The Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership

Vice Admiral (VADM) James Bond Stockdale was a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, a fighter pilot and one of the most highly decorated officers of the Navy.  In September 1965, he ejected out of his A-4E Skyhawk over North Vietnam.  For eight years, Admiral Stockdale was held prisoner and was frequently tortured.  He organized the American’s resistance against the North Vietnamese.  VADM Stockdale was awarded 26 personal combat decorations and four Silver Stars.  In 1976, he received the Medal of Honor.  From October 1977 until August 1979, he served as president of the Naval War College in Newport, R.I.  Admiral Stockdale died in 2005 and is buried at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

Admiral Jonathan Greenert, the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), presented the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Leadership Award to two commanders at the Pentagon in the Hall of Heroes on January 5^th.  The Navy established the award more than three decades ago, in part to recognize VADM Stockdale’s distinguished naval career that symbolizes the highest standards of excellence in both personal character, example and leadership.  The annual honor recognizes two active-duty commanding officers, one from each coast, below the rank of captain, who are in command of a single ship, submarine, aviation squadron, or operational warfare unit, whose service shows personal character and excellent leadership.  These commanders are nominated by their peers, and recommended by their fleet commanders, for consideration by a panel of senior officers.

Commander (CDR) Robert B. Chadwick II, representing the Atlantic fleet, former commanding officer (CO) of the USS Roosevelt (DDG 80), based in Mayport, Florida, and CDR Gerald N. Miranda Jr., representing the Pacific Fleet, former CO of the San Diego-based submarine USS Asheville (SSN 758), both received this year’s award.  They were given the award due to their leadership, personal initiative, exemplary performance and contribution to the overall success of the operational units they commanded.  By receiving this award, they are considered to be the best in the fleet, according to their peers.

CDR Chadwick credited his success to his crew on the Roosevelt.  “Although this award is being presented to me I honestly feel as though it is a unit award,” said Chadwick. “This award is for inspirational leadership and if that is true inspiration flowed both ways because I was inspired every day by the Sailors of Roosevelt. I won’t presume that I fully earned it the highest compliment I could receive would be that I was a commanding officer that Roosevelt’s remarkable crew deserved and I accept this award on their behalf.”

Chadwick said, “I was inspired every day by the sailors of Roosevelt” and “Whenever you are in a leadership position, your mindset needs to be, I am here for them…I think where leaders can get in trouble is if they ever take the approach, ‘They are here for me’. If you take that service approach, ‘I can only be successful if they are successful’, then I think you can’t go wrong.”

Chadwick said part of his leadership style is to build the confidence of sailors and give them the opportunities they need to succeed. That worked well on the Roosevelt, he said.

CDR Miranda said that, to him, the Stockdale award means being a role model for crew members and commanding officers both at work and at home.  “Although my name is on the plaque, it’s really a crew award. Without my courageous and dedicated crew this recognition would not be possible. Each and every Sailor onboard shares in this award’s prestige; they are a group of ordinary men doing extraordinary things,” said Miranda.  “Being a commanding officer is a 24/7, 365-days-a-year job that requires constant and unrelenting standards,” Miranda said. “It means doing the right thing all the time regardless of the obstacles and pressures to do otherwise, as well as being the example for others to follow.”

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Command Leadership is a challenging undertaking, even under the best of circumstances.  Being in command of these ships and squadrons is not all about winning awards and accolades.  It’s about leading Sailors through some of the toughest personal and professional challenges imaginable.[i]

The Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale award embodies all of what the core values and leadership principles represent.  The recipients of this award have demonstrated their ability to gain the trust of their respective crews, have gained their loyalty, and have ultimately succeeded at inspiring and influencing them to accomplish the mission of the ship.  These two Naval officers were proud, yet unselfish in their acceptance of this award; giving all of the credit to their respective crews.  In the military, officers don’t spend a lot of time bragging about what they’ve accomplished.  They focus on how they can help their team.  They instill a sense of belief in their people, and, in turn, their people are confident that they can accomplish their goals and objectives.  Officers in the military should not focus on advancing their careers, as much as they should work to advance the knowledge and experience of their subordinates.

Commander Chadwick and Commander Miranda have demonstrated their ability to influence others through emotionally intelligent interaction, ability to demonstrate a strong team approach, and ability to understand the personal and professional motivators of their crew that provided the impetus for organizational progress.  Congratulations to both of these fine officers and gentlemen.

