreme Court Justices as a good example of poor leadership.
Former Senator Harry Reid, who was the Majority Leader the last time the Democrats held the majority in the Senate, exercised the so-called "nuclear option" in November, 2013. Basically, the "nuclear option" as used in this particular context is a rarely used parliamentary rules change that allows the U.S. Senate to override a rule or (usually) long-standing precedent by a simple majority (51 votes) instead of the required "super majority" (or "filibuster proof") of 60 votes. Essentially, once the "nuclear option" is exercised, the Senate can decide on a particular issue by majority vote. The rules are fairly complex (and not necessarily explicitly prescribed in the U.S. Constitution), but in order to end a debate (i.e. end a filibuster), a motion for cloture must be approved by a three-fifths majority (3/5 * 100 Senators = 60 votes). If the necessary 60 votes are not obtained, theoretically the debate could go on and on forever (Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky once held the Senate floor for more than 13 hours during a filibuster in 2013). A minority group of 40 Senators could therefore prevent passage of a bill or approval of a Presidential appointment.
Of interest, Senator Reid had argued against Senator Bill Frist exercising the "nuclear option" during the Bush Administration in 2005, again related to several judicial nominees opposed by the minority Democrats. Reid argued then, "The filibuster is the last check we have against the abuse of power in Washington...the Republicans are in power today, Democrats tomorrow. A simple majority...should not be able to come here and change willy-nilly a rule of the Senate." Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed this time around when the so-called "Gang of 14" Senators (7 Democrats, 7 Republicans) agreed to oppose the "nuclear option" and the use of the filibuster for judicial nominees, "except in extraordinary circumstances." In other words, a group of Senators from opposing sides of the political aisle forged a consensus and made the right decision (novel concept, I know). Once the Democrats became the majority party, Reid stated when asked if he would ever use the "nuclear option", "As long as I am the leader, the answer's no...I hope we never ever get to that again because I really do believe it will ruin our country."
Times change though. Senator Reid exercised the "nuclear option" in 2013 so that the Senate could approve several federal judicial and Executive Office appointments during President Obama's administration. At the time, Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was vehemently opposed to the "nuclear option" stating, "It's a sad day in the history of the Senate." Today, the roles have flipped - again. The Republicans now hold the power in the Senate, and Mitch McConnell is now the Majority Leader. Ironically, it is now Senator McConnell who is on the brink of exercising the "nuclear option" (most political experts anticipate that the move will occur today, April 6, 2017) in order to move to approve President Trump's nominee (Neil Gorsuch) to the U.S. Supreme Court. Most political pundits are saying that today's decision by McConnell (which stands in stark contrast to his comments in 2013) will effectively end the Senate filibuster.
If all of this back and forth flip-flopping sounds hypocritical, it's because it is! Regardless of which party you support (and both sides are pointing the proverbial finger and blaming each other for getting to this point), it seems wrong that such an important "rule" can be changed so easily and quickly by whoever holds the power. To be fair, the Senate can only change a "rule" with a majority approval. However, one could argue that such an important rules change requires consensus among the different stakeholders (in this case, members of both parties), as supported by the "Gang of 14" in 2005. Regardless, it just doesn't seem right, fair, or even ethical that a major rules change against over 200 years of precedent could be made in this manner, especially when it involves something as important as the appointment of a Supreme Court Justice (which is a lifelong appointment).
Unfortunately, the concept of a leader changing the rules to suit his or her own needs is not new. I believe that ethical leadership requires important decisions regarding rules changes to be made with integrity. Integrity mandates that rules changes need to occur with the utmost transparency. The process by which decisions are made to change a rule, particularly one of such importance, absolutely must be understood and made by consensus. Moreover, consensus can't be just about majority rule. Key stakeholders from all sides (even opposing sides) should have the opportunity to voice their opinion and state their views. Ideally, the rules should be changed well in advance of the moment that they will be applied. Anything less opens the door to deception, chicanery, and power corruption. I am reminded again of one of my all-time favorite cartoons, "Calvin and Hobbes" by Bill Watterson. Calvin and Hobbes used to play a game that they called "Calvinball" - the game had only one rule, which stated that the players could never play the game with the same rules twice. Rules were made up on the fly - as Watterson stated, "It's pretty simple: You make up the rules as you go." Leaders, government or otherwise, should not be playing "Calvinball."
I don't expect that anyone will try to write a sequel to Kennedy's book any time soon. At least in my opinion, there are few "profiles in courage" or examples of leadership (at least the kind that I would like to emulate) in today's Senate. I would point to the current debate on whether to use the "nuclear option" for the appointment of Supreme Court Justices as a good example of poor leadership.
