At the recent National Pork Producers Council Pork Action Group meeting, I had the opportunity to listen to Admiral William McRaven speak to our group. For those of you that may not be familiar with Admiral McRaven, he’s a retired U.S. Four-Star Navy Admiral and spent most of his career in special operations. He commanded the troops that captured Saddam Hussein and rescued Captain Phillips. McRaven is also credited with developing the plan and leading the Osama bin Laden mission in 2011.
Admiral McRaven is also known for his 2014 commencement address at the University of Texas which begins by stating, if you want to change the world, make your bed. I would encourage you to watch it on YouTube.
There are a number of excellent points that Admiral McRaven shared with our group, but a few really resonated with me and are important to keep in mind as we work through life’s challenges. First, as simple as it sounds, making your bed every day is important. It’s a simple task, but it’s a task completed. Some days it may be the only task we truly complete, but it’s still an accomplishment, which sets us up for the next task.
He encouraged us to find someone to help us paddle the boat, which really is about teamwork. As independent as we might be, there are times when we need the support of others. Use your team, trust their judgment to help you through the challenges and celebrate your accomplishment together.
Be your best in the dark moments. In very challenging situations he encouraged us to stay calm and focused. It’s easy to get distracted or lose your composure, but if we want to change the world, or make a difference, we have to do our best when the times are the most challenging. I’ll admit, this sounds easier said than done but it’s something we as leaders need to strive for.
As Admiral McRaven shared other leadership advice with us, two words kept going through my mind: Accountability and Resilience. Being accountable means taking responsibility for your actions, even if those actions don’t result in the outcome you anticipated. Failures can happen, but we need to own them, learn from them and try not to repeat them. Accountability is not having an excuse for why something didn’t work or to place the blame on someone else. It’s owning up to the situation and taking responsibility.
Resilience was evident in many of the stories he shared about the training the navy seals go through. It’s a grueling process, both mentally and physically and at any time the trainee can ring a bell, which signals they are quitting. The Admiral encouraged us to never “ring the bell”.
I could continue writing on all the great points Admiral McRaven made that day. Thoughts on respect, courage, setting expectations and facing our fears continue to occupy my mind. I’ll end with this thought. Whether we are leaders, team members or acting individually, if we want to change the world (make a difference), what are we willing to do?
Firefighter/Fire Chief/Teacher/Business Leader/Member of Congress/International Strategist
1moCongrats to our newest group of Fire/EMS Heroes! While our nation struggles and argues over our priorities and identity, these “role models” day in and day out commit themselves to protect ‘all of us’. Older than America, the Fire Service exemplifies what has made our nation strong!