Personal Best Leadership Experience

Personal Best Leadership Experience

    In Spring of 2012, while working for a Real Estate firm focused on providing supported educational materials on how to renegotiate loans due to hardship, I enrolled in an open University Masters Seminar on Warfare and Homeland Security at San Diego State University.  The course would provide an outstanding background on the evolution of American Warfare and Homeland Security through a detailed critical review of the strategies, operations and tactics that either worked or lead to trouble. While there were a few other colleagues with background in Political Science, many of my colleagues were seasoned veterans having already served several tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.  It could have been very easy to be intimidated, withdrawal from classes and wait for a Political Science class with space. Thankfully, I had recently read The Leader Who Had No Title by Robin Sharma, and knew that just because I did not have military rank did not mean I could not contribute in a valuable way to the seminar and program.  I knew I had to gain information by reading thoroughly, listening carefully and taking the time to contribute meaningfully. Our mission was very simple: to preserve human life by preventing terrorism.  This first homeland Security class at San Diego State University would launch me on a scholarly journey unlike any I ever thought I would embark. I knew that I was not the polished tactician or even operations expert that many of my colleagues were.  I had no authorizations to act beyond what I could do as a citizen: researching, observing and sharing information. So how could I help? I was but a scholar armed with a pen. I had no title, but I had a laptop computer and access to Google’s blogger.  And so, I would research and I would write. From January 2012- December 2014 I found a voice with which I could lead. The middle class was under siege domestically while western values were at war abroad. I intended to fight with the weapons I had on both fronts.  While it is only half of the leadership story, for this project I will focus on the Master of Science in Homeland Security and the blog I created throughout the process of obtaining my degree. 

     I guess in a way, I would have to give credit to my wife.  As they say, behind every great man is a great woman. I was discouraged by my experiences since graduating from University of California, Santa Barbara and so going back to school was not on the top of my agenda, but she encouraged me to enroll and give it a try by taking one course.  Getting through the first course, I rediscovered my love of not only military history, but also of writing. By the end of my second course, I felt ready to begin sharing more of work so I started a blog called Citizen’s Empire: Governance, Security and Strategy Considerations for the Polity.  While the idea was my own and work original, it would not have been possible without the reading and instruction provided my professors and instructors from San Diego State’s University’s Homeland Security Department, particularly Dr. Eric Frost and Dr. Jeff Mcilwain, but also Dr. Turner, General Keneally, Michael Wheat, JD.   Over the course of the next two years I would publish 112 essays and reach 41,684 readers while earning a Master of Science in Homeland Security. At the culmination, I authored a Grand Strategy to Defeat the Islamic State. 

     After reading the Leader Who Had No Title, I was able to get over the fact that I did not have a formal title of authority.  I learned that I did not need one. In fact, not having one left me unburdened and the freedom to take chances that had I had a more formal title, I may not have been able to take.  I knew what I believed in, and told my readers in “True Liberalism” that my philosophy of government rested upon John Stuart Mill, John Locke and Adam Smith, clearly rejecting socialism.  I also reached out openly about my faith in an open letter to the Anglican Community about the resurgent threat of global socialism. I grew up in an exceptional country, with a very comfortable standard of living, between the threats of terrorism, the great recession and resulting loss of faith in both Capitalism and open liberal internationalizing democracy, I became increasingly aware that we were on the verge of losing our nation to the dueling forces of International Socialism and Shar’ian Supremacy.  