Former Senator Harry Reid, who was the Majority Leader the last time the Democrats held the majority in the Senate, exercised the so-called "nuclear option" in November, 2013. Basically, the "nuclear option" as used in this particular context is a rarely used parliamentary rules change that allows the U.S. Senate to override a rule or (usually) long-standing precedent by a simple majority (51 votes) instead of the required "super majority" (or "filibuster proof") of 60 votes. Essentially, once the "nuclear option" is exercised, the Senate can decide on a particular issue by majority vote. The rules are fairly complex (and not necessarily explicitly prescribed in the U.S. Constitution), but in order to end a debate (i.e. end a filibuster), a motion for cloture must be approved by a three-fifths majority (3/5 * 100 Senators = 60 votes). If the necessary 60 votes are not obtained, theoretically the debate could go on and on forever (Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky once held the Senate floor for more than 13 hours during a filibuster in 2013). A minority group of 40 Senators could therefore prevent passage of a bill or approval of a Presidential appointment.
Of interest, Senator Reid had argued against Senator Bill Frist exercising the "nuclear option" during the Bush Administration in 2005, again related to several judicial nominees opposed by the minority Democrats. Reid argued then, "The filibuster is the last check we have against the abuse of power in Washington...the Republicans are in power today, Democrats tomorrow. A simple majority...should not be able to come here and change willy-nilly a rule of the Senate." Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed this time around when the so-called "Gang of 14" Senators (7 Democrats, 7 Republicans) agreed to oppose the "nuclear option" and the use of the filibuster for judicial nominees, "except in extraordinary circumstances." In other words, a group of Senators from opposing sides of the political aisle forged a consensus and made the right decision (novel concept, I know). Once the Democrats became the majority party, Reid stated when asked if he would ever use the "nuclear option", "As long as I am the leader, the answer's no...I hope we never ever get to that again because I really do believe it will ruin our country."
Times change though. Senator Reid exercised the "nuclear option" in 2013 so that the Senate could approve several federal judicial and Executive Office appointments during President Obama's administration. At the time, Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was vehemently opposed to the "nuclear option" stating, "It's a sad day in the history of the Senate." Today, the roles have flipped - again. The Republicans now hold the power in the Senate, and Mitch McConnell is now the Majority Leader. Ironically, it is now Senator McConnell who is on the brink of exercising the "nuclear option" (most political experts anticipate that the move will occur today, April 6, 2017) in order to move to approve President Trump's nominee (Neil Gorsuch) to the U.S. Supreme Court. Most political pundits are saying that today's decision by McConnell (which stands in stark contrast to his comments in 2013) will effectively end the Senate filibuster.
If all of this back and forth flip-flopping sounds hypocritical, it's because it is! Regardless of which party you support (and both sides are pointing the proverbial finger and blaming each other for getting to this point), it seems wrong that such an important "rule" can be changed so easily and quickly by whoever holds the power. To be fair, the Senate can only change a "rule" with a majority approval. However, one could argue that such an important rules change requires consensus among the different stakeholders (in this case, members of both parties), as supported by the "Gang of 14" in 2005. Regardless, it just doesn't seem right, fair, or even ethical that a major rules change against over 200 years of precedent could be made in this manner, especially when it involves something as important as the appointment of a Supreme Court Justice (which is a lifelong appointment).
Unfortunately, the concept of a leader changing the rules to suit his or her own needs is not new. I believe that ethical leadership requires important decisions regarding rules changes to be made with integrity. Integrity mandates that rules changes need to occur with the utmost transparency. The process by which decisions are made to change a rule, particularly one of such importance, absolutely must be understood and made by consensus. Moreover, consensus can't be just about majority rule. Key stakeholders from all sides (even opposing sides) should have the opportunity to voice their opinion and state their views. Ideally, the rules should be changed well in advance of the moment that they will be applied. Anything less opens the door to deception, chicanery, and power corruption. I am reminded again of one of my all-time favorite cartoons, "Calvin and Hobbes" by Bill Watterson. Calvin and Hobbes used to play a game that they called "Calvinball" - the game had only one rule, which stated that the players could never play the game with the same rules twice. Rules were made up on the fly - as Watterson stated, "It's pretty simple: You make up the rules as you go." Leaders, government or otherwise, should not be playing "Calvinball."
Sunday, April 2, 2017
"If you want to change the world, don't ever, ever ring the bell"
One of the most important things, in my opinion, that a leader can and should do, as I have stated on numerous occasions in recent blog posts, is set the vision for the entire organization. Leaders need to be able to point to the North Star for the organization - an inspirational message is certainly one way of doing that, and leaders who can provide an inspirational speech to create the vision are usually some of the most successful leaders.
