Leadership is a journey, not a destination!

I had the such an incredible conversation with recently retired Admiral Mike Studeman from the U.S. Navy. His most recent position was as Commanding Officer of the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI). Mike started the conversation by encouraging me to ask him all my hard questions. I began by asking him how we could get better using the Coast Guard to compliment our other Maritime Forces around the world which led to some great dialogue about how to engage with the world around us in more meaningful ways. Mike had some inspiring tips for how to prepare for a life in foreign and/or international affairs which could help many of us just be more sensitive to the many cultures we interact with. Mike provided powerful inspiration on using your voice, empowerment, and the importance of character among several other insightful commentaries. Mike described the passion behind his recently compiled manuscript on leadership and shared some highlights from it. Mike points out that the U.S. is facing a leadership crisis and this episode is a must listen to contemplate what we can each do to tackle that in our own spheres of influence with our individual voices. All throughout the episode, Mike illustrates tangible examples while expressing the time to act is now for each of us to start to make a difference in the world around us with these great recommendations!  Mike is an executive leader of major organizations with geostrategic impact and National security expert and intelligence professional with global expertise. He has deep knowledge of the Indo-Pacific and is an inspiring leader  who is able to maximize team performance and achieve results while sustaining high morale. Admiral Studeman had a very distinguished Naval career serving as Commanding Officer of multiple Commands and as the Director of Intelligence (J2) of two Combatant Commands & Commanding Officer of the Joint Intelligence Center at another Combatant Command. Admiral Michael Studeman is the son of a career naval officer and a 1988 graduate of the College of William and Mary. He is a distinguished graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School, a distinguished graduate of the National War College, and an honors graduate in Mandarin Chinese from the Defense Language Institute. Resources: Nicholas Carr – The Shallows: How the Internet is Changing How We Think, Read, and Remember: The Shallows: How the Internet Is Changing the Way We Think, Read and Remember  Ancient Greek Quotes to Strengthen Character:  https://youtu.be/SXeObg8UEcg?si=KCRbkmMeLUCrwY-D  Media Bias Chart: https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-chart U.S. Coast Guard Recruitment Website:  https://www.gocoastguard.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAsIGrBhAAEiwAEzMlCwigXY7sQLLmYBV-XG_XGToFg9rh-gAOTwaPyRPgGUOpQYsF0lun7xoCFmEQAvD_BwE Department of State – Careers in Foreign Service:  Foreign Service – Careers – State DepartmentU.S. Department of State (.gov)https://careers.state.gov › career-paths › foreign-service U.S. Navy Foreign Area Officer Career Information:  https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Career-Management/Detailing/Officer/FAO/