On Leadership by RADM D.H. "Dano" Fillion, USN.

"On Leadership” is a new feature column where our Rotary Wing Flag Officers are able to submit articles on leadership topics of their choosing. RDML Alvin “Bull” Holsey proposed the idea and provided the lead article on “Mentoring - What Matters Most?” in the Fall 2019 Issue. The batting line up is as follow: VADM Richard Snyder (Winter 2020), RADM Daniel Fillion (Spring 2020), RDML John Gumbleton (Summer 2020), and RADM Jeff Hughes (Fall 2020) so stay tuned and enjoy.

The Bacon & Eggs of Leadership The Difference between Being Committed Not Just Involved!!

So there I was in my summer whites at the front door of a beautiful house on a golf course in Fernandina Beach, FL. The home belonged to Captain Everett P. Pope, USMC, who completed a very successful career in finance following military service during World War II. Two days before, I spoke with Captain Pope’s wife about a leadership speakingopportunity for her husband. I explained to Mrs. Pope that the squadron to which I was assigned had one hellava Skipper who was conducting a Leadership Day for professional development and we were requesting the honor of hosting Captain and Mrs. Pope. I explained that the entire command would be assembled at an off base theater and would be humbled if Captain Pope, a Medal of Honor recipient, shared his personal leadership philosophy that led him to great success in both combat and finance. Mrs. Pope listened politely, thanked me for calling and let me know in no uncertain terms that her husband received phone calls like mine all the time and very rarely responded positively to them. I thanked her for her time and our call ended.

Now, two days later, undeterred by my previous phone call with Mrs. Pope, I was on her front door step. I rang the doorbell, checked my gig line and waited. A few seconds passed before the door opened and I was met by a lovely white haired lady with an electric smile. I introduced myself and reminded Mrs. Pope of our phone call two days prior. She stopped smiling, looked at me curiously and in a declarative manner stated: “You are the Navy guy who called. You are in your summer whites and you just showed up at my house uninvited.” Oh boy, I thought, this is not going to end well. She smiled and calmly said, “My husband will gladly talk to you.” I was relieved and had the privilege of coordinating Captain Pope’s presentation to our command which was scheduled to occur the following week. During his presentation, Captain Pope recounted the events that led him to winning the Medal of Honor as if they happened yesterday. He was extremely humble when describing how he led his platoon up a steep coral hill on Peleliu Island in the face of heavy machine gun, mortar, and sniper fire to beat back or destroy the enemy, resorting to handto-hand combat as ammunition supply dwindled, and to protect units below from heavy Japanese attack at the cost of all but eight of his riflemen. In only a few short weeks following his heroic actions, Captain Pope was on a Landing Craft Utility (LCU) enroute to another Pacific island with a new group of MARINES. Toward the end of Captain Pope’s presentation, my Skipper asked a question I will never forget. He asked, “Captain Pope, nobody on that LCU knew what to expect, but they knew you had been through an extremely challenging situation just a few weeks prior. What did you say to your new MARINES as the LCU was heading to the beach landing to give them confidence that no matter what they would win?” The theater was quiet with anticipation and Captain Pope, who was in his seventies at the time, stepped away from the podium, snapped to attention with such force that all assembled heard his heels hit, and belted so all could hear: “FOLLOW ME!!!”

Leaders do not have to say a lot to be effective. Often it is simply how little they say and how they say it that inspires followers to achieve greatness. Captain Pope is a prime example of how character, confidence, and integrity came together in one simple statement – “Follow Me” – to inspire his men who were facing formidable odds. Captain Pope was Committed Not Just Involved!

If I was talking to each of you in person about Leadership, I would give you an excellent book titled, Lincoln on Leadership, to convey some realistic leadership principles that you may already have in your leadership kit bag. I use this book to underscore my belief that leaders are not simply born – leadership takes effort. While most of us may have some innate leadership ability, becoming an effective leader takes hard work just like everything else in your personal and professional life. Every day is an opportunity to recognize something you could or should have done better as a leader. If you find yourself at a loss of finding things you could have done better, look again, that is what leaders do. Leaders work on leadership every day! Consider

the following thoughts on leadership assembled over three decades of leading Sailors and MARINES if you find yourself needing some leadership advice.

One of the strongest attributes of a Leader I have observed throughout my 35 years of service is the Leader who is confident enough in their ability that they are not afraid to say “I don’t know.” The first time I ever really saw this in action was as a young Lieutenant during a meeting with very senior leaders. The principal was a four star and because of schedule changes (everyone who has ever served in the Pentagon knows who can adjust a four star’s schedule) he was very late to what was supposed to be a course of action (COA) brief dealing with an international crisis. By the time the senior leader arrived there were barely 30 minutes to prep him for a meeting with the highest levels of government. The four star thanked the brief team for their work (the Briefing Book was huge) and told them he “did not know which COA to pick” and he needed them in a very short amount of time to get him to the point where he could make a decision. Ultimately, the brief was the best COA brief I have ever seen in my career. The General made his decision and it was agreed to by the nation’s senior leaders. The outcome was exactly what was desired.

That four star telling his team that he did not have the answer was an outward sign of respect! He trusted that team to help him get to the correct decision. Here is the lesson: if you are confident in your leadership ability, then you will be able, when appropriate (because it is the truth), to look at those you are privileged to lead and say that “you do not know!” In other words, KNOW YOUR BUSINESS!