I had the opportunity this past weekend to go on a final college tour with my daughter. The college tour happened to be in the same city that another daughter will soon be graduating from college. Graduation was definitely on my mind this weekend - and I started thinking about some of the more inspirational commencement speeches that I have heard in recent years. I recently came across a commencement speech that Admiral William H. McRaven gave at the University of Texas Commencement on May 17, 2014. Admiral McRaven graduated from the University of Texas before joining the U.S. Navy and becoming a Navy SEAL. Admiral McRaven had an incredible career, even before organizing and overseeing the mission that led to the death of the international terrorist, Osama bin Laden (Operation Neptune Spear). Admiral McRaven offered 10 life lessons for the students graduating from the University of Texas. Rather than just listing them here, I think it is important to read the speech in its entirety - it is well worth the investment in time:
President Powers, Provost Fenves, Deans, members of the faculty, family and friends and most importantly, the class of 2014. Congratulations on your achievement.
It's been almost 37 years to the day that I graduated from UT. I remember a lot of things about that day. I remember I had throbbing headache from a party the night before. I remember I had a serious girlfriend, whom I later married — that's important to remember by the way — and I remember that I was getting commissioned in the Navy that day.
But of all the things I remember, I don't have a clue who the commencement speaker was that evening, and I certainly don't remember anything they said. So, acknowledging that fact, if I can't make this commencement speech memorable, I will at least try to make it short.
The University's slogan is, "What starts here changes the world." I have to admit — I kinda like it. "What starts here changes the world."
Tonight there are almost 8,000 students graduating from UT. That great paragon of analytical rigor, Ask.Com, says that the average American will meet 10,000 people in their lifetime. That's a lot of folks. But, if every one of you changed the lives of just 10 people — and each one of those folks changed the lives of another 10 people — just 10 — then in five generations — 125 years — the class of 2014 will have changed the lives of 800 million people.
800 million people — think of it — over twice the population of the United States. Go one more generation and you can change the entire population of the world — eight billion people.
If you think it's hard to change the lives of 10 people — change their lives forever — you're wrong. I saw it happen every day in Iraq and Afghanistan:
A young Army officer makes a decision to go left instead of right down a road in Baghdad and the 10 soldiers in his squad are saved from close-in ambush.
In Kandahar province, Afghanistan, a non-commissioned officer from the Female Engagement Team senses something isn't right and directs the infantry platoon away from a 500-pound IED, saving the lives of a dozen soldiers.
But, if you think about it, not only were these soldiers saved by the decisions of one person, but their children yet unborn were also saved. And their children's children were saved. Generations were saved by one decision, by one person.
But changing the world can happen anywhere and anyone can do it. So, what starts here can indeed change the world, but the question is — what will the world look like after you change it?
Well, I am confident that it will look much, much better. But if you will humor this old sailor for just a moment, I have a few suggestions that may help you on your way to a better a world. And while these lessons were learned during my time in the military, I can assure you that it matters not whether you ever served a day in uniform. It matters not your gender, your ethnic or religious background, your orientation or your social status. Our struggles in this world are similar, and the lessons to overcome those struggles and to move forward — changing ourselves and the world around us — will apply equally to all.
I have been a Navy SEAL for 36 years. But it all began when I left UT for Basic SEAL training in Coronado, California. Basic SEAL training is six months of long torturous runs in the soft sand, midnight swims in the cold water off San Diego, obstacles courses, unending calisthenics, days without sleep and always being cold, wet and miserable. It is six months of being constantly harassed by professionally trained warriors who seek to find the weak of mind and body and eliminate them from ever becoming a Navy SEAL. But, the training also seeks to find those students who can lead in an environment of constant stress, chaos, failure and hardships. To me basic SEAL training was a lifetime of challenges crammed into six months.
It was a simple task — mundane at best. But every morning we were required to make our bed to perfection. It seemed a little ridiculous at the time, particularly in light of the fact that were aspiring to be real warriors, tough battle-hardened SEALs, but the wisdom of this simple act has been proven to me many times over.
If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.
And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made — that you made — and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.
If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.
During SEAL training the students are broken down into boat crews. Each crew is seven students — three on each side of a small rubber boat and one coxswain to help guide the dingy. Every day your boat crew forms up on the beach and is instructed to get through the surfzone and paddle several miles down the coast. In the winter, the surf off San Diego can get to be 8 to 10 feet high and it is exceedingly difficult to paddle through the plunging surf unless everyone digs in. Every paddle must be synchronized to the stroke count of the coxswain. Everyone must exert equal effort or the boat will turn against the wave and be unceremoniously tossed back on the beach.