Copyright © Dale R. Wilson

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Sources –

“Sub CO, former skipper earn top Navy honor” – By Jill Laster (staff writer) – Posted Tuesday, September 6, 2011 – http://www.navytimes.com/news/2011/09/navy-sub-co-former-skipper-earn-top-navy-honor-090611/ – Accessed 17 January 2012 – http://www.navytimes.com

“31st Annual Stockdale Leadership Awards Presented by CNO” – By Mass Communication Specialist 3^rd Class Shannon Burns, Defense Media Activity – Navy – Release Date: January 5, 2012 – http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=64644 – Accessed 17 January 2012 – http://www.navy.mil

“ ‘Aye-Aye Skipper!’ There Should Be More Stories Like This… ” – By Darlene Iskra – Posted January 17, 2012 – Battleland Blog (where military intelligence is not a contradiction in terms) – http://battleland.blogs.time.com/2012/01/17/aye-aye-skipper-there-should-be-more-stories-like-this/ – Accessed 17 January 2012 – http://www.time.com

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Footnote – 

[i] Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Leadership Award Winners: A League of Extraordinary Officers and Gentlemen – By Captain Mike Lambert – The Real Navy – http://therealnavy.com/default.aspx, accessed 17 January 2012

Photo Credits -

Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Shannon Burns, Defense Media Activity – Navy – Accessed 17 January 2012 – http://www.navytimes.com

Leadership Principles

Leadership in Battle

Considered one of the top battlefield commanders in world history, Lieutenant General Harold G. Moore (US Army Retired) established his place in military history in 1965 when he led his vastly outnumbered troops to prevail in the first major battle of the Vietnam War.  Both on the battlefield and off, he has spent his lifetime studying and encouraging strong, principled leadership as a soldier and a human being.  A more detailed biography about General Moore can be found at http://www.nationalveteransday.org/honorees/moore.htm.

The following video lays out Lt. Gen. Moore’s four main principles for a leader in battle.  Although they are discussed in the context of battlefield leadership, one can easily apply these leadership principles to a corporate environment by slightly adjusting the circumstances to a team or workplace scenario.  No matter if it is on a battlefield or in a corporate boardroom, leading a team to victory is the common goal.

Below are the four leadership principles for a leader’s conduct in battle, as discussed in the video:

1. Three strikes and you’re not out! There is always one more thing you can do to influence any situation in your favor.

There are two things a leader can do:

• Contaminate his environment, and the unit, with his attitude and actions.

              OR

• He can inspire confidence.

A leader must be visible on the battlefield.  He must be self-confident, with a positive attitude, and exhibit confidence under any set of circumstances.  The determination to prevail must be felt by all, no matter what the odds or how desperate the situation.  He must have and display the will to win by his actions, his words, the tone of his voice, his appearance, his demeanor, his countenance, and the look in his eyes.  Instill the will to win. There can be no second-place trophies on display—awarded or accepted.

He must remain calm and cool; NO FEAR.  He must ignore the noise, the dust, smoke, explosions, screams of the wounded, the yells, and the dead lying around him; that is all normal.  He must not give off any hint or evidence that he is uncertain about a positive outcome; even in the most desperate of situations.

2. There’s always one more thing you can do to influence any situation in your favor.  And, after that, one more thing…and, after that, one more thing, etc., etc.

A leader must ask himself, “What am I doing that I should not be doing, and what am I not doing that I should be doing, to influence the situation in my favor?

3. A leader must always be ready! When there is nothing going wrong, there’s nothing going wrong except there is nothing going wrong.  That is when a leader should be most alert.

4. Trust your instincts.

In critical, fast-moving battlefield situations, Instincts and intuition give you an immediate estimation of a situation.  Your instincts are the product of your education, your reading, your personality, and your experience.  TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS.  When seconds count, instincts and decisiveness come into play.  In quick, developing situations, the leader must act fast and part confidence to all around him; he must not second-guess the decision.  MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!  Face up to the facts, deal with them, and move on.

In addition, General Moore had a few more principles for military leaders to apply to their course of conduct:

• Everything in leadership boils down to judgment. Intelligence and good character does not imply you have good judgment.
• Study history and leadership qualities. Pay special attention to why leaders fail.
• A person in a position of authority does not automatically become immediately respected or trusted. This is earned.
• Every person in an organization is as important and necessary to a mission as the next person. That goes from the top to the bottom.
• Never deprive a person of their self-respect. NEVER!
• To do well in any field of endeavor, it is an advantage to work with good people.
• Strive to have one or two people around you who are totally trustworthy.
• Spend quality time with the team, learning who they are and what motivates them. Create a family.
• Great leaders learn to lead themselves first. Before you can lead others, leading yourself successfully must be accomplished day in and day out.
• Successful leaders create the future.
• Leaders must lead. Be the first boots on the ground and the last boots off.