Build the Team and be Part of It! (Communication is key) Imagine that two aircraft are working a tactical problem when in all aircrew helmets is heard, “Knock it off, Knock it off!” All aircraft level wings, make sure they have visual on the other guy,get a big boy/girl voice back and start to sort it out on squadron common.

We are all part of the team; we execute and give orders every day. Many of us are in positions to give direction and orders that affect a lot of folks who incidentally may have families. The impact of your leadership has far reaching second- and third-order affects.

For instance, picture that troops are closing up shops and emptying trash cans in anticipation of a long weekend. The squadron Maintenance Officer (MO) yells into the hangar, “Liberty secured, empty all shops, sweep, mop and paint the decks!” What the ….? No one understands why, but everyone follows direction and at zero dark thirty the hangar deck is sparkling and everyone heads home tired. Monday arrives and there is an inspection team on station ready to conduct a no-notice inspection of selected maintenance spaces and maintenance programs. The squadron does great, no issues! However, the MO knew on Friday why liberty was secured. He had plans for a long weekend and was a little upset about the changes. He issued a lawful order and his team followed, but it was not a “Knock it off” situation. How much of a leadership opportunity was missed. What if the MO had got the khaki together, told his team what they had to do and WHY they had do it! Yep, you are correct, not required, but do you think the Sailors and their families would have appreciated knowing why the good deal liberty had been cancelled? This is an example of a missed opportunity to BUILD THE TEAM AND BE PART OF IT!

Build the Team and be Part of It! (Communication is key) Imagine that two aircraft are working a tactical problem when in all aircrew helmets is heard, “Knock it off, Knock it off!” All aircraft level wings, make sure they have visual on the other guy,

Lead Just do it, make mistakes, listen, learn, Lead!

Privilege (It Is a Privilege to Lead)

If I had the opportunity to be in a room and listen to you address the folks you are tasked to lead, I would know whether or not you believe it is a PRIVILEGE TO LEAD in about three minutes. Even more significant is the fact that the folks you are leading will also recognize if you know it is a PRIVILEGE TO LEAD!

People 3 R’S

• Respect for Yourself.

• Respect for Others.

• Responsibilities for your actions.

Character And Integrity EW/HR (It is EASY to make the WRONG Decision; RIGHT Decision will be HARD)

If presented with an integrity situation as a leader you will know immediately, your stomach will churn and your mind will be screaming this is not right, but you will know it is clearly a character/ integrity issue. If you find an easy solution to the situation it will be 100% wrong! When a character/integrity flaw presents itself often times it may be someone senior, or a close colleague, or a friend who has a family that you know personally! Resolving this situation will require a leader to make a decision that will be hard, but that will be the right decision.

Being a Leader means being Lonely; being a Leader sometimes means pissing people off! Remember, EASY WRONG / HARD RIGHT!

Bacon and Eggs

Imagine that you are assigned a mission to make a breakfast of Bacon and Eggs.

Let me pontificate for a moment about the message in the remaining paragraphs: 1. Some of you will “get it." 2. Some of you will not “get it.” 3. Absolutely none of you will ever “forget it.”

So two out of the above items will happen….I am sure of it. Ok, so back to breakfast. Somewhere on a farm there is a chicken and during the course of the day the chicken lays an egg. The farmer is appreciative of the chicken’s work, after all the egg is a necessary component to our successful mission of making breakfast. The chicken is involved with making breakfast. You need to be involved in the mission. Being involved is good, but it is not how each of you will succeed as a Leader.

Now on the same farm with the same farmer is a pig. During the course of the day (I believe) the pig and the farmer come to a mutual decision that the pig is going to become part of breakfast. There is no turning back, the pig is totally committed to making the breakfast the very best it can be; the pig is committed!

Recall items one, two, and three above. Right now each of you is thinking or perhaps yelling at your copy of Rotor Review, “so I have been to the bad zip codes and did not have to kill myself for my job, you expect me to do it now?” No, no way, but what I am telling you is if you want to be or already are a leader then you darn well have to be Committed Not Just Involved! There is a difference, you see it every day. That person in the command, strike group, OPNAV that is moving around and very active, but they are not making a difference, they are merely involved!

If you are Committed Not Just Involved (CNJI) there will be no doubt in anyone’s mind that you recognize it is a PRIVILEGE TO LEAD! That if presented with a situation that requires a decision based on character/ integrity, because you are CNJI, all concerned will know that you can and will make the “hard” decision.

Your leadership philosophy addresses how you will deal with the folks you are privileged to lead. It is the 3 R’s for me – find yours and keep it simple. If you are CNJI, your team will know that you have enough trust in them and confidence in your leadership ability to say “I don’t know”…KNOW YOUR BUSINESS! If you are CNJI, then all who come in contact, or better yet, see you coming down the p-way, will know instantly that you work on being a leader in your job and your personal life every single day. Everyone has natural born leadership ability, but it requires being COMMITTED NOT JUST INVOLVED to develop into a natural born leader! Be the Pig, Not the Chicken! Be Committed Not Just Involved! CNJI!

Editor's note: To watch Captain Pope's interview regarding his Medal of Honor visit the Bowdoin College Marine Corps website. https://www.bowdoinmarinecorpssociety.org/everett-p-pope

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