      The vision of our founding fathers and the philosophers who influenced them, in combination with my faith and what I would regard as spiritual guidance provided by the words and recorded actions of Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan inspired me to give every ounce of my fiber and existence to making sure that West would prevail in conflict and preserve the individual liberties essential to our nation’s wealth.  I observed that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the field of Political Science divided into two camps. On the right, the Neoconservatives had rose to power and in my opinion were cursed with a grandiose optimism in US’s ability to use its military to force democratic transitions, open economies and modernize societies. On the left, without the military threat from the Soviet Union, marxists were able to enter into the mainstream and push Marxist critiques of America’s economic system by rebranding their positions as progressive, pushing to bring an end to US sovereignty by empowering transnational institutions such as the United Nations and World Trade Organization which would gradually erode both property and individual rights so that they could redistribute America’s middle class wealth.   I felt that both were wrong and explored ways to challenge the Status Quo that divided the American people into two distinct camps. I sought to find basic beliefs and principles rooted in British and American history that Democrats and Republicans, Liberals and Conservatives, Catholics and Protestants, Muslims and Jews, Whites and Blacks, Natural Born and Immigrants would agree were worth fighting for and defending. I thought national politics had become too distracted, that we had to reset our Federal Government’s priorities to the wealth and physical safety of our citizenry. If the US government regained its focus on these basic responsibilities, employing less complicated policies that tap into the ingenuity of the people when provided autonomy, that our nation would become wealthier and our homeland more secure.  

      In a hazardous and decaying international environment where great power conflict was returning as China and Russia pushed hard, I felt a return to principled realism that reasserted US Sovereignty, prioritizing our nation and its Citizens’ rational self-interest was the only way to preserve our nation’s greatness and improve its stature in the world as a model for the rest of the world.  I realized these things because I did the research and took the time to listen to a very wide range of voices and scholars. In the end, for me, the Hoover Institute prevailed. The approach and policies were balanced and feasible, when tested in implementation successful and effectuating the outcomes that improved the lives of Middle Class Americans. 

Asking my wife, what leadership trait she admired most in me, and she said it was the fact I spent so much time getting complete information, devouring books and coming away with better answers and solutions.  So I did this, and used the blog to reach a larger audience and influence the polity. Advocacy, maybe, but I always trusted in the process of liberalism spelled out by John Stuart Mill that through a free social discourse and vigorous national dialogue, the best ideas would percolate to the top.  By publishing my blog, I assisted this process and some of my written works went before National Security Council Consultants who would be influential in forming our strategy to defeat the Islamic State. 

           I knew to gain support for my ideas, I had to get people’s attention.  I tried using the latest in online marketing techniques and without a budget was able to use my understanding of Search Engine Optimization and Social Media to get my work in front of more people.  I attempted to gain greater support for my ideas from people who may not typically be as engaged in such issues by producing musical works that touched on some of the underlying themes with lyrics celebrating American more and values, our economic system and military.  It was all a huge risk. I was scared to publish at times, I did not know what shadow government figures I would offend or what they would do to me. I worried I would be tortured or assassinated by foreign intelligence agencies, cartels or terrorist groups. Sometimes I worried I would be tortured or assassinated by one of our own.  With my music, it was such a break from the typical behavior of either corporate America or the Intelligence Community, I basically knew it would be viewed with scepticism but I embraced being an outsider and looked for support from unconventional places because my goal was not to be acceptance by the establishment, but the transformation of the establishment away from a self-serving elite and into a robust and resilient core of citizens committed to the mores and values underpinning our national greatness.  Honestly, I was scared at the beginning when I started writing my blog. I came out on my second blog post forecasting a future war between USA and China so it is understandable that I was somewhat paranoid, particularly as I learned more about the Chinese government's surveillance capabilities and operations within the US homeland to protect the image of the Chinese Communist party. I also understood; however, that if I could not write what I wanted to write than freedom was already lost and so found a rush in using the written word to fight for liberty’s advance.  In this there was an excitement, a rush to see how many people would read my post and question what influence it would have on the world. 

