U.S. Marine Corps Logistics Command’s Post

Lessons on Leadership: Michael Abrashoff was in his mid-thirties when he took command of the USS Benfold, a guided missile destroyer and one of the worst-performing ships in the navy. Despite her potency, the “dysfunctional ship had a sullen crew that resented being there and could not wait to get out of the Navy.” By the time he left, less than three years later, Benfold had become the highest-performing ship and retention was amazing. And he did it all without changing a member of the crew. Most organizations create an ineffective system of rules and policies that attempt to prepare for every possible contingency. The thing about rules and policies is they become very hard to fix once they are put in place. Both the people who put them in place and those whose job it is to exercise them become highly motivated advocates of the policies. Even if the policies originally made sense, they become very hard to change as the environment changes. When you try to change something but can’t, you start becoming a tenant and stop being an owner. And ownership dramatically increases the odds of success.

The Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps was caught off guard by the situation. Senior enlisted personnel must advocate vigorously for the well-being of their junior Marines. Rather than excusing the oversight of Marines at the training facility by attributing it to disinformation or highlighting the construction of a new firehouse, he should be holding accountable all enlisted personnel and officers who failed in their duties. Leadership should prioritize professional courage over merely being executive figureheads or yes-men. Authentic leadership requires action and integrity.

Developing our nation’s next generation of warfighters! Surface Warfare Schools Command (SWSC) Commanding Officer, CAPT Joseph Baggett, meets with RADM Pete Garvin, President, Naval War College (NWC) to discuss efforts as warfighting enablers by the two premier training and education organizations located onboard Naval Station Newport. NWC and SWSC regularly collaborate, supporting each other’s leader development programs designed to ensure decisive advantage in a complex and rapidly changing global security environment. Both organizations are vital to the Navy’s strategic focus on increasing naval competitive advantage to effectively deter aggression and succeed in long-term competition that challenges our national security, and to prepare our naval forces to succeed across the full spectrum of conflict. U.S. Naval War College Naval Education and Training Command U.S. Navy

These five incredible naval officers are all BOOST 1993 graduates! Each has a distinguished career filled with combat service, major command, major program manager or Navy and Marine Corps civil service tours, proving their dedication to excellence. And guess what? We’re all still going strong, making significant contributions to the Navy today. The BOOST program is a shining example of how investing in potential can unlock remarkable leadership. #Navy #DiversityMatters #BOOSTProgram #LeadershipDevelopment

🌟 Exciting News Alert! 🌟 I am thrilled to share that I've been featured in an article spotlighting the NNSY Executive Development program, an incredible journey I'm currently undertaking. 🚀 This program has truly been a blessing, offering me unparalleled access to the top executive leaders within our corporation. Through self-reflection and insightful discussions with these leaders, I've had the opportunity to refine my leadership skills, identifying areas of strength and areas for growth. Each interaction has provided invaluable insights into various leadership styles and practical tips that I'm eager to incorporate into my own leadership toolbag. One of the most enlightening revelations has been recognizing the universal challenges faced by shipyards across the board. Despite differing geographies and workforces, we share common struggles, such as finding the balance between autonomy and authority at every level. As leaders, we're not just in the business of maintaining ships; we're in the people business. It's our responsibility to nurture talent, foster collaboration, and remove barriers to success. I am confident that the lessons learned from this program will shape me into a more effective leader for the entirety of my career. 🌟 To my fellow GS 13 or 14 colleagues at NNSY, I highly encourage you to explore the opportunities offered by the Executive Development program. It's an investment in your growth and development that I believe will pay dividends in your leadership journey. I'm more than happy to sit down and share my experiences in greater detail – let's connect! 💬 #LeadershipDevelopment #NNSY #ExecutiveDevelopment #ProfessionalGrowth #LeadershipJourney

Kathleen Hogan - Thanks for the post. Benchmarking Microsoft’s Growth Mindset journey added confidence that the Navy learning transformation was on a solid vector. Navy leaders recognize there is no finish line to this challenging journey and lead with these lessons to impact both outcomes and people’s underlying beliefs about how the Navy works, what is rewarded, and what is effective - the foundation of culture. Accelerating Navy’s performance advantage with transparency, collaborative problem-solving, focused barrier removal, and valuing learning as an outcome… ‘Lead, don’t manage’ in action.

Your Navy is world-class and worldwide 🏆🌍 📍MEDITERRANEAN SEA - Vice Adm. Thomas Ishee, commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet, recognizes Personnel Specialist 2nd Class Robert Conger and Yeoman 2nd Class Isiah Alvidrez for outstanding performance aboard the Blue Ridge-class command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), Aug. 10, 2023. Mount Whitney is participating in Large Scale Exercise 2023 from Aug. 9-18, which is a live, virtual, and constructive, globally-integrated exercise designed to refine the synchronization of maritime operations across six maritime component commands, seven numbered fleets, and 22 time zones. LSE 2023 merges real-world operations with virtually constructed scenarios to create a realistic training environment that allows our Sailors and Marines to train the way we fight, regardless of geographic boundaries. #LSE2023

A Conversation with U.S. Navy Comptroller Hon. Russell Rumbaugh Stimson Center 16 Oct 2023 Exploring the challenges facing the US Navy and its financial strategy.

Such a good read! Another phrase to live by: Get Real, Get Better. The article talks about the importance of embracing the power of data in generating important insights of the real constraints inhibiting performance. It also explains further the importance of good and effective leadership in enabling the people to perform at their best, and be the self-managing individuals that they could possibly be; guided, encouraged, and led by their leaders, with these five (5) routinely asked questions during "learning and barrier removal-centered discussions": Where did we predict we would be now? Where are we actually? What did we learn from any gap between the two? What are the most consequential barriers to meeting the goal (and how do we know)? Who owns the decision rights on them? In result, as the author of the article stated, "over time, these conversations became psychologically safe as leaders kept the focus on collaborative problem-solving – what are the biggest barriers we face today, how do we know, and how do we solve them?". #data #leadership #culture

As does iron sharpen iron, Space sharpens Joint! Space is more than a fixed position of advantage to be leveraged ... it is the fine-pointed edge of our asymmetric lethality. We will outthink, outpace, and overmatch any opponent through our overwhelming options. #OnGuard #SpaceMindedness #NeverADayWithoutSpace