For the boat to make it to its destination, everyone must paddle. You can't change the world alone — you will need some help — and to truly get from your starting point to your destination takes friends, colleagues, the good will of strangers and a strong coxswain to guide them.
If you want to change the world, find someone to help you paddle.
Over a few weeks of difficult training my SEAL class, which started with 150 men, was down to just 35. There were now six boat crews of seven men each. I was in the boat with the tall guys, but the best boat crew we had was made up of the the little guys — the munchkin crew we called them — no one was over about five-foot-five.
The munchkin boat crew had one American Indian, one African American, one Polish American, one Greek American, one Italian American, and two tough kids from the midwest. They out-paddled, out-ran and out-swam all the other boat crews. The big men in the other boat crews would always make good-natured fun of the tiny little flippers the munchkins put on their tiny little feet prior to every swim. But somehow these little guys, from every corner of the nation and the world, always had the last laugh — swimming faster than everyone and reaching the shore long before the rest of us. SEAL training was a great equalizer. Nothing mattered but your will to succeed. Not your color, not your ethnic background, not your education and not your social status.
If you want to change the world, measure a person by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers.
Several times a week, the instructors would line up the class and do a uniform inspection. It was exceptionally thorough. Your hat had to be perfectly starched, your uniform immaculately pressed and your belt buckle shiny and void of any smudges. But it seemed that no matter how much effort you put into starching your hat, or pressing your uniform or polishing your belt buckle — it just wasn't good enough. The instructors would find "something" wrong.
For failing the uniform inspection, the student had to run, fully clothed into the surfzone and then, wet from head to toe, roll around on the beach until every part of your body was covered with sand. The effect was known as a "sugar cookie." You stayed in that uniform the rest of the day — cold, wet and sandy.
There were many a student who just couldn't accept the fact that all their effort was in vain. That no matter how hard they tried to get the uniform right, it was unappreciated. Those students didn't make it through training. Those students didn't understand the purpose of the drill. You were never going to succeed. You were never going to have a perfect uniform.
Sometimes no matter how well you prepare or how well you perform you still end up as a sugar cookie. It's just the way life is sometimes.
If you want to change the world get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward.
Every day during training you were challenged with multiple physical events — long runs, long swims, obstacle courses, hours of calisthenics — something designed to test your mettle. Every event had standards — times you had to meet. If you failed to meet those standards your name was posted on a list, and at the end of the day those on the list were invited to a "circus." A circus was two hours of additional calisthenics designed to wear you down, to break your spirit, to force you to quit.
No one wanted a circus. A circus meant that for that day you didn't measure up. A circus meant more fatigue — and more fatigue meant that the following day would be more difficult — and more circuses were likely. But at some time during SEAL training, everyone — everyone — made the circus list.
But an interesting thing happened to those who were constantly on the list. Over time those students — who did two hours of extra calisthenics — got stronger and stronger. The pain of the circuses built inner strength, built physical resiliency.
Life is filled with circuses. You will fail. You will likely fail often. It will be painful. It will be discouraging. At times it will test you to your very core. But if you want to change the world, don't be afraid of the circuses.
At least twice a week, the trainees were required to run the obstacle course. The obstacle course contained 25 obstacles including a 10-foot high wall, a 30-foot cargo net and a barbed wire crawl, to name a few.
But the most challenging obstacle was the slide for life. It had a three-level 30-foot tower at one end and a one-level tower at the other. In between was a 200-foot-long rope. You had to climb the three-tiered tower and once at the top, you grabbed the rope, swung underneath the rope and pulled yourself hand over hand until you got to the other end.
The record for the obstacle course had stood for years when my class began training in 1977. The record seemed unbeatable, until one day, a student decided to go down the slide for life head first. Instead of swinging his body underneath the rope and inching his way down, he bravely mounted the TOP of the rope and thrust himself forward.
It was a dangerous move — seemingly foolish, and fraught with risk. Failure could mean injury and being dropped from the training. Without hesitation the student slid down the rope perilously fast. Instead of several minutes, it only took him half that time and by the end of the course he had broken the record.
If you want to change the world sometimes you have to slide down the obstacle head first.
During the land warfare phase of training, the students are flown out to San Clemente Island which lies off the coast of San Diego. The waters off San Clemente are a breeding ground for the great white sharks. To pass SEAL training there are a series of long swims that must be completed. One is the night swim.