      The truth is that as I approached the end of my project I was hopeful that I would be able to either join the Military, the State Department or Homeland Security to work towards the execution of my strategy.  I passed my battery tests but could not get the medical clearance for the army. I did well enough on my foreign service officers test but did not pass the second round as they did not think I had adequate professional experience.  I filled out applications for numerous positions in homeland security, including press and public relations positions, but never was called in for any interviews. After interfacing and working with so many high-level individuals from so many different departments and agencies from across the public sector to private sector, federal government to local government, I was really anticipating that I would work professionally in the field as my recognition as a credentialed expert increased.  Maybe I gave in to early, but as I graduated I needed to get a job and make money. I continued posting on my blog and started recording a podcast but could never get the funding and support I needed to make the leap into a professional position. I hoped to be a leader, and while the idea of being a Leader without a Title gave me the courage to push on and accomplish more than I ever thought possible, I feel that as of now I only really succeeded in being an influencer. 

Recognizing these shortfalls and limitations is one of the main reasons I was attracted towards pursuing an MBA at Santa Clara University.  I had taken Public Administration classes but felt they were stuck in the defense of bloated and sluggish bureaucracy, and that Ronald Reagan’s approach as Governor of California in which he enlisted the best business leaders to improve and streamline operations was the surest course to make the improvements to our governance I wanted to participate in.  With strong foreign policy and domestic policy credentials furnished, I wanted to spend a decade or so thriving in business so that I would have my own money and not be dependent on other people’s and also so that I could gain the executive administrative experience to be a capable leader. I am here to learn and so while my first masters was finished over three years ago, with a ceremony and speech on the USS Midway about the importance of bringing the lessons of the past into our future, I am still building on the foundation in place.  While it has been sometime since I published my blog, or recorded a podcast as my focus shifted towards succeeding in my employment and applying for the MBA program, I am hopeful that in time I will return to both my blog and podcast as a forum to share my ideas, influence and be a thought-leader. I may even yet be able to monetize them successfully. As far as slogans, I had a few. There was my blog: Citizen’s Empire: Governance, Security and Strategy Considerations for the Polity. There was my podcast: Inside Line: Your Choice for Insightful Intelligence.  In music I first released, “Truth was the First Victim,” then “The Rise of Theo: One Man, One Life, One Voice” and “King Theo: One Crown, One Throne, One King”  While they may not have had the financial success I hoped for, I find that they do make me a interesting person and valuable team member. It took a lot of energy to create these, but in those moment that I am looking for inspiration I find great satisfaction in being able to return to them.  They remind me simultaneously of both where I came from and where I am trying to go. The work involved the collaboration of so many people, largely scholars and artists, but also technological developers making the tools to produce and share them. While the team maybe somewhat small, the work lays the groundwork for collaboration on a much larger scale.  

      I would like to say that there was some amazing teamwork involved in these projects but it would be a lie.  I spent hours in solitude collaborating with people that have long since past away or people I have never met teaching at campuses on the other side of the country.  It was long hours of deep focus in the library that allowed me to formulate my works. There was scholarly dialectic; however, that often transcended time and space, I would have a thought and open a book to see George Orwell asking a question about my very thought.  I find myself questioning an aspect of US strategy and suddenly see a book title on the shelf calling me forth. In truth, the best collaboration I had was in the marketing of the mission, in the time spent in the studio working my music producer on songs like “The Eighth Wonder”, “Pyramid’s Eye,” “Now and Forever,” and “The Big Bang.”  The group research projects, also provided outstanding opportunities for collaboration. Working on developing an “International Crime Information Database” and on developing a multi-agency Emergency Management response to floods were awesome opportunities to collaborate. 

      

          The time spent with professors was always very valuable, even as I had a strong-minded sense of where I was going and what I was doing. At times I feel my decisions were somewhat limited by a lack of resources, time and formal authority. I dreamed about leading a policy decision making team to tackle problems and come back with solutions.  I had to make due with the established think tanks, occasionally corresponding by email or by asking questions at the end of a presentation. The respect was always there but at times I wish I was capable of greater levels of trust. Having been burned so many times in the past I tend to recognize that the only two people I can really trust are God and myself.  Maybe this limits me, or maybe it is the only reason I am still here. 

