Month: November 2017

I’ve met some amazing people over the last 33 years while serving in and around the military. They came in many races and both genders. As we approach this Veteran’s Day I thought I would reflect on two of my favorites. They represent some of the best lessons and influences on me and my character.

Brigadier General John Reppert was the Defense Attaché for the Department of Defense at the US Embassy in Moscow Russia when I was posted there in 1997. General Reppert is a good, honest, and decent man who was also the very embodiment of a servant leader. General Reppert always made time to listen to those who worked for him and attempted to understand their point of view. General Reppert was also Dr. Reppert, and adjunct professor at Harvard University.

In the spring of 1997, during the height of the Kosovo bombing campaign, a delegation led by Ambassador Strobe Talbott came to Moscow for negotiations as part of cessation of hostilities between NATO and Serbia. Russia was Serbia’s sponsor and was eager to see the bombing campaign end. General Reppert chose me as the lead U.S. interpreter for this effort over several senior ranking interpreters that were available. I was honored but also puzzled why General Reppert had chosen me over other more qualified and senior interpreters.

I asked General Reppert after the visit was over why he chose me.  He explained that he knew I needed confidence on higher level interpreting assignments, and even if I made a couple of mistakes this time, the experience would give me more confidence for more challenging assignments down the road. He also said he had full confidence that I would not make mistakes, and I would rise to the occasion.

What I learned from General Reppert was to have faith in your employees and be willing to take risks, even in high stakes deals. The confidence General Reppert had in me motivated me to work hard to ensure that I did not disappoint him or the U.S. government. General Reppert also taught me that when your employees respect and admire you, they will go to extraordinary lengths to make you proud.

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Mr. Randy Nored was my boss when I was assigned to the US consulate Frankfurt from 2000-2003.  Randy is s a retired Army warrant officer who was a great mentor and friend. I learned so many things from watching him interact with mission Germany leadership, the ambassador, and the consul general there in Frankfurt.  As part of his training process, Randy would take me to meetings that I would eventually chair and ask me to observe while he led the discussions with a defined agenda.  There was no doubt in anyone’s mind what Randy wanted from the group and what his vision was when the meeting was over.

Next, he would ask me to lead the meeting, sitting next to me subtly guiding me on those areas that I perhaps had forgotten, or overlooked. Later, he would simply sit in the back of the room while I lead the meetings nodding in agreement when I got it right; frowning when I got it wrong.  He always offered advice when the meeting was over and out of earshot of the meeting attendees on what I could have done better and commented on the body language of the attendees. What he believed I had finally mastered a task, he treated me as a fire forget weapon. One of Randy’s greatest strengths was his ability to lead without giving the feeling he was micromanaging.  It was more how a coach works with a professional sports team, they do not need help with the fundamentals, and they just need motivation.

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Happy Veteran’s Day to my coauthors and all those who wore their nation’s uniform and especially those who supported those of us who wore that uniform. What we did and who we became would not have been possible without the love and support we received at home. On behalf of my coauthors and other Veterans – this day is as much for you as it is for us. Thank you.

One of my coauthors asked me if today’s post would have an English theme since I recently moved to London for a new job. My answer was “sort of.” This the title of this post.

In just over a week I’ve put in over 80 miles walking around the city and it’s attractions. There is so much to do and see that one could spend every waking moment walking the city and not see it all in the time my family and I have here. Additionally, my new job is going to keep me hopping both in London and on the European continent.

I want everyone reading this ( and just as importantly many who don’t read this ) to know that despite the wonderful opportunity I’ve been given and my strongest efforts to take advantage of it, I miss you.

I miss talking to you. I miss spending time with you. I miss having the opportunity to get together with little or no notice.

If I’ve spent any quality time with you, I miss you. But I won’t sit and mope about missing you. That’s not productive for anyone. It’ll give us more to talk about when I’m able to get my “you” fix next time. Maybe that will be in London; maybe it will be back home. Either way, I want you to know I miss you. It’s a phrase not said often enough and it’s worth taking this post to say it.

I love video games, especially those first-person ones where your character starts at a low level and then gains attributes and skills as they gain experience.  They are particularly fun and yet challenging in the early stages where it is difficult to progress, but you level up frequently because of the experience gains.  There is always the drive to be better and the challenge to keep optimizing and improving your character through the addition of traits, gear and relationships. Sure, it gets difficult and is a grind sometimes but it always sucks me in.

Today, I was reminded that real life is very similar to these immersive environments, yet I find myself less drawn and it made me start to question why.  Is is because I can’t restart with another character?  Is it because I am in the “grinding” part of gaining experience?  Is it because of the time lapses?

I think there is an element of all of these issues that play a role.  Gaining experience to become better just seems to take longer now and always costs something, whether time, effort, money or what have you.  Additionally, it seems like progressing to a new “level” requires a lot of repetitive activities making the effort monotonous and boring. I particularly noticed that as I have been working on weight and health issues (2 issues my computer game characters do not have to deal with).  Exercise and eating right is monotonous and not as much fun as watching a movie and eating cookies or ice cream, but it is better for me and improves my quality of life.  So, I persist, sometimes reluctantly, I rebel, occasionally, and I pursue the next “level”.

This is just one example, but I have found putting things into this type of gaming context helps me to remain consistent and to endure the times I don’t feel like going on. Whether it be new concepts to learn, things to see or experience, or even just new health goals, the pursuit to “level up” has become a new way for me to stay motivated.  So, I challenge each of you to find something you want to be better at or something that you have had as a goal and start to pursue it as a way to gain more experience and a way to improve yourself. You may start at level 1, but you will be surprised at how quickly you start to level up.

I would love to say that today I settled in and battled, but I was forced into fighting rather than courageously leaning forward.  The fight was forced on me at 8:12 pm this evening and at 9:11 and change my attitude and my resolve changed.  I redoubled my efforts, took a deep breath and re-engaged. I don’t know if I will prevail, but I do know that the tide turned. 

I believe this scenario is not unique. Many time we find ourselves in a position where we seem to be continuously and mercilessly beaten. Our adversaries seem to have unlimited strength and ability and, yet, we still hang on.  It is in theseH time, like today, that I look back at history and draw strength. 

For all the times that Goliath wins, there is that one David. There is an NC State to counter Houston, a Giants to counter the Patriots, and a Golden State to fall. For as much as Goliath tends to win, history recognizes and celebrates David. 

I am no David, but I have learned that persistence and focus can defeat most of the Goliaths in our lives, because most of them win when we refuse to engage, and I think this is the reason Goliath wins so frequently.  I really think that whoever wants it more tends to win. There are certainly times when the one who wants it worst wins, but I think that is less than 50% of the time rather than less than 10% of the time, which is what you would expect.  

Today, I decided to stand my ground against the Goliath in front of me. I won’t know for several weeks if I won, but had I not stood my ground I know I would have fallen. Even more importantly I became actively engaged again in the fight. The money momentary elation I am experiencing from fighting back may pass. I may lose the battle and when this war, but I know in my deepest depths that j will have gone down fighting…and that makes all the difference. You may lose significant battles in life. You may lose major conflicts and even experience great defeat, but the bigger question is how you decide when to fight. 

So, tomorrow I may lose. It is a possibility I cannot discount, but it is a definite possibility. Likewise, I may prevail. The odds are against it, but is also a potential outcome. In either event, I am better off for having fought.  In the end I am reminded of the quote by Teddy Roosevelt.  

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. 
Have a great day tomorrow and we will keep you posted.