Before the swim the instructors joyfully brief the trainees on all the species of sharks that inhabit the waters off San Clemente. They assure you, however, that no student has ever been eaten by a shark — at least not recently.
But, you are also taught that if a shark begins to circle your position — stand your ground. Do not swim away. Do not act afraid. And if the shark, hungry for a midnight snack, darts towards you — then summon up all your strength and punch him in the snout, and he will turn and swim away.
There are a lot of sharks in the world. If you hope to complete the swim you will have to deal with them.
So, if you want to change the world, don't back down from the sharks.
As Navy SEALs one of our jobs is to conduct underwater attacks against enemy shipping. We practiced this technique extensively during basic training. The ship attack mission is where a pair of SEAL divers is dropped off outside an enemy harbor and then swims well over two miles — underwater — using nothing but a depth gauge and a compass to get to their target.
During the entire swim, even well below the surface, there is some light that comes through. It is comforting to know that there is open water above you. But as you approach the ship, which is tied to a pier, the light begins to fade. The steel structure of the ship blocks the moonlight, it blocks the surrounding street lamps, it blocks all ambient light.
To be successful in your mission, you have to swim under the ship and find the keel — the centerline and the deepest part of the ship. This is your objective. But the keel is also the darkest part of the ship — where you cannot see your hand in front of your face, where the noise from the ship's machinery is deafening and where it is easy to get disoriented and fail.
Every SEAL knows that under the keel, at the darkest moment of the mission, is the time when you must be calm, composed — when all your tactical skills, your physical power and all your inner strength must be brought to bear.
If you want to change the world, you must be your very best in the darkest moment.
The ninth week of training is referred to as "Hell Week." It is six days of no sleep, constant physical and mental harassment, and one special day at the Mud Flats. The Mud Flats are area between San Diego and Tijuana where the water runs off and creates the Tijuana slues, a swampy patch of terrain where the mud will engulf you.
It is on Wednesday of Hell Week that you paddle down to the mud flats and spend the next 15 hours trying to survive the freezing cold mud, the howling wind and the incessant pressure to quit from the instructors. As the sun began to set that Wednesday evening, my training class, having committed some "egregious infraction of the rules" was ordered into the mud.
The mud consumed each man till there was nothing visible but our heads. The instructors told us we could leave the mud if only five men would quit — just five men — and we could get out of the oppressive cold. Looking around the mud flat it was apparent that some students were about to give up. It was still over eight hours till the sun came up — eight more hours of bone-chilling cold.
The chattering teeth and shivering moans of the trainees were so loud it was hard to hear anything. And then, one voice began to echo through the night, one voice raised in song. The song was terribly out of tune, but sung with great enthusiasm. One voice became two and two became three and before long everyone in the class was singing. We knew that if one man could rise above the misery then others could as well.
The instructors threatened us with more time in the mud if we kept up the singing but the singing persisted. And somehow the mud seemed a little warmer, the wind a little tamer and the dawn not so far away.
If I have learned anything in my time traveling the world, it is the power of hope. The power of one person — Washington, Lincoln, King, Mandela and even a young girl from Pakistan, Malala — one person can change the world by giving people hope.
So, if you want to change the world, start singing when you're up to your neck in mud.
Finally, in SEAL training there is a bell. A brass bell that hangs in the center of the compound for all the students to see. All you have to do to quit is ring the bell.
Ring the bell and you no longer have to wake up at 5 o'clock. Ring the bell and you no longer have to do the freezing cold swims. Ring the bell and you no longer have to do the runs, the obstacle course, the PT — and you no longer have to endure the hardships of training. Just ring the bell.
If you want to change the world don't ever, ever ring the bell.
To the graduating class of 2014, you are moments away from graduating. Moments away from beginning your journey through life. Moments away from starting to change the world — for the better. It will not be easy.
But, YOU are the class of 2014, the class that can affect the lives of 800 million people in the next century.
Start each day with a task completed. Find someone to help you through life. Respect everyone.
Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often. But if take you take some risks, step up when the times are toughest, face down the bullies, lift up the downtrodden and never, ever give up — if you do these things, then the next generation and the generations that follow will live in a world far better than the one we have today.
And what started here will indeed have changed the world — for the better.
Thank you very much. Hook 'em horns.
I can't improve much on that. Great words to live by for sure. Incidentally, after he retired from the U.S. Navy, Admiral McRaven became the Chancellor at the University of Texas. I guess that the Board of Trustees liked his speech too.