        One thing that I can tell you, my colleagues at SDSU who went through the Homeland Security program earned my respect.  They were put through challenges that bring shame to us civilians’ easy existence. Whether it was night raids in AfPak where they successfully captured Taliban leaders or trying to build a police force in Mosul in the midst of an active Al-Qaeda led insurgency, such tasks can only be completed by the truly brave and great men and women serving in the armed forces.  Sadly, political leadership let them down time and time again with poor decisions and policies that may sound great in the diplomatic halls of European Capitals, but whose implementation was unrealistic in hostile war zones where the ideology of religious fanatics who celebrate suicide bombers massacring girls in schools and families eating ice cream as martyrdom were actively planning their next assault on the infidels desecrating their holy lands.  While there were disagreements with my colleagues over the details of strategy, operations and what technologies and tactics to use, we had respectful discourse and orderly debates that made both sides of the argument better informed and prepared for whatever would come next. 

  

           One thing I would like to see more of is a greater collaboration between the civilian population and our National Security Establishment, especially across party lines and disciplinary fields.  It is hard to win wars when most of the civilian population is under-informed and disengaged. In Churchill’s England going up against Nazi Germany or Reagan’s America taking on the Evil Empire in the Soviet Union, there was internal opposition, but there was not the wide scale disengagement with the war or the institutions involved in its oversight and execution that we have seen as the “War on Terror” has changed names and shifted continents, continuing to drag on with open ended engagement and no end in sight. 

       Over time, I was able to win over the respect of my colleagues by being prepared for the course work, studying beyond the required readings and bringing a passion to the subject matter that I can hope even the more experienced practitioners respected. I tried to model a mix of grit and caution that would help us win the fights we needed to fight and avoid involving ourselves in problems that were not ours to solve.  I was sincere in exhibiting a commitment to truth intended to exemplify trustworthiness. My commitment to using data-science and rigorous scholarly review of policies and operations for their effectiveness exemplified a level of competence. I hope I did an effective job in portraying my beliefs about what made America exceptional in a way that was inspiring. Finally, I was and continue to be forward looking, anticipating problems and planning to resolve them before they become problems in the territorial United States of America.

       For us, it was a commitment to nation and the defense of her people and institutions from threats internal and abroad that drove me.  In reflection, I always had a deep regret about the mistakes of my early twenties and sought to redeem with acts of heroism. I always felt the first amendment was first for a reason, and so thought using it to inform and encourage social discourse about grave matters of national security was an appropriate modeling of responsible citizenship.  I remained committed to the preservation of America, as an idea, a system, a nation and a model whose exceptionalism rested on its bold experiment in representative democracy, free-enterprise and a constitutional framework designed to balance powers and preserve individual liberty. 

      There is not much need for controls in the blog, but in implementing its ideas, in getting the many agencies composing the Homeland Security Department along with numerous law enforcement and defense commands working together requires a vastly complex system of command and control.  It requires a rule of law and recognition that the constitution is the supreme law of the land and the elected executive provided sweeping powers to defense the nation, its constitution and the people from existential threats. Hand-held devices and software driven reporting mechanisms with more advanced means of routing that information present opportunities to more effectively secure the homeland by utilizing the latest computing and information technologies. I did some preliminary research and work towards developing an integrated database, routing system, hardware and both online operating system and also agency operating system that made it to CEO of Qualcomm.  While I have read the US Arm’s manual on command and Control, and certainly appreciate the importance of control as a facet of executive administration, it is an area I am looking to learn more about and gain more experience using as career progression puts me in positions where I have the authority to implement control systems and methodology. At the time of leadership being reviewed; however, there was not much control on my part beyond being sure I did my reading and proofread my essays.  I was all command and somewhat whimsical when it came to control, a matter I was aware of and studying to improve for the event I was put in an official position of executive authority. 

