Very Special Request Chit

Let's get real. This is going to be heavy. What I want to do is demonstrate how what you believe (faith, morals, etc.) impacts how you lead. I would love to hear from some of you on this decision, no matter what level you lead from. Which box would you check - approve or disapprove?

The story goes:

There I was, just hanging out in the deck office on the ship chopping awards, evals, and special request chits. For those not familiar, in the military a special request chit is submitted to your chain of command for any unusual personal reason or circumstance that requires permission. Examples for their use range from the command sponsoring your dependent overseas to getting married. On this particular day a uniquely vague chit came across my desk. Chief had mentioned that he wanted to talk to me about it later, from what I recall, but I wanted to clear out the inbox and thought I would take a look at it. The request was from Bm3 Smith (one of my best young Sailors). The comment section of the chit simply requested to have a day of work off for "personal business" in about three weeks. "Personal business" seemed a bit general, but she works hard and it was almost an easy check in the "approved" box before passing it onto the out box pile. Just so happens about that time I heard a few Sailors walking down the p-way outside the office returning to the Bos'n locker from the Messdecks - BM3 was amongst them. So, I poked my head out the door and said, "BM3, got a minute? I was just looking at your special request chit." She came in the office and took a seat. I asked her how she was doing. We made small talk, then I simply asked what kind of personal business she was planning to do in a few weeks. She said, "It's a long story, Sir." "Help me, Lord," I prayed as the GQ alarm sounded internally. Whenever you hear that from a Sailor you had better listen (and pray). So, I said "I've got the time I'd love to hear it?"

To be continued (almost time for quarters) . . .

Repealing DADT

Did you know that God spoke specifically about the repeal of DADT in the Bible? You may know of Luther's "Great Exchange," but have you heard of what I call "Lust's Great Exchange". The repeal of DADT will occur because our thinking has become futile, and we have exchanged the glory of God and the truth of God for a lie, while not thinking it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God. As a nation we have departed from the Word of God, neglecting to hold fast to the Truth that guides our moral actions. And so this is revealed in the military as we are a reflection of the civil population from which we are derived and for which we represent. So, why are we so surprised - this is the natural result of a society that has turned from God and His Word. Read what Paul wrote:

²⁰For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

²¹For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²²Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools ²³and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

²⁴Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. ²⁵They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

²⁶Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. ²⁷In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

²⁸Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. ²⁹They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, ³⁰slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; ³¹they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. ³²Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. (Rom. 1:20-32)

Revitalizing The Officer Corps

The following is from the CNAS site. It may peak your interest (it certainly did mine). If inclined the entire report can be downloaded and read here.

The U.S. military officer corps, the professional body entrusted with preparing and training the armed forces for war and peace, is at the forefront of an ever-increasing array of challenges. Indeed, America arguably relies on its armed forces to perform a wider variety of functions than any other nation in history. To respond effectively to a rapidly changing strategic environment, the U.S. military must develop and maintain a high degree of adaptability within the officer corps. Twenty-first-century military officers must learn and embody enduring principles of warfare and leadership, but the teaching and training of officers must change to meet the contemporary demands and opportunities they are likely to face. In addition to demonstrating a high degree of proficiency in conventional state-on-state warfare, officers must also develop a broader skill set in politics, economics, and the use of information in modern warfare to cope with a more complicated and rapidly evolving international environment. Determining the proper balance between conventional competencies and emerging requirements – and the best means to train and educate a corps of adaptive leaders – remains a contentious issue with no obvious consensus solution.

This report is based on a series of working group meetings and collaborations with military officers and outside experts to gain a variety of perspectives on the nature of officership in a new strategic environment. Its chapters provide an analysis of these issues from several informed perspectives, while the concluding chapter provides both a summary and a series of recommendations for how the United States can keep its edge in military officership. As a whole, the report highlights the necessity to provide a broader range of educational and professional experiences to military officers – essential components of training agile minds how to think rather than what to think – and cultivating new skill sets that are more relevant to 21st-century challenges.

Air War/Ground War

Click the link below. Right click the audio file and save. Load it to your ipod, blackberry, mp3 player, whatever. But, listen to it. The leadership ideas discussed are extensive and insightful. The time invested to listen is well worth it (this is an understatement). Be prepared to listen multiple times and take notes.

Fighting the Air War and the Ground War
with Pastor Mark Driscoll
from the 2008 CCEF National Conference

Re: What Makes A Leader

What Makes a Leader? Communicate the Vision

Dave Kraft

Leadership Development Pastor at Mars Hill Church

What Makes A Leader? Click | View Series

Say It Convincingly

Once a leader knows exactly where he is heading, the next essential is to be able to communicate the vision convincingly to those he would like to have along on the journey. There are a variety of ways this can be done, but it must be done, or else he will be making the trip by himself.

Sugar Water or Changing the World?

Steve Jobs, founder and CEO of Apple Inc., was trying very hard, but with little success, to recruit John Sculley to the vision that he clearly saw. Jobs was exasperated, and in his frustration he asked one more question, the one that finally caused John Sculley to make one of the most talked-about corporate moves in modern American business. He asked, "Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?" Sculley said it was as if someone had delivered a stiff blow to his stomach. The question eroded all his resistance and made him think like a dreamer or a visionary.

He subsequently left Pepsi Cola and joined Apple. "After all," Sculley mused, "changing the world is a heady thought." In a few words, Jobs had said it convincingly. He had conveyed his vision, the essence of his dream, in words that Sculley could understand—to have a part in changing the world.

In order to recruit and keep motivated followers, a vision must be convincingly and constantly communicated in a myriad of ways. One of the key roles of an effective leader is to manage the dream of the organization, and to keep that dream alive through verbalization, symbols, and visuals.

Evangelism Essentials

Be careful when being purposeful in evangelism. Reflect on what Mark Dever said, "What you win them with is what you win them to." If in doubt of the means being used evaluate them in light of the Gospel message. The most concise definition of the Gospel is provided in 2 Cor. 5:21 "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Ensure your evangelism efforts are aligned with the essential Gospel message.

From Mustangs & Goats

Men & Machines: that's what it's all about for a SWO - our people and our gear - in that order. A nugget of wisdom was imparted to me today and I wanted to log it for the record - it is worth remembering. I was shooting the bull with this Commander and by surprise I caught "it" - that is to say leadership was imparted to me (often, leadership is better caught than taught). He is on active duty, with over 30 years of experience as an engineer. He was enlisted, attaining the rank of Senior Chief before crossing over to become an LDO - all exclusively as an engineer. The Navy has seen it fit to promote him 13 times - when leaders like this talk I listen. And I was in the catcher's position when he told me the basics of leading as a Chief Engineer. He said create a battle rhythm to meet with your Senior Snipe (the senior Chief in the department) and your MPA (Main Propulsion Assistant, an LDO). Meet with your Senior Chief first to find out how your people are doing - they're first because they are the priority and the most important - without the Sailors the ship is nothing. Meet with your MPA next to check on the status of the plant. Consider what was taught in those few words: people first, trust others, empower them, be humble and dependent, communicate, plan, coordinate, care, and always know the status of what you are accountable/responsible for. For this tour and the those to follow I will continue to be committed to lean on, listen to, and learn from Mustangs and Goats.