My US Navy career profoundly influenced my leadership style, and I often reflect on the invaluable lessons I learned during this time. As a Petty Officer Second Class Electronics Technician, my leadership responsibilities included leading a team of four petty officers stationed at satellite bases in Guam and Diego Garcia. My promotion to Second Class Petty Officer, four years after enlisting, marked a significant milestone in my career. I learned valuable lessons of knowing the hard and soft skills for promotion, what leaders look for and how to position myself for promotion. An especially important area was around leadership skills.
I was able to rise through the ranks due to my exceptional technical skills and just as critical, my leadership abilities. Leading a team of fellow petty officers, I honed my ability to manage personnel and resources effectively. These roles demanded not just technical expertise, but also the ability to inspire and guide the team through challenging situations. This period was pivotal in shaping my understanding of leadership, particularly the importance of clear communication, trust, and team cohesion. I was fortunate to learn these leadership skills under competent leaders from my direct leader to high-ranking officers. An important area of leadership is being accountable and holding others accountable. My Navy experience was the perfect place to forge this expertise under interesting circumstances with a diverse set of personnel. Holding oneself and others accountable can be a very difficult skill to learn and employ. The Navy made this an area of consequential importance.
The complexity of the Electronics Technician position required on-going development and a deep understanding of advanced technical systems and problem-solving under pressure. This work on satellite stations involved maintaining and troubleshooting critical communication systems, where failure was not an option. This experience ingrained in me the importance of strategic thinking and meticulous planning, skills that have proved invaluable in my subsequent career in the technology sector.
The nature of military service, with its inherent unpredictability and constant demand for readiness, taught the value of adaptability and resilience. Whether stationed in Guam or Diego Garcia, facing diverse challenges required swift adaptation and unwavering resolve. These experiences fortified my ability to remain calm and decisive under pressure, ensuring mission success regardless of the circumstances.
Upon transitioning to the technology sector, I found that the leadership principles and technical skills I had developed in the Navy were highly transferable. My background provided a robust foundation for leading high-performing teams in a rapidly evolving industry. The ability to adapt, think strategically, and maintain resilience are as crucial in the corporate world as they are in the military. My leadership roles reflect my adaptability. From changes in the markets, moving from a router/switch mentality to a customer vision, required a change in mindset across the whole team. These approaches sometimes involved hard discussions, taking unpopular positions and a willingness to hold myself, those above and those on the team accountable. This ranged from bi-weekly calls to gaining feedback from others on the teams engagement methodology. This also required a much more difficult change in holding my leadership accountable. This is where resiliency, adaptability and an ability to provide constructive feedback upwards while at times having the team march forward with new engagement methodologies that were met with some resistance.
My Navy career highlights the profound impact these experiences have leadership style. The journey from an Electronics Technician to a leader in the technology sector underscores the enduring relevance of military-honed skills in any professional arena. By drawing on these past experiences, I continue to lead with a focus on adaptability, strategic acumen, and resilience, inspiring those around me to strive for excellence in all endeavors.
