Investing in Ensigns

I recently had the privilege to speak with some State Department Interns about language, culture, and the value of interpreters. My Navy background and two overseas tours helped prepare my remarks. What occurred to me while speaking with these remarkably talented interns (who asked fantastic and inquisitive questions) was that I was making a small investment in the future of our country - a very good investment!

It reminded me of a speech I gave to a class of Navy Ensigns graduating from their Basic Division Officer Course in 2016. It’s my leadership brand pitch that I’ve given many times, but specifically designed for the Navy’s most junior officers. I like to think it, too, was a good investment - no different (as shown in the cover photo) than the investment of instilling pride and warfighting prowess into Ensigns at a 2019 Battle of Midway commemoration in Pearl Harbor.

It’s a reminder for all leaders that investment in your newest hires, your newest team members, or newest junior officers starts before they walk through your door or report aboard. It’s an investment that extends well beyond your onboarding process. It’s worth every bit of your time, focus, and attention. It’s what leaders do! Otherwise, what you thought was your investment will go somewhere else!

Thanks for reading and feel free to share! The shorted version of my 2016 speech follows…

“What an honor and privilege to be asked to speak here today at this graduation ceremony. I actually speak at many events throughout the year and previously served as Commanding Officer of a training command where I spoke at graduations about every 8 weeks, but there is nothing more exciting for me than this, speaking here today to these graduates – Naval Officers, Ensigns – my favorite group of officers!  

For me the privilege of speaking here today is the privilege of having an opportunity to invest in the future of our Navy. If this speech had a title, I would call it: Investing in Ensigns! Just like interest compounds over time, investing in Ensigns is a far better investment than investing in Captains. As such, the words of encouragement I’ll share this morning are the exact same leadership charges I demand of my Commanding Officers, the Commanders of the destroyers of DESRON 26.  

You see to me it doesn’t matter whether you are an Ensign or a Commander. You are a Naval Officer, and leadership is expected of you. This is my contribution to the investment in your future; these are my leadership charges to you:

Charge 1: Lead with Integrity. Your leadership anchor must be integrity, because at the core of what you want from me, what I want from you, and what your Sailors want from you is integrity. I expect absolute honesty, trustworthiness, and reliability in every aspect of leading your Sailors. So do your Sailors. I expect you to lead with the moral courage to accept responsibility for your actions. So do your Sailors. I expect your loyalty to our Nation and Navy ahead of loyalty to individuals. And guess what, so do your Sailors.

Charge 2: Be a Bold Decision Maker. From a core of integrity, the most important aspect of leadership is decision making. Be a bold decision maker. Risk adverse leadership represents nothing more than fear and self-preservation. 

And yes, I expect bold decision making from Ensigns.  

Onboard my first ship, my XO chastised me and all of the other Division Officers one day for failing to bring newly reported Sailors to him in a timely manner to check in. Like most JOs on my ship, I was somewhat intimidated by the XO. Physically, he was much bigger than me and he terrorized us by his scowl alone.  

So when he gave us clear direction to bring new check-ins to him, I complied. After lunch, I collected my three newest Sailors and their service records and took them to the XO.  

With my three new Sailors in tow, I bravely knocked on the XO's stateroom door, opened it, and stated my business. The XO was playing a popular war game on his computer and got up to shut the door in my face, telling me he was too busy for check ins. With my three new Sailors in my wake, I wasn't about to let the door slam in my face, so I boldly stuck out my foot causing the door to bounce back open.

The XO glared at me. I knew I was about to be the hero or chum in front of my Sailors. Bravely, I said, "XO, I can see you’re busy. You said you wanted to see new check-ins as soon as possible. I have three new Sailors here, all with their service records in hand. If there is a better time than now, please let me know, and I'll bring them back."  

The XO pulled his glasses down over his nose, scowled as me, smiled, and told me to send them in. It was only a very small victory, but a lesson in boldness and decision making that I obviously still tell to this day. Now, if you have a similar opportunity and try this and you get turned into chum by your CO or XO, give me a call, particularly if you are reporting to one of my ships.

Charge 3: Communicate with your Sailors Every Day. Great communication is fundamental to every success, both in the Navy and in life. 

After receiving my commission as an Ensign on October 1, 1989, I worked at a small recruiting station in Fayetteville, Arkansas while I waited for my nuclear power school training to begin. There I worked with an outstanding, old school Fire Control Chief, named Chief Bob Debord. When I walked into his recruiting station on a chilly Northwest Arkansas October morning as a brand new shiny Ensign, Chief Debord, whom I don’t think was told I was coming, stood up, shook my hand, and asked if I were there to take over the station.  

