Points to Ponder
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A Quick Point to Ponder (Posted 4/26/2013):
On May 4th, it’s official. The Class of 2013 joins the ranks of Citadel graduates.
As soon-to-be graduates, consider the cohort of family and friends who supported us during our Citadel experience. Who was there for us? When times were good and most especially when times were not so good? Graduation is a time to thank them all.
Graduation is also a good time to get our minds focused on how to be a successful from the start. What will be our priority on day one in our chosen career?
A worthy goal in any profession is to earn, then keep our credibility. If we’re credible, there are unlimited opportunities for the Citadel grad. Good luck.
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A Quick Point to Ponder (Posted 4/19/2013):
238 years ago today, the shot heard round the world was fired on the village green at Lexington.
On 19 April 1775, 77 minutemen engaged 700 British regulars and the fight for America’s liberty began in earnest. Captain John Parker famously told his men, “Stand your ground. Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war let it begin here."
A little over a year later, 56 founders signed the Declaration of Independence, which closed with a solemn commitment, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
At the signing of the Declaration, Ben Franklin said it a different way, telling the assembled group, “we must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
- Why did the minutemen stand their ground?
- Why did the signers of the Declaration take such personal risk?
These examples from our heritage get at what ultimately motivates us to endure crises and challenges. A lofty principle like liberty or honor might rally us to a cause. But we stand our ground for one simple, powerful reason—for each other.
- How does the concept of mutual support apply to The Citadel Experience?
- How will the concept play a role in your chosen profession after graduation?
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A Quick Point to Ponder (Posted 4/12/2013):
The Class of 2016 has been preparing to move up the chain of command all year. Tomorrow the Corps rightly recognizes and celebrates their accomplishment.
That said, it is a good time for all us to remember that no matter what we do in life, no matter how high we climb up the ladder, we’ll always be following somebody. How often do we think about the powerful influence exerted by great followers?
By being the example in their professional and personal life, by taking the initiative, by being mutually supportive to their team and boss, by providing constructive input to the boss, the best followers find a way to be world-class leaders (though not the formal ones).
What kind of followers will we choose to be?
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A Quick Point to Ponder (Posted 4/5/2013):
In 8 days & a wakeup, the Corps will recognize the Class of 2016.
For the class of 2016, a commitment to each other has carried us this far. That same mutual support is the key to success, for next Saturday, for the rest of The Citadel Experience, for life. Never give up & most certainly never give up on each other.
For the top three classes, think back (in some cases, think way back) to our recognition day. What do we remember? Who do we remember? We can be that cadet this year’s knobs remember. Be present. It matters. It inspires. It’s remembered.
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A Quick Point to Ponder (Posted 3/29/2013):
This week the Commandant announced the rising leadership teams for next year with Memorandum No. 12. Congratulations to all on “the list.”
Whether we’re on that list or not, though, we will all be ramping up our leadership responsibilities next year. Increased responsibilities probably mean different priorities, goals (unit and personal), and daily routines. To jumpstart us getting our minds around new duties, consider these quotes:
ON EXPECTATIONS: "It is the nature of man to rise to greatness if greatness is expected of him." -- John Steinbeck
ON CONFIDENCE: "Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell 'em, "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it." --Theodore Roosevelt
ON BEING POSITIVE: "Optimism is a force multiplier." --Colin Powell
ON DECISIONMAKING: "Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in." --Andrew Jackson
ON SHARING SUCCESS: "The deepest principle of human nature is the craving to be appreciated." -- William James
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A Quick Point to Ponder Posted 3/22/2013:
One of the key responsibilities of a leader is to develop your replacement and set him or her up for success.
For seniors, there are 43 days and a wakeup until graduation—that’s only 43 days left to make for a smooth command transition from you to the junior leaders who will assume your positions next year.
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A Quick Point to Ponder Posted 3/15/2013:
There are terrific parallels between baseball and leadership.
St Louis Cardinal pitching great Bob “Hoot” Gibson loved the game of baseball. The game to Gibson was to be revered, and he expected others to live up to that standard every day. There was a “right” way to play the game. If you didn’t play it right, there was no doubt that Gibson would bean you – put one right in your ear – the next time you came to the plate.
Same is true in any profession. Not the “beanball part,” of course, but a right way to play the game—with integrity, a sense of duty, and an absolute commitment to your teammates.
Are we – the Corps – playing the game right?
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A Quick Point to Ponder Posted 3/8/2013:
Lieutenant General Michael Ferriter ‘79 addressed the Corps of Cadets as the Greater Issues speaker for the Sixth Annual Krause Principled Leadership Symposium. His talk centered on the concept of duty, and he challenged us to consider duty beyond the barracks and in our private lives.