   

         As far as dramatic or unusual actions, I used a mix of black hat marketing tactics where I would include lists of trending searches in the body of my blog to garner more readers.  I also used my music to appeal to a broader audience. In a theoretical public administration masters course we even explored the artist as leader model and it fit for the time, but in so reviewing it I also came to the conclusion that it was inadequate.  With so many contemporary British historians studying the administration of kings more than their battlefield successes I was increasingly becoming a structural realist, flipping through different frames to identify places for improvement within the portion of the organization being reviewed. 

       As far as getting sidetracked, let’s be honest.  In the parable of the fox and the hedgehog I am most certainly the fox.  I have a long list of projects I dream of pursuing and while I can at least say I completed two feature length studio albums of original music and a screenplay, “William the Conqueror,” there are many other incomplete projects with general outlines and early chapters that are unlikely to be completed until after my retirement.  I always get sidetracked, regularly chasing random intellectual inquiries and experiment with new methodologies and tactics.  I also, have to work with an intense amount focus and put in long hours in my job as a salesman to stay ahead financially. I changed my thesis project three or four times before finally settling on a project as opposed to a thesis dissertation.  I have become more disciplined over time and with experience, learned to prioritize the projects most likely to bring about outcomes or results that will benefit myself and my family with early experimentation providing foundation of experience to learn from. 

       In the end, my blog became a means of holding leaders accountable that I had lost faith in.  In the context of my blog, I did not find it appropriate to lash out at people with different values, rather more constructive to showcase the values I thought were appropriate.  I would never simply criticize. I would instead create separation by specifying what I would do differently, avoiding pejoratives and witty insults. 

     I felt that graduation was an important milestone.  We had our ceremony on the USS Midway’s flight deck.  It is such a beautiful ship and it was awesome to celebrate the hard work of all my colleagues.  My parents, my wife and the producer I was working with on my musical albums all attended. I posted photos on social media.  The grades helped, but more than anything I was driven by a sense of responsibility and service. I had hoped that my work would lead to a career more directly related to my research, even if it was doing more research, unfortunately I found myself back working in sales.  The sales position was much better as it was in property management for Irvine Company and do think that the degree and knowledge base made me more qualified and valuable candidate as I had the emergency management training and my academic background in international relations helped me to understand and connect with a broadly international client base and be prepared to address more serious security risks should they arise.  

    In reflecting on this experience for this project, I asked my wife what she felt were best traits for leadership.  For her, there was not much hesitation in answering that I am a “‘relentless seeker of knowledge that you eagerly apply.”  I am careful to be sure I had the right answer, especially on matters relating to National Security. I use history as a data-set to see what policies worked when faced with similar situations.  As far as leadership actions taken they are:

Seeking out and listening to the best professors in the field.  Why listen to the press when you can read the works or hear the lectures of the best professors in the field.

Tirelessly researching to make sure I had the best answer.  Why would you take the word of only one source of information at a time when you can access so many polished expert opinions and weigh them against each other. 

Understanding the problem

Terrorism is an obvious problem but its causes are remarkably complex. It is important to understand the ideologies that drive terrorism, the context under which they took root and what factors cause people to join terrorist groups and engage in terrorism.  You can understand a lot about radical Islamic terrorism by studying anarchist violence, Marxist insurgency and anti-colonial nationalist movements but you also come to realize the differences. You come to realize that it is not a simple matter of mental health as someone would like to make it, or a matter of wealth inequality.  

Islam is a totalitarian ideology with its own prescribed structures, holy books and doctrines.  Much of what drives Islamic Terrorism comes directly from the Qu’aran and words of Mohammed, the history of the Caliphate and published fatwas by formal clerics.  If you want to advance moderate voices in Islam, you have to understand Islam and come to grips with the reality that as an ideology drawn literally from the scripture and the traditional interpretations presented by its Clerics, it is not very compatible with liberal western democracy as it prescribes those who have submitted to God, the Umma, an eternal war with the non-believers proscribing terror as a method to coerce their submission and correct their path.  Unlike the Bible and Chirstianity, the Qu’aran and Islam are totalitarian in that they not only cover matters of personal faith and the development of a religion in opposition to the Roman Empire as in the Bible, rather instead define proper behavior in nearly all aspects of life, including the structure and form of an Islamic governance. Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State are clearly defined groups with clear chains of command and a common vision for the future rooted in the restoration of a Umayyad-style Caliphate.  

