As we progress through our careers, regardless of our individual paths, the Supply Corps provides tremendous opportunities for leadership development through experience, education, and mentorship from our peers and leaders. From our education and experiences, we develop our approach to leading military and civilian teams in tough, high-impact environments. In our experience, we find that leadership is not simply about being the Leading Petty Officer, the Chief, the SUPPO, or the CO. It is a commitment to those we train, guide, and mentor as we collectively work towards shared goals. The Navy's Culture of Excellence challenges us to be leaders of competence and character while building a positive culture. By emphasizing a commitment to our military and civilian teams, holding the standard, and empowering people toward collective success, we, as leaders, can create a culture of excellence within winning teams built on dignity and mutual respect.
Taking Care of People: Leadership is about taking care of people, where the safety, well-being, and growth of each individual are the priorities. Leaders encourage an environment where the team takes care of each other and takes action for the betterment of the group—much like a family. Leaders are entrusted with caring for those who serve under them while ensuring their personal and professional development. This requires creating conditions that allow individuals to define their success while providing the tools and support necessary to achieve it.
Leadership also demands empathy and compassion. We must avoid letting our drive towards excellence get in the way of compassion. We must remind ourselves that everyone carries a weight in their sea bag. Leaders must strike a balance between driving excellence and demonstrating genuine concern for the lives of their team members.
A Choice to Lead: We have likely experienced actions in our careers that demonstrate leadership is a choice. Regardless of rate, rank, or title, someone has stepped forward to lead a program or take care of a teammate, even if it was "above their pay grade." Leaders will act and care for those around them, ensuring the command's mission is achieved without compromising ethical standards or trust, regardless of rank.
Leaders must also embrace the cost of leadership—setting aside our most valuable resource, time, to coach, train, and mentor our people. It requires us to think differently about how we communicate and to have the humility to acknowledge that leadership is not about personal accolades, self-interest, or entitlement but about serving others and enabling their achievements. Let leadership shine through by revealing the value in others. Let us pass on the “BZ” about our peers and subordinates. Let us take responsibility for our actions and let others talk about our performance.
Integrity as a Foundation: Part of leadership is setting the standard—a commitment to doing things the right way. Leaders must avoid the trap of "how it has always been done” and instead uphold policies, enforce standards, and strive for continuous improvement.
Integrity also entails maintaining self-awareness and transparency. Leaders are expected to align their teams within our commander's guidance through a clear vision and consistent messaging up, down, and across the chain of command. Through aligned, consistent, and transparent communications, leaders create a shared understanding and earn credibility. This alignment also empowers individuals to maintain a bias towards action, knowing they are supported by a leader who upholds the standard and empowers them to solve problems.
Success Through Empowerment: Effective leadership is about empowerment. Leaders must allow their people the autonomy to manage their commands, departments, divisions, portfolios, and programs, while never relinquishing accountability. By empowering team members to "get to yes” the right way, leaders encourage innovation and problem-solving within a framework of integrity and professionalism. Leaders must recognize the value in the diversity of thought and ideas of their teammates, regardless of rank, use those to shape solutions to challenging problem sets, and then highlight their contributions.
Empowerment extends to "forceful backup" and "questioning attitude," where leaders provide unwavering support to their teams while allowing them to speak up, provide feedback, and act when they sense or know something is wrong. Championing our people involves advocating for them while simultaneously holding them to high standards, ensuring they are prepared and equipped to meet our most challenging warfighting environments. We should implement the concept of completed staff work—where leaders expect their teams to be experts, work out the details, and take ownership of their responsibilities, which fosters a culture of competence and accountability. This positions leaders to effectively employ mission command and maximize the potential of high-performing teams.
Be Human: Leadership is not solely about meeting the mission but also about finding satisfaction in our personal and professional journey. We often hear the call to "have fun." This call reminds us to find joy in our work through a positive attitude, the fellowship of our team, and sharing in the team's success. Leaders also recognize that outside of work, valuing relationships with family and friends and maintaining engagement in those activities and things we enjoy are also important. Leaders who can create a balanced and sustainable environment for themselves and their people will find greater satisfaction and build strong team cohesion.
Moreover, leaders must take care of themselves. They must position themselves mentally, physically, and spiritually to lead effectively. By addressing their challenges and seeking support when needed, leaders model resilience and encourage others to do the same.
Leadership requires many things: humility, self-awareness, empathy, and a deep commitment to the well-being of others. Leaders can foster a culture of excellence and trust by caring for our military and civilian family, leading with integrity, and empowering individuals to achieve their best. As we aspire to grow as leaders, it should remain in the forefront that our greatest responsibility—and privilege—is to lead people.
