This post follows my previous post on Intent in which I described how I divided my Intent for my trip to Tanzania into four levels. Here, after I briefly introduce who we were and what we did, I describe my adventure in terms of the four levels of Intent I had decided upon before leaving.…
A month or so ago, I mentioned to my friend Emily that in a few weeks, I would be joining some friends to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, and then afterwards, we’d go on a short safari. She responded with the standard “Awesome! Wonderful! Good luck!” And then she paused, looked at me, and asked, “Why?” My…
This post has been fermenting with me for several months. Thinking about and writing “Living Heroically” (part 1) several months ago had quite an impact on me, but the essay didn’t resonate with many who read it. Re-reading it, I understand why – as I have a tendency to do, I got a bit lost…
What does it mean to Live Heroically? This is not a question most people think much about or ask themselves, since most of us think of “heroes” and “heroics” as referring to other people. Even “real heroes” think that way! But making this question personal by asking ourselves: “Am I living heroically? How…
Doesn’t it sometimes seem that “naughty” people have more fun and enjoy life more than those of us who work hard to be well-behaved, and dutifully follow the rules? Why is that? Because it’s usually true! Mark Twain once reportedly said that if you don’t smoke, drink, eat to excess, or chase women of easy virtue…
I just returned from my annual Executive Leadership Expedition with the National Outdoor Leadership School. As usual, I am filled with inspiration and humility before the mountains, the people I was with, and the totality of the experience. And I feel inspired to share a bit of that with those who honor me by reading…
I was recently invited to provide a Navy SEAL’s perspective to a conference on risk management. As I was preparing my remarks, I realized that throughout my career in the Navy, “risk management” had been inherent in my duties as an officer and leader of audacious men in high risk operations, but I had never…
Ok, what’s the “Fifth Factor?” That is the question I frequently get when I tell people I named my company “Fifth Factor Leadership.” This simple question seems to deserve a simple answer, but I don’t have a simple answer, except my standard wise-guy response: It comes right after the fourth factor. Which of course leads…
This essay appears in the current issue (Issue 23) of Naval Special Warfare’s ETHOS magazine. It was inspired by a story a journalist friend of mine shared with me about a panel he moderated with a group of military veterans. When he brought up the subject of fear in combat, there was a reluctance to talk…
What is a personal ethos? It’s not a term or expression most of us are familiar with. What is it and should it play any role in our lives? Do we need a personal ethos? Good question. All of us actually do have a personal ethos – we just may not be able to clearly articulate it. But we…