They have vast disagreements; however, on strategy, operations and tactics often competing to recruit eager Mujahideen and Jihadists from Indonesia to Mali, every in between and from every continent other than Antartica. Al-Qaeda sought to gradually raise the water slowly but surely by setting up clandestine cells, subtly implementing Sharia law while occasionally emboldening uprisings with meticulously thought out and planned, spectacular and symbolic mass casualty attacks on the centers of Infidel power, ie. the USS Cole, the World Trade Center and the Pentagon- always presenting itself as a Pan-Muslim movement recruiting across sectorial lines despites its founding members adherence to Salafi Sunni religious doctrine.  The Islamic State on the other hand grew out of Zawahiri’s Al-Qaeda in Iraq, an Al-Qaeda offshoot at odds with Al-Qaeda leadership for its willingness to attack Shi’ite Muslims and efforts to provoke sectarian conflict intended to catch Western actors rebuilding Iraq in the crossfire. AQI hoped that sectarian conflict and civil war in Iraq would force international actors to leave the country to their control as kill counts and body counts weakened the resolve of democracies with free press publicizing the horrors. When drone strikes forced succession to Zawahiri’s deputy, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, he rebranded Al-Qaeda in Iraq as The Islamic State, breaking entirely from Al-Qaeda’s chain of command. He built upon Zawahiri’s tactical successes fermenting a terrorist firebrand that operated out in the open meticulously employing wanton violence while vigorously taking control of territory and revenue streams to fund its expansion, recruit jihadists and market its terror.  While Al-Qaeda preferred the closed doors and back rooms of Mosques lead by duplicit clerics, hiding their operations within seemingly legitimate campus organizations and non-profit charities it uses to recruit and exert influence, the Islamic State lived on twitter and Youtube, embracing anyone willing to declare allegiance and engage in violence sufficient to create a headline.  The core of both survive where state institutions have broken down and the toxic mix of anarchy and hopelessness make their alternative of Sharian Order and visions of an afterlife appealing to the down and out, neglected and angry youths.  

In the backdrop of US departure from Iraq, the Arab spring, armed rebellion in Syria and Libya and dissatisfaction in the Sunni Dominated Anbar Province of Iraq where Al-Qaeda in Iraq made an alliance with Saddam’s former Ba’athist government officials barred from state employment to forge a challenge to the heavy-handed tyranny of the Shi’ite lead Iraqi government. The mix of religious fanaticism provided by Al-Qaeda in Iraq and governing experience provided by the former Ba’athist technocrats provided for a vicious competence that presented a threat to the world unlike any we had seen since the collapse of the Soviet Union.  The Sunni population in Anbar Province put up little fight as ISIL quickly took control of the regions municipalities, garnering recruits by a combination of fierce violence and relatively generous offers of compensation. They had similar successes in the areas of Syria where Sunni Arabs were an aggrieved majority. 

Strategizing on a solution

My best work was on the formulation of a grand strategy to combat Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi’s terrorist organization commonly known as the Islamic State and Abu Bakr’s self-declared Caliphate.  I am not going to detail this work here, you can read it for yourself (On the Origin of the Islamic State and US Foreign Policy in the Middle East), but in its creation I listened to people who had been deployed to the middle east from all of the armed forces of our government.  I listened to the most experienced policy makers and also colleagues with high IQs and little experience. I listened to people at all levels of our military, from Generals to Petty Officers. I also listened to people from the countries where these events were happening to get an understanding of the context and perception of what is happening and what needs to be done.  I read a plethora of sources and eventually returned to the Use of Force originally provided to me at UCSB for a National Security course.  I reviewed the militaries own reviews of its operations in the past two invasions of Iraq and set out to develop an actionable strategy.   It took long hours of intense study in a landscape where the situation on the ground was shifting rapidly. 

