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

An 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.)

Leadership 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.

This discussion will always be critical to developing men and women of character with the grit and determination to honorably win personal and team battles. In the words of Admiral Stockdale (derived from Heraclitus), “Character is Destiny.” With SECNAV’s ever-increasing challenges of China, Culture, Climate Change, and COVID defined, our leadership at every level must aggressively and persistently expose Sailors and Marines to this theme of “Accountable Leadership.” The Navy and Marines experimented with various leadership development programs in the 20th Century, and history should be leveraged for teachable examples of failed leadership–that which spans from the small unit-level (Ribbon Creek Incident of 1956 and the 1989 death of LCpl Jason Rother) to service-level leadership failures (USS Indianapolis, USS Pueblo, Marine Barracks Beirut, and Tailhook). For U.S. Marines, “History is a Religion.” We learn from the past in order to improve and lessen mistakes. The U.S. Naval Service’s duty to our nation and the Constitution demands that, from time to time, our force leads the nation toward social and humane progress. We have experienced, in the 1950s and 1960s, in Vietnam, and throughout the Cold War, unthinkable turbulence and leadership obstacles. Not to worry, our leaders today are still action-oriented, expeditionary in nature, and culturally reared in GySgt Highway’s values of “improvise, overcome, and adapt.” Open-mindness, innovativeness, and diversity have not only led to success in battle but also contributed to individual happiness and social prosperity.

Coach Lombardi said, “Winning is a Habit.” Therefore, how we do anything is how we do everything. The teaching of this mindset and development of this culture can’t singularly come from powerpoints or books, but must be combined with practical application of doing the little things over and over again, and augmented with sea stories, experiences, and life. As leaders, we are the paternal/maternal coaches, teachers, and mentors. Our success as an organization depends on the success of our beloved Sailors and Marines we lead. Measuring success is difficult, but success can be defined with a simple answer to a question: “Did you and your unit live, flourish and work today with Honor, Courage, and Commitment?”

Leaders are not born; they are made. This is why we must always have the United States Naval Academy, why every Marine Officer attends The Basic School, why we invest in the newly founded United States Naval Community College, and why we rebranded the Marine Corps University’s Enlisted College. Sailors and Marines will grow and flourish through a crucible that begins at places called Great Lakes, Parris Island, MCRD San Diego, Newport, Quantico, and Annapolis but is matured with the lessons and experiences of the Corporals and Petty Officers Third Class. Like a West African Griot, Marine NCOs, Navy Petty Officers, SNCOs, CPOs and JOs dominate the “sphere of influence” for the 18-19 year old majority, inculcating them with the values and virtues necessary to excel, in uniform and out.

Ownership must be practiced and displayed by all naval leaders at work, at play, and at home. The accountability “mirror” is simple and for everyone. President Harry S. Truman displayed ownership with his desk sign, “THE BUCK STOPS HERE,” leaving no doubt who was answerable. The sign was his “mirror,” his way of crushing any personal imposter syndrome, or any doubts by others of his burden. Asking yourself daily if you are worthy is a good start. Leaders of all ranks in the Department of the Navy must embrace the idea of being a “PRO” at our trade, being a “PRO” as an educator, being a “PRO” as leader, and ultimately being a “PRO” as a parent, shipmate, spouse, and friend. As Aviators and Aircrew within the Navy and the Marines, it is just not good enough to be a good pilot, aircrewman, or mechanic. First and foremost, be a GOOD person with GOOD Intentions. Sailors and Marines control their own destiny, leaders can and should help them improve their character, and in so doing, their future. But it starts with leaders first looking in that mirror.

NEXT QUESTION PLEASE

The theme for Rotor Review 156, and for NHA Symposium 2022, is “The Human Advantage.” Our greatest advantage in Rotary Wing Aviation is the “Weapons System with a Heart,” namely our people and our families who support them. With this theme in mind, we want to hear from you!

Military careers can be unbelievably rewarding and fulfilling for service members and families alike. At the same time, this line of work presents us with a litany of challenges that test the strength of our relationships.

Through the stress of deployments, Permanent Changes of Station (PCS), occupational risk, and irregular working hours, what makes a family cohesive? What are the characteristics of a strong and successful military family? What advice do you have for the young family who is just beginning its journey in Naval Aviation? We want to hear from you! Please send your responses to the Rotor Review Editor-in-Chief at the email address listed below. LT Mike “Bubbles” Short Editor-in-Chief, Rotor Review michael.v.short.mil@us.navy.mil