I had the opportunity this past weekend to go on a final college tour with my daughter. The college tour happened to be in the same city that another daughter will soon be graduating from college. Graduation was definitely on my mind this weekend - and I started thinking about some of the more inspirational commencement speeches that I have heard in recent years. I recently came across a commencement speech that Admiral William H. McRaven gave at the University of Texas Commencement on May 17, 2014. Admiral McRaven graduated from the University of Texas before joining the U.S. Navy and becoming a Navy SEAL. Admiral McRaven had an incredible career, even before organizing and overseeing the mission that led to the death of the international terrorist, Osama bin Laden (Operation Neptune Spear). Admiral McRaven offered 10 life lessons for the students graduating from the University of Texas. Rather than just listing them here, I think it is important to read the speech in its entirety - it is well worth the investment in time:
President Powers, Provost Fenves, Deans, members of the faculty, family and friends and most importantly, the class of 2014. Congratulations on your achievement.
It's been almost 37 years to the day that I graduated from UT. I remember a lot of things about that day. I remember I had throbbing headache from a party the night before. I remember I had a serious girlfriend, whom I later married — that's important to remember by the way — and I remember that I was getting commissioned in the Navy that day.
But of all the things I remember, I don't have a clue who the commencement speaker was that evening, and I certainly don't remember anything they said. So, acknowledging that fact, if I can't make this commencement speech memorable, I will at least try to make it short.
The University's slogan is, "What starts here changes the world." I have to admit — I kinda like it. "What starts here changes the world."
Tonight there are almost 8,000 students graduating from UT. That great paragon of analytical rigor, Ask.Com, says that the average American will meet 10,000 people in their lifetime. That's a lot of folks. But, if every one of you changed the lives of just 10 people — and each one of those folks changed the lives of another 10 people — just 10 — then in five generations — 125 years — the class of 2014 will have changed the lives of 800 million people.
800 million people — think of it — over twice the population of the United States. Go one more generation and you can change the entire population of the world — eight billion people.
If you think it's hard to change the lives of 10 people — change their lives forever — you're wrong. I saw it happen every day in Iraq and Afghanistan:
A young Army officer makes a decision to go left instead of right down a road in Baghdad and the 10 soldiers in his squad are saved from close-in ambush.
In Kandahar province, Afghanistan, a non-commissioned officer from the Female Engagement Team senses something isn't right and directs the infantry platoon away from a 500-pound IED, saving the lives of a dozen soldiers.
But, if you think about it, not only were these soldiers saved by the decisions of one person, but their children yet unborn were also saved. And their children's children were saved. Generations were saved by one decision, by one person.
But changing the world can happen anywhere and anyone can do it. So, what starts here can indeed change the world, but the question is — what will the world look like after you change it?
Well, I am confident that it will look much, much better. But if you will humor this old sailor for just a moment, I have a few suggestions that may help you on your way to a better a world. And while these lessons were learned during my time in the military, I can assure you that it matters not whether you ever served a day in uniform. It matters not your gender, your ethnic or religious background, your orientation or your social status. Our struggles in this world are similar, and the lessons to overcome those struggles and to move forward — changing ourselves and the world around us — will apply equally to all.
I have been a Navy SEAL for 36 years. But it all began when I left UT for Basic SEAL training in Coronado, California. Basic SEAL training is six months of long torturous runs in the soft sand, midnight swims in the cold water off San Diego, obstacles courses, unending calisthenics, days without sleep and always being cold, wet and miserable. It is six months of being constantly harassed by professionally trained warriors who seek to find the weak of mind and body and eliminate them from ever becoming a Navy SEAL. But, the training also seeks to find those students who can lead in an environment of constant stress, chaos, failure and hardships. To me basic SEAL training was a lifetime of challenges crammed into six months.
So, here are the 10 lessons I learned from basic SEAL training that hopefully will be of value to you as you move forward in life.
Every morning in basic SEAL training, my instructors, who at the time were all Vietnam veterans, would show up in my barracks room and the first thing they would inspect was your bed. If you did it right, the corners would be square, the covers pulled tight, the pillow centered just under the headboard and the extra blanket folded neatly at the foot of the rack — that's Navy talk for bed.It was a simple task — mundane at best. But every morning we were required to make our bed to perfection. It seemed a little ridiculous at the time, particularly in light of the fact that were aspiring to be real warriors, tough battle-hardened SEALs, but the wisdom of this simple act has been proven to me many times over.
If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.
And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made — that you made — and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.
If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.
