LdrOlgy_EXCELLENCE in all WE DO

“A man who has the answer to the problem, and does not share it, is a larger problem than the obstacle currently facing the team.” – TSgt TJ Lombardi

The small room was filled with 62 young men wearing their Battle Dress Uniforms, (BDU’s). They were crammed in to the room, sitting cross-legged on the floor, because there was simply no room for them to fit otherwise. The intense, fearless, and unyielding Training Instructor, SSgt De-Leon Acosta paced the room as she asked the young BMT Flight. “Is perfection obtainable?!” The pause filled the room as everyone was afraid to answer. “Is perfection obtainable?! NO! But it is the pursuit of perfect that you find excellence!” She then followed it up with, “You must give your absolute best… that if at any time… someone comes to inspect your work, there is NO DOUBT… that you gave your best… NO… DOUBT!” The intense shout leaving an impact that would be an anchor for others to rely upon, for what the standard was, and still is to this day.

We should be pursuing excellence… in all we do…. It is not excellence in all “I” do… it is EXCELLENCE in all WE DO! Our passion for pursuit of excellence “should” be contagious. As we push ourselves, we should be pushing all of those around us to push themselves. You see, I… am pursuing excellence, I am pursuing to create the best quality of work, but we… together… as a team… must be pursuing excellence. We must all rely on each other, and we must all be able to come to the circle, and see everyone in our team together and tell one another in pure honest humility, “Yes! I will give us, our team, my absolute best!” And if you cannot truly have the integrity to stand there and tell your entire team that, than you know that you are a weak link.

If you are that weak link… WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?!?! Are you truly giving your best? Are you truly giving your team… your best? If you don’t know the answer, ask! If you are not sure where to turn to next… say so! Integrity in the form of an action, is to be a self-initiating choice of knowing that the problem will not be solved, unless you yourself take the action to find the solution.

If the team is presented with a problem that effects the progression of the team, and a man who has the answer to the problem, and chooses to not share it with the team, is a larger problem than the obstacle currently facing the team.

We as individuals and as a team must be openly dedicated to the progression of our mission together. For if one falls, we all fall. For it is not just I that needs to give my best, it is all of us that must give our best. Let us be a team that proudly states for all to bear witness, “Excellence in all WE DO!’

LdrOlgy_Cloud of Witnesses

Hebrews 12:1 The Voice (VOICE)

12:1 So since we stand surrounded by all those who have gone before, an enormous cloud of witnesses, let us drop every extra weight, every sin that clings to us and slackens our pace, and let us run with endurance the long race set before us.

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Our cloud of witnesses. In todays society, the internet and social media have given us a digital platform where videos, photos and content can be uploaded instantly. As they say, “Once it is posted on the internet, it will be there floating around forever.” I don’t know how true that really is; but there is something more important and something that truly will always be remembered, and that is your actions, your spirit, your behavior to those around you.

The book of Hebrews in the New Testament of the Bible tells us that we are “Surrounded by an enormous cloud of witnesses.”  All of our fellow Christians who have gone before us. They watch us and wait for us to join them.

For those of us in the warrior brotherhood; we imagine the thought of our family awaiting us in the halls of Valhalla; awaiting to great us in a ceremonious roar once we arrive at its doors.

And for those of you who have read my older blog post, you will know how I view, and combine both of those beliefs.

But what about the cloud of witnesses here? Those that surround us daily?

You are always on display 24/7, 365.  Your actions and how you carry yourself will always be judged and analyzed by those surrounding you. This performance in leadership is why I would say that it is truly something rooted inside certain people and developed over time, it is not something that can simply be learned and acquired.

Every day, you must battle yourself and ask, “Will I be a good man? Do I have the strength to be such a man?”  And many days you truly do have to rely on God to give you that strength and courage to be such a man. Because leadership is something that will challenge you more anything.

This cloud of witnesses is not simply your peers, your troops, your employees. It is your wife, and it is your kids, it is your family, it is your friends. It is everyone around you; all with whom you come in to contact.

That is why the other part of the verse encourages us, ‘to throw off every weight that weighs us down, and holds us back from keeping the stride of our run in this race.‘ You as a leader will always be surrounded by the cloud of witnesses, and if they are ever asked, what will they say about you from what they have witnessed?

Thoughts_Reigniting America

(A speech that was submitted back in 2014 for a College Class)

Reigniting America

I’m tired of war. Are you tired of war?

I am tired of war. I am tired of seeing young men and woman being killed in a far off land.

Are you tired of seeing Americans out of work? Are you tired of seeing Americans, or maybe even yourself out of work? I am tired of seeing our country men and women out of work, and not able to find it.

I am tired of America not being the leader in the world. Aren’t you tired of America not being the leader? Not leading in economics, not leading in infrastructure, not leading in education, and failing to gain a grasp on our debt.

We’re tired. We are all tired. Yet, we still are America, and we don’t lay down when we’re tired. We don’t turn and run from a problem, we don’t ignore problems, we don’t quit when the going gets tough, and now it is tougher than ever before.

We need to reignite the American spirit that our forefathers had. We need to reignite the American spirit that your grandparents had, and together we need to reignite America to become the leader that the world looks up to.

We’re going to bring our troops home, and we’re going to do it now! We’re going to reinvest in American infrastructure and that is going to open up hundreds of thousands of jobs that Americans so desperately need. We’re going to overhaul the education system and recreate a structure that allows for greater teacher to student ratio, and provide support for young men and women to be inspired to pursue STEM degrees, and break new ground, and we’re going to allow dreamers to dream once more. We’re going to cut spending in many areas, and that will be hard for some. But, it is what’s needed. We are bound to provide a strong future for our children’s children. Our current path we are set on does not steer them towards success, but rather a frightful reality that no American should ever have to worry about.

We have many struggles ahead of us. There will be many arguments started; heated debates fought from one side of an aisle to another. This is bound to happen, but what we will not allow to happen is America to be torn apart by race. We will not allow America to be torn apart by religion, we will not allow America to be torn apart by another nation. We will not allow America to be torn apart by greed.

We will all take part in this because it will take all of us working together to turn America back around. I as your President will do my best to guide us to a prosperous future, but it will take all Americans to rally around your leaders. To raise your voices and to be heard at all levels of government.

We will do this together, because we are American’s. And no one has America’s back, except American’s!