The intersection of What You Do and Who You Are.

The intersection of?What?You Do?and?Who You Are.

Now in the twilight of my naval career, I am taking stock of my professional achievements thus far and reflecting on what has defined my professional career.??I flew helicopters for the U.S. Navy for over 20 years, but saying that I was a naval aviator never seemed a sufficient label for?who?I was.??I flew my last flight in a Navy helicopter over three years ago as I wrapped up my command tour, so the label seems all the more lacking.??If I didn’t define myself as a Naval Aviator, and that was all I had done for 20+ years, would I have to completely redefine myself in my next career?

Let’s talk about Maverick, or Pete Mitchel for those of you that know him well.??Maverick is a fighter pilot; it is?what?he?does?and it is?who he?is.??{Spoiler alert}??30 years later, Maverick is still rocking blue jeans, a white t-shirt, aviator sunglasses, and his leather flight jacket while riding his motorcycle down the flight line.??He lives in an aircraft hangar, and his commuter vehicle is a P-51 Mustang!??He is a fighter pilot through and through.?There is no gap between?what he does?and?who he is; and the intersection between the two fuels his passion and mastery of his craft.??I have served with many real-world examples of exceptional officers that are so passionate about Naval Aviation that it resonates in?who they are?in and out of their flight suits.??

In a more personal example, my mother is an Episcopal Priest, and was a Navy Chaplain for a few tours.??Being a priest is?what she does?and?who she is.??She is driven to serve others in her congregation, her family, and her community.??She brings the same compassionate and unconditional love to everyone she encounters, in and out of her clerical uniform. She has complete alignment in?what she does?and?who she is.??Powerful stuff.

For me, I flew helicopters, but that has never seemed sufficient to define me.??I am not an aviation enthusiast, and if you came to my house you would not see much evidence that I am a pilot, or even in the Navy.??I’m proud of my service and I loved flying, but it’s never?who?I was.??And with a gap between?what I do?and?who I am, I started to question my purpose and impact to the Navy.??Motivation and job satisfaction dipped, and I struggled to develop a clear vision for my second career.

But in my journey of self-discovery over the past few years, with the help of a few professional coaches, Alex Jack , Walt Morgan, PCC , and Edward Wright , and the influence of the Executive MBA program at UCLA Anderson School of Management , I realize that flying helicopters was never the central part of?what I did.??Flying was fun, it was rewarding, and it made a difference.??But that tactical-level application of skill was never what fueled my passion and gave me purpose.??My?what?was always about the people with whom I was fortunate to serve.??I have often heard senior officers say that “the Sailors” was always the best part of their career, usually at a change of command or retirement ceremony, and it often sounded a bit glib.??But I get it now.??I clearly see that the?what I did?was all about leading and serving others.??I have always been passionate about mentoring junior officers and Sailors.??I provide empathy, compassion, and support when any of my Shipmates are struggling with a personal or professional dilemma.???I am a problem solver and facilitator for cross-functional teams.??I help people advance, continue their education, and find success in their civilian transitions.??And even in the aircraft, the aspect I was truly passionate about was when our missions brought tangible benefits to others, such as providing life-saving assistance during disaster relief and search and rescue missions.??My successes in flying helicopters became a critical pre-requisite for me to promote into positions of greater influence and responsibility, and was an enabling function that allowed me to pursue a deeper professional purpose.??As I changed the perspective with which I looked at my naval career, it turns that the?what I do?is much more closely aligned with?who I am, and more importantly with?who I wanted to become.??

So,?What do You Do?and?Who are You??

Have you ever thought about the intersection between your work and who you are???Do you know what you are passionate about???Do your professional goals align with your personal values and priorities???

It is okay if there is a gap between?what you do?and?who you are.??Many people have professional careers to meet financial goals and provide the opportunity to pursue their passions outside of work.??Having a career that aligns with personal values is a privilege that many people may not have an opportunity to pursue for no fault of their own.

But there is synergistic power when we align our work to our values and live in the intersection between?what we do?and?who we are.??I do not believe we have separate professional lives and personal lives – we have just one life, and the more we integrate the aspects of our life, the more we can develop depth of purpose and impact to our communities.

For those of you in the incredibly diverse and dynamic Medical Service Corps, I encourage you to not look at?what you do?with too narrow of a lens like I mistakenly did.??None of you are “microscope looker-at-ers”, right???You might be a medical scientist, and?what you?do is much broader than the tactical-level instrument you leverage for the greater purpose of discovery to improve health and quality of life.???Open your aperture and fully appreciate the deeper impact you and your work have in our community.

As Navy Medicine sets out on a journey of self-discovery and re-branding, I encourage you to look at where you add value – and know that you do have significant value.??Your contributions and expertise make a difference to our Sailors, to the Navy, and to our Nation.??If you can align?What You Do?and?Who You Are?to what the Navy needs, the Navy will greatly benefit from your passion and dedication.??I wish you each of you the best on your professional journeys, and I thank you for everything you do for our Sailors and our Navy.??

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