Radio Check The theme of Rotor Review 155 (Winter 2022) is “Leadership & Culture.” In Admiral Bill Lescher’s keynote address at NHA Symposium, he emphasized our Navy’s need for accountable leaders to carry us forward. Fleet Master Chief (FLTCM) April Beldo embodies accountable leadership every day when she looks in the mirror in the morning and asks herself the following: “Do I have integrity? Credibility? Humility?” What does accountable leadership look like to you? What are the characteristics of accountable leaders you’ve encountered in your careers? What is an example of a moment in which you, as a leader, have had to look in the mirror and perform an accountability check?
From CAPT Patrick J. Murphy, USN
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n accountable leader is someone who gives the glory to their team, but then accepts the team’s mistakes and failures as their own. They take those mistakes or failures and turn them into lessons learned in order to make their team better. An accountable leader understands missions and goals, and shapes their team to ensure the success of both their team and the teams around them.The leader must realize that they are accountable up and down the chain of command. They are selfless, lead by example, and they do not ask their team to do anything they are not willing to do themselves. As a leader I struggled with the delicate balance of being accountable to my boss for mission accomplishment, but then being accountable to my team to ensure they were afforded the opportunity to train for their next advancement exam, or get some time away from work to relax and be with their friends and families. The work-life balance is always a challenge.
From RADM Gary R. Jones, USN (Ret.)
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eadership is at the heart of what makes any organization or team efficient and effective – obvious, and no great revelation. With six command tours, I never stopped learning how to improve or be a better leader–to include reading and studying successful (and not so successful) leaders. I made it a point to always learn from my mistakes as a leader, and I made plenty. I took to heart the ol’ saying “…no one is useless, if nothing else they can serve as a bad example…” I believe to this day that no one joins the Navy to fail, so if/when there were shortcomings, mistakes, failures on my watch, I had to look in the mirror and ask what role I played in the failure. Where did I fail the Sailors who were serving alongside me? I never met a Sailor (all the way up to Flag Rank) who woke up and their first thought of the day was “what can I screw up today?” Cadillac, BMW, Bose, Rolex – all brand names that denote quality and a “culture” of excellence. The Navy is a brand, and Sailors want/expect/desire to have pride in that Navy brand. That is where leadership can and must make the difference in crafting a culture of mission success and commitment to Shipmates, unit, and self. It’s a commitment to the highest professional standards, to a culture where the norm is to look after Shipmates, and to the readiness of the team. Standards are often set by what leaders DO NOT do. It’s never an option to walk by or ignore a problem or substandard performance. Part of crafting a culture of mission success and commitment is to not be afraid of making mistakes as a leader – no one is perfect, so admit mistakes, and learn from them. Have the courage to act when action is required, and then have the courage to be accountable for those actions. Finally, always maintain and expect a sense of honor in all that you and your team do. As a leader, never forget that your every action reflects on and represents not only you, but your family, our Navy, and our country.
Rotor Review #155 Winter '22
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