During SEAL training the students are broken down into boat crews. Each crew is seven students — three on each side of a small rubber boat and one coxswain to help guide the dingy. Every day your boat crew forms up on the beach and is instructed to get through the surfzone and paddle several miles down the coast. In the winter, the surf off San Diego can get to be 8 to 10 feet high and it is exceedingly difficult to paddle through the plunging surf unless everyone digs in. Every paddle must be synchronized to the stroke count of the coxswain. Everyone must exert equal effort or the boat will turn against the wave and be unceremoniously tossed back on the beach.
For the boat to make it to its destination, everyone must paddle. You can't change the world alone — you will need some help — and to truly get from your starting point to your destination takes friends, colleagues, the good will of strangers and a strong coxswain to guide them.
If you want to change the world, find someone to help you paddle.
Over a few weeks of difficult training my SEAL class, which started with 150 men, was down to just 35. There were now six boat crews of seven men each. I was in the boat with the tall guys, but the best boat crew we had was made up of the the little guys — the munchkin crew we called them — no one was over about five-foot-five.
The munchkin boat crew had one American Indian, one African American, one Polish American, one Greek American, one Italian American, and two tough kids from the midwest. They out-paddled, out-ran and out-swam all the other boat crews. The big men in the other boat crews would always make good-natured fun of the tiny little flippers the munchkins put on their tiny little feet prior to every swim. But somehow these little guys, from every corner of the nation and the world, always had the last laugh — swimming faster than everyone and reaching the shore long before the rest of us. SEAL training was a great equalizer. Nothing mattered but your will to succeed. Not your color, not your ethnic background, not your education and not your social status.
If you want to change the world, measure a person by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers.
Several times a week, the instructors would line up the class and do a uniform inspection. It was exceptionally thorough. Your hat had to be perfectly starched, your uniform immaculately pressed and your belt buckle shiny and void of any smudges. But it seemed that no matter how much effort you put into starching your hat, or pressing your uniform or polishing your belt buckle — it just wasn't good enough. The instructors would find "something" wrong.
For failing the uniform inspection, the student had to run, fully clothed into the surfzone and then, wet from head to toe, roll around on the beach until every part of your body was covered with sand. The effect was known as a "sugar cookie." You stayed in that uniform the rest of the day — cold, wet and sandy.
There were many a student who just couldn't accept the fact that all their effort was in vain. That no matter how hard they tried to get the uniform right, it was unappreciated. Those students didn't make it through training. Those students didn't understand the purpose of the drill. You were never going to succeed. You were never going to have a perfect uniform.
Sometimes no matter how well you prepare or how well you perform you still end up as a sugar cookie. It's just the way life is sometimes.
If you want to change the world get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward.
Every day during training you were challenged with multiple physical events — long runs, long swims, obstacle courses, hours of calisthenics — something designed to test your mettle. Every event had standards — times you had to meet. If you failed to meet those standards your name was posted on a list, and at the end of the day those on the list were invited to a "circus." A circus was two hours of additional calisthenics designed to wear you down, to break your spirit, to force you to quit.
No one wanted a circus. A circus meant that for that day you didn't measure up. A circus meant more fatigue — and more fatigue meant that the following day would be more difficult — and more circuses were likely. But at some time during SEAL training, everyone — everyone — made the circus list.
But an interesting thing happened to those who were constantly on the list. Over time those students — who did two hours of extra calisthenics — got stronger and stronger. The pain of the circuses built inner strength, built physical resiliency.
Life is filled with circuses. You will fail. You will likely fail often. It will be painful. It will be discouraging. At times it will test you to your very core. But if you want to change the world, don't be afraid of the circuses.
At least twice a week, the trainees were required to run the obstacle course. The obstacle course contained 25 obstacles including a 10-foot high wall, a 30-foot cargo net and a barbed wire crawl, to name a few.
But the most challenging obstacle was the slide for life. It had a three-level 30-foot tower at one end and a one-level tower at the other. In between was a 200-foot-long rope. You had to climb the three-tiered tower and once at the top, you grabbed the rope, swung underneath the rope and pulled yourself hand over hand until you got to the other end.
The record for the obstacle course had stood for years when my class began training in 1977. The record seemed unbeatable, until one day, a student decided to go down the slide for life head first. Instead of swinging his body underneath the rope and inching his way down, he bravely mounted the TOP of the rope and thrust himself forward.
It was a dangerous move — seemingly foolish, and fraught with risk. Failure could mean injury and being dropped from the training. Without hesitation the student slid down the rope perilously fast. Instead of several minutes, it only took him half that time and by the end of the course he had broken the record.
If you want to change the world sometimes you have to slide down the obstacle head first.