Now, Chief Debord actually scared me a little, too. He had a rack of personal ribbons and decorations a mile high and had this weathered Chief Petty Officer look like you might see in movie. He had service stripes (the red kind, not the gold kind) all the way up his sleeve and was a chain smoker. He always wore his service dress blue tie just a little loose, as if to let you know he was ready to take it off with ease for a fight. Yep, he scared me a little, and so when he asked if I were there to take over, I said, “No Chief, I’m here to work for you.”  

He just smiled and said, “We’re going to get along great, Ensign.” That one line of very simple communication set the tone for our successful personal and professional relationship. From that moment on I learned the importance of what it meant to be trained by my Chief, and it most certainly helped me bravely stand up to my XO.

Charge 4: Take Care of Your Sailors and Their Families. Fundamentally, what's the point of leadership without people to lead? This is why we make decisions and why we communicate. This is why we need leaders of integrity. Taking Care of Sailors and their families has always been the first bullet in my own command philosophy, and has always been a priority for my Officers and Chiefs.

Taking care of Sailors requires both responsive and intrusive leadership skill sets. Responsive leadership refers a leader to resolving or responding to a new problem or challenge. All leaders need this skill. It is the hallmark of many great leaders, particularly during times of crisis. 

Intrusive leadership refers to a leader being intimately involved in the personal and professional lives of Sailors. This isn’t near as hard, or intrusive, as it sounds. Becoming involved in the lives of Sailors is as easy as simply being able to conduct friendly banter or small talk. Being an intrusive leader takes time and patience to build healthy working relationships. Intrusive leadership comes from the heart. Intrusive leaders genuinely care for the wellbeing of their Sailors. Mastering intrusive leadership is also as easy as being out and about in your spaces. First and foremost, that allows you to get out of your stateroom, away from your computer, and around your ship to learn. More importantly it allows you the opportunity to personally and individually communicate with your Sailors – every day. 

As the token Ensign working at Chief Debord’s recruiting post, he did things like invite me to his house for a Christmas dinner with his family and taught me the value of things like qualifying enlisted men to stand watches normally stood by officers as he was a qualified Officer of the Deck underway himself. He trained me in something new almost every day.

Charge 5 – Critically Self-Assess Your Performance At Every Opportunity. Now, I’m not going to belabor this charge, because this is truly a command-level leadership charge. However, I’m going to give you some Ensign advice with respect to critical self-assessment.

(1) If you hear, “that’s the way we’ve always done it,” your sub conscious is should be sounding 5 short blasts…that’s a danger sign. (2) Always ask to see Ref A when your Sailors bring you something for your review. (3) Never sign something without reading it and understanding it; if you don’t understand it, ask questions. (4) As an Ensign, you should be the most intellectually curious person on your ship. Every time your ship is involved in an exercise or evolution, you should be on station asking lots of questions. 

Charge 6 – Rise to the Challenge in a Crisis. Charges 1 through 5 are designed to minimize crisis events, but a crisis will happen in your Division. When it does, rise to the challenge! Your leadership will be key in every crisis - make bold decisions, communicate with your team, and take care of your Sailors.

Charge 7 – Respect Your Vulnerability to Your Own Vanity. Normally, I would also reserve this for more senior officers, however, as Division Officers, you are part of the Selfie-Generation. 

And I would caution that vanity, even for Ensigns, chips away daily at your integrity. We usually don’t even see it coming. So what happens? Good leaders master the first four charges and begin to transition into great leaders. They master critical self-assessment and demonstrate tremendous crisis leadership. Their communication and decision making skills amaze their Sailors and peers every day, and then something happens, usually quite slowly. Everything becomes about them. Leaders start to believe they are indispensable, everything revolves around them; success begins and ends with them. Leaders forget that leadership is not about self, but those who follow. 

So that’s it. What a great time to be a Surface Warfare Officer and serve on an awesome great, gray hull!  You will make more friends for life in your DIVO tour than at any other time in your Navy service. Be awesome George Ensigns, truly be the Bull Ensign when your time comes, and if you are so fortunate, be the best Mess Treasurer or Morale Officer ever.  

Good luck as you qualify in the fleet and stand your very first watch Officer of the Deck watch underway. It will be an awesome feeling. Good luck!”