Check out four of the General’s statements:
- “It is our duty to lead our unit – of whatever type – when it gets tough. The mission doesn’t change, even if you have less money. It’s still your duty to get the job done.”
- “If you want to lead Soldiers, it’s your duty to stay in shape.”
- “We also have a duty to families—your family and the families of those in your care.”
- “Find a man or woman, marry ‘em, then be true to them for your whole life. That’s your duty.”
How well do we measure up to General Ferriter’s concept of duty?
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A Quick Point to Ponder Posted 3/1/2013:
This week’s quote of the week – known as “The Man in the Arena” quote – has served as an inspiration for many who Dare to Lead (quote below).
Did you know Nelson Mandela gave a copy of this Theodore Roosevelt speech to François Pienaar, captain of the South African rugby team, before the start of the 1995 Rugby World Cup? The South African side eventually defeated the heavily favored All Blacks.
Did you know Mark DeRosa, a ballplayer with the Washington Nationals, read the passage to teammates prior the pivotal game four versus the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2012 National League Division Series? The Nats won with a walk-off home run by slugger Jayson Werth.
What makes the man-in-the-arena leader so special? Will you dare to commit your sweat and blood to a worthy effort?
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“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt
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A Quick Point to Ponder Posted 2/22/2013:
With Citadel baseball underway and pitchers and catchers at work in spring training, it’s appropriate we use a baseball legend to start up a leadership discussion.
Hall of Famer and New York Yankee great Yogi Berra once quipped, “90 percent of baseball is half mental.” That’s mathematically impossible and pure wisdom!
A ballplayer’s mindset is everything in baseball. Skill takes a player only so far. The right approach to the game is also essential. Great hitters dig in with intensity, focus, and confidence on every pitch, regardless of the outcome of the last pitch. It’s the “next pitch” that matters, never the last one.
How’s your approach to leadership? Do you focus on the “next pitch” or the “last one”? Do you “dig in” with confidence every at bat?
Yogi might have had it wrong technically, but he most definitely had it 100 percent right conceptually.
One last thing: remember “there is no crying in baseball.”
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A Quick Point to Ponder Posted 2/15/2013:
Winston Churchill said, “all the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.”
It’s worth pondering what Churchill did not say. He did not say “great things are easy to attain” or “all great things once attained last forever.” Preserving great things requires commitment and vigilance.
The concept of duty, on Churchill’s list and one of The Citadel Core Values, is ours to preserve.
From this perspective, consider General Lee’s thoughts on duty, and not just the first sentence we see at the sally port of the barracks but the full quote:
“Duty is the sublimest word in the English language. You should do your duty in all things. You can never do more; you should never wish to do less.” – General Robert E. Lee
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A Quick Point to Ponder Posted 2/8/2013:
General Omar Bradley once said, “The greatness of a leader is measured by the achievements of the led. This is the ultimate test of his [or her] effectiveness.”
The President’s Inspection is just 15 days and a wake up away. No single event during the year offers a greater opportunity for the entire Corps to give The Citadel President a true picture of Corps professionalism and commitment to principled leadership.
Are we ready for General Rosa to judge our effectiveness as leaders on 23 February?
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A Quick Point to Ponder Posted 2/1/2013:
In honor of Super Bowl XLVII, the list below is a short list of football clichés you are almost guaranteed to hear on Super Bowl Sunday. You also hear the metaphors used a lot by leaders. While sports metaphors don’t always work well, depending on the audience, in this case, I think each gets at a worthwhile leadership principle for your consideration. What do you think?
- There seemed to be a miscommunication on that play.” [Leadership principle: effective communicators invest a lot of time and energy in connecting with their people & reinforcing important themes.]
- “They have to take care of the football.” [Leadership principle: take care of your most important asset – people]
- “They left it all on the field.” [Leadership principle: Effective leadership requires plenty o’ persistence and hard work]
- I would have gone for the field goal, but maybe that’s why I’m up here and the coaches are down there.” [Leadership principle: Like TR might say, “it’s not the critic who counts; it’s the man in the arena”]
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A Quick Point to Ponder Posted 1/18/2013:
In the movie Saving Private Ryan, Captain John Miller says to one of his troops, in part,“…I'm a captain. There's a chain of command. Gripes go up, not down. Always up. You gripe to me, I gripe to my superior officer, so on, so on, and so on. I don't gripe to you. I don't gripe in front of you.”
What would happen to an organization if a leader forgot this age-old tenet of leadership? Would it impact morale?
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