During the land warfare phase of training, the students are flown out to San Clemente Island which lies off the coast of San Diego. The waters off San Clemente are a breeding ground for the great white sharks. To pass SEAL training there are a series of long swims that must be completed. One is the night swim.
Before the swim the instructors joyfully brief the trainees on all the species of sharks that inhabit the waters off San Clemente. They assure you, however, that no student has ever been eaten by a shark — at least not recently.
But, you are also taught that if a shark begins to circle your position — stand your ground. Do not swim away. Do not act afraid. And if the shark, hungry for a midnight snack, darts towards you — then summon up all your strength and punch him in the snout, and he will turn and swim away.
There are a lot of sharks in the world. If you hope to complete the swim you will have to deal with them.
So, if you want to change the world, don't back down from the sharks.
As Navy SEALs one of our jobs is to conduct underwater attacks against enemy shipping. We practiced this technique extensively during basic training. The ship attack mission is where a pair of SEAL divers is dropped off outside an enemy harbor and then swims well over two miles — underwater — using nothing but a depth gauge and a compass to get to their target.
During the entire swim, even well below the surface, there is some light that comes through. It is comforting to know that there is open water above you. But as you approach the ship, which is tied to a pier, the light begins to fade. The steel structure of the ship blocks the moonlight, it blocks the surrounding street lamps, it blocks all ambient light.
To be successful in your mission, you have to swim under the ship and find the keel — the centerline and the deepest part of the ship. This is your objective. But the keel is also the darkest part of the ship — where you cannot see your hand in front of your face, where the noise from the ship's machinery is deafening and where it is easy to get disoriented and fail.
Every SEAL knows that under the keel, at the darkest moment of the mission, is the time when you must be calm, composed — when all your tactical skills, your physical power and all your inner strength must be brought to bear.
If you want to change the world, you must be your very best in the darkest moment.
The ninth week of training is referred to as "Hell Week." It is six days of no sleep, constant physical and mental harassment, and one special day at the Mud Flats. The Mud Flats are area between San Diego and Tijuana where the water runs off and creates the Tijuana slues, a swampy patch of terrain where the mud will engulf you.
It is on Wednesday of Hell Week that you paddle down to the mud flats and spend the next 15 hours trying to survive the freezing cold mud, the howling wind and the incessant pressure to quit from the instructors. As the sun began to set that Wednesday evening, my training class, having committed some "egregious infraction of the rules" was ordered into the mud.
The mud consumed each man till there was nothing visible but our heads. The instructors told us we could leave the mud if only five men would quit — just five men — and we could get out of the oppressive cold. Looking around the mud flat it was apparent that some students were about to give up. It was still over eight hours till the sun came up — eight more hours of bone-chilling cold.
The chattering teeth and shivering moans of the trainees were so loud it was hard to hear anything. And then, one voice began to echo through the night, one voice raised in song. The song was terribly out of tune, but sung with great enthusiasm. One voice became two and two became three and before long everyone in the class was singing. We knew that if one man could rise above the misery then others could as well.
The instructors threatened us with more time in the mud if we kept up the singing but the singing persisted. And somehow the mud seemed a little warmer, the wind a little tamer and the dawn not so far away.
If I have learned anything in my time traveling the world, it is the power of hope. The power of one person — Washington, Lincoln, King, Mandela and even a young girl from Pakistan, Malala — one person can change the world by giving people hope.
So, if you want to change the world, start singing when you're up to your neck in mud.
Finally, in SEAL training there is a bell. A brass bell that hangs in the center of the compound for all the students to see. All you have to do to quit is ring the bell.
Ring the bell and you no longer have to wake up at 5 o'clock. Ring the bell and you no longer have to do the freezing cold swims. Ring the bell and you no longer have to do the runs, the obstacle course, the PT — and you no longer have to endure the hardships of training. Just ring the bell.
If you want to change the world don't ever, ever ring the bell.
To the graduating class of 2014, you are moments away from graduating. Moments away from beginning your journey through life. Moments away from starting to change the world — for the better. It will not be easy.
But, YOU are the class of 2014, the class that can affect the lives of 800 million people in the next century.
Start each day with a task completed. Find someone to help you through life. Respect everyone.
Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often. But if take you take some risks, step up when the times are toughest, face down the bullies, lift up the downtrodden and never, ever give up — if you do these things, then the next generation and the generations that follow will live in a world far better than the one we have today.
And what started here will indeed have changed the world — for the better.
Thank you very much. Hook 'em horns.
I can't improve much on that. Great words to live by for sure. Incidentally, after he retired from the U.S. Navy, Admiral McRaven became the Chancellor at the University of Texas. I guess that the Board of Trustees liked his speech too.
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