Wednesdays with "The Admiral"

(Setting the Stage): Base Gym. Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado, CA. Duty Station: Naval Special Warfare Group ONE (LOGSU-1). Year: 2009.

As a young Lieutenant Junior Grade on active duty, I was getting after it in the base gym. I was a Supply Corps Officer/Finance Officer fresh off an 'at-sea' deployment and brand new Naval Special Warfare Supply Corps "Intern" at NSWG-1 Logistics Support Unit ONE. I was excited and ambitious to support our nations best and brightest Navy SEAL Operators (i.e. odd-numbered SEAL Teams on the west coast). I didn't know it then, but I would experience some awesome mentorship and coaching over the next two years...

...back to the gym...

Every morning at 0630, a few of us JO’s (junior officers) would ‘run the beach’ and hit the gym. I couldn’t help but notice an older gentleman coming in about the time we finished up. Maybe he was a retired O-6 Captain? He was quiet, did the same routine every day, walked on the same treadmill, and did his thing… until one day…we decided to stay a little longer and do some infamous “7-minute abs” (you remember the Movie, There’s Something About Mary, directed by the Farrelly Brothers?) When we finished up, we were feeling good and chatting it up (most likely talking smack to each other) when the “old man” came up from behind us and said: “You Sally’s gonna chat all day or work out?” We didn’t know what to say (or at least, I didn’t know what to say) until my buddy @Earl Nelson got smart and replied: “Sir, did you forget to take your centrum silver today?” After a quick pause, he sparked a smile and chuckled. Then, every day following that first encounter, we made it our mission to bust his chops. In turn, he dished it out accordingly.

3 Stars? No way! We were driving to a briefing/meeting on base when we passed a black Mercedes coup… 3 Stars on the windshield and the “old man” at the helm. We had no idea who we were talking with… so we addressed what we learned with him the next morning and worked out a deal to meet up for coffee on Wednesday – he agreed. Pretty soon, we were meeting up with him every other Wednesday morning for coffee…and what turned out to be some of the best mentoring/coaching sessions of my life.

Over time, I learned that the “old man” was Vice Admiral William "Scot" McCauley, born in a small town in Omaha, Nebraska, graduate of the Naval Academy (Class of 1955), distinguished combat Vietnam Veteran who commanded fifty river assault boats, for which he was decorated with two bronze Stars with combat Vs and Purple Heart. During his career, he commanded USS Brooke, USS Halsey, Destroyer Group Eight and was the Commandant of Midshipmen at the Naval Academy. Ultimately, he became the Commander Naval Forces Atlantic… meaning… he commanded the entire Atlantic Fleet! He earned his doctoral degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, served on numerous corporate boards (i.e. Pacific Insurance Company, Actuarial Consulting Group, Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Nortel Government Solutions, etc...), then, in his 80’s, he wrote and published three novels: “Revenge in Exile,” “Israel Under Siege” and “Death Knell of Caliphate.” (Tom Clancy even chimed in!) He did more things in a lifetime than I could ever imagine!

Even during his final days, he always kept his wit about him. I called his house phone one day and his wife, Mary Ann, answered. She told me that he was on oxygen and was pretty tired… but for the next 5 minutes, you wouldn’t have known it! He made sure to bust my chops but also challenged me to ‘do better’ and to 'be better' than the rest. One of the last things I remember about our conversation is him telling me a story about ‘What CEO’s Really Want.’ He said (from what I recall): “Mike, CEO’s want people like you to step up. Don’t wait for them to ask you… bring solutions to the table, step up, and win. You know what to do.” He never let me off easy – always with a challenge or “why aren’t you CEO yet?” comment. He was damn good at making you feel like ‘you weren’t there yet’ but he did it in such an inspiring way as not to degrade you. His words were like fuel to a fire inside your soul and brain - keep working hard and challenging yourself every day, step up, and win.

After reading The Talent War by @Mike Sarraille and @George Randle, I can’t help but think of Vice Admiral McCauley and those Wednesday coffee meetups. After reading the book, a few things really resonated with me. I whole heartedly agree that military leaders and veterans strive in a VUCA (V – Volatility, U – Uncertainty, C – Complexity, A – Ambiguity) environment. We know how to handle stress, lead our teams, empower our people, and ultimately, win. When veterans transition from active duty to the corporate world, they learn quickly, adapt, overcome, and keep winning. Just because you are a military veteran, though, doesn’t mean you get a free ride or CEO slot because of what you did in the past… it’s what you’ve learned, continue to learn, and what you do every day to better yourself and your team… it’s knowing where you’re going but never settling. Do the “extra” and don’t wait for someone to ask you to do it. As @Mike Sarraille and @George Randle recommend, strive to be a “Learn-it-all” as opposed to a “Know-it-all.”  

I will always cherish those days and strive to pay it forward. If you haven't read The Talent War, I highly recommend you read it and follow @Mike Sarraille and @George Randle to see what resonates with you and your teams. For all you Veterans out there, young and old, keep your heads down, remain humble, lead your teams to victory, and win!