Delineate Recommendations

In the end I produced a document that delineated a number of recommendations that both dealt with more immediate needs to eliminate eminent existential threats and also addressed long-term strategic needs to win the war of ideas and push the region forward in a way that was both cooperative to the current world order and would improve standards of living for the people of the region.

Publish and Share Your Work

After turning my work in I was not sure if I should publish my work.  I did not want to telegraph national security maneuvers to an enemy known for increasingly making use of the internet to read national security policy papers in the formation of their countering strategies or for purposes of recruitment in propaganda.  I redacted some portions, but since it was not an official declaration of US policy rather recommendations I thought it would be of higher value to publish it in an effort to influence discourse and also of course, hopefully increase my visibility and credibility in the field.   

   This process could best be described in the words of George Patton as “no ordinary ordeal.”  Onerous, exhaustive and terrifying are words that come to mind. In retrospect, horrific, may be another. Atrocity and human catastrophe are others. When I stepped into that leadership role; however, I felt poised and determined to defeat the enemy while defending the good things I saw in our country, its people and the way of life it extended to the free world.  I wanted to do this in a way that limited any reductions in liberty for the American Citizenry and Permanent Residents, remaining true to our constitution, the laws passed by the legislature and rulings of our courts. The strength of our values were what ultimately would allow us to win, especially when juxtaposed to such a diabolical foe whose culture revolved around the celebration of death and human repression.   Maybe it was the wisdom instilled from The Leader Who Had No Title, but when it was happening I was confident that I was the right person, in the right place to prepare our strategy and in so doing honorably serve our Nation even if I never was able to suit up and serve in the armed forces.  To a professor in the CIA, whom I clashed with throughout the semester, I turned in my document knowing he would soon be in a DC meeting with the National Security Council. Based on the grade, I know he appreciated the work I did on that paper.  I felt a sense of accomplishment. It felt right standing up to such darkness and standing up for our nation and its people. From the experience I learned how difficult leadership can be. I learned that leadership takes many different forms and you do not need to have a formal title to lead and exert massive amounts of influence that result in a positive impact. 

    If I could teach one thing about leadership, it is the willingness to face the unknown with courage. You have to let go of ideals and choose the better realistically achievable outcome with the resources available.  You then have to work to leverage and make best use of those resources in achieving the outcome you sought. For me, finding principles and values rooted in a clear set of philosophers, documents and historical narratives gave the conviction and purpose to continue on in very difficult times.  Scarcity forced innovation and the spartan nature of my existence at the time provided the discipline to put in the time to produce better work. As new leaders step up to work on many of these same problems now and in the future, I hope my works provide them institutional knowledge and frameworks for strategy and understanding that they can build upon.  I just found out one of my collaborators from the air force who developed air strategy will be teaching at West Point. I can hope that maybe someday my paper will be required reading for our future officers and that with their polished intellect they will improve upon and preserve this beautiful country and all it represents into perpetuity. 

    For this project, it was really about commitment to patiently conducting the research and putting in the intellectual energy to find solutions. 

If I were to be providing quotes for book on leadership, I would go with the following mantra.  

“Honest as FDR, Competent as General Eisenhower, Tough as George Patton, Certain as Winston Churchill and Decisive as Harry Truman.”

  If I could have done one thing differently, I would have sought contributions to my blog by more of my colleagues and set up teams to review and develop policy solutions for specific components of our national security strategy in a way that mirrors the structure and function of the National Security Council with an eye for ways we can refine the structure to improve its functional capacity to develop security policies for scaled up implementation.