Month: August 2018

Posted on

The Leader’s Playbook-6: “The Brotherhood of War”

They were waiting for him when he arrived. They had never met him before but despite their difference in service, he was unquestionably their Brother.

They were six US Navy SEAL Officers.  One, an O-6 US Navy Captain, the Commander.  A second, the operations officer, a Lieutenant Commander and the other four were brand new BUDS graduates… all on their first deployment.  All 1st LTs or JGs.

As he arrived, they met him at the ramp to the emergency room door.  They moved silently, three to a side, and they, not the medical team, carried him into the ER where they surrounded him as the Chaplain read him his last rights.

When the Chaplin was done the Operations Officer ordered a hand salute… then for the next sixteen hours in 120-degree heat the young, brand new BUDS graduates, on their first deployment, stood the watch over him until the C-130 came to bring him home to his Family for the final time… their lives changed forever.

There are no words to express how the Brotherhood of War really works. As a Nation, we could not be more lucky to have American’s who selfless leave their families to go to war to protect us all… and give it all… and the Brotherhood and Sisterhood that serves alongside them every step of the way.

God Bless you and your Family… and thank you all beyond words.

NSDQ! Long Live The Brotherhood.

 

Posted on

Sunday Thoughts: “Who is the owner of this problem?”

I’m overseas right now and the schedule is a 24/7 work schedule.  The hours are insane but we try hard to keep our schedule lite on Sundays to give the team (and us)  time to think, reset, and grab a few extra hours of sleep.

As I reflected on my horrible performance as a writer and blogger over the last few months, I found myself this morning thinking about my Mom.  (We lost her to cancer two years ago.)  She taught my Sister and me so much… and would often shut us both down when we were misbehaving with a single question…

“Who is the owner of this problem?”

My mom first asked me this when I was 10 years old.  I still remember where I was in our house in Alamogordo, NM.  I was whining about some issue… when BOOM.. she laid it on me.

“Dan, who is the owner of this problem?”  I was stopped dead in my tracks.

I have no idea where she pulled this most perfect question from…  but it was clear to her, and more importantly to me, that I had no way out.  It was and still is, one of the single biggest questions that has helped shape my life.  She used it on me many times to my dismay.. and I use it today to help lead great teams.

Great leaders, and their teams, own problems.  They work and think hard to understand the environment, the problem, the potential solutions, and they get at solving them – in business, the military, and life.

Mom, I own not blogging very much over the past few months.  I will do better.

Your Son