The Door of Leadership Swings on the Hinge of Character
Four-star Admiral James Stavridis served as the commander of US Southern Command, US European Command, and Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, and served for five years as the 12th Dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He is currently Partner and Vice Chairman, Global Affairs of The Carlyle Group, and is Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Rockefeller Foundation.
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In his book, Sailing True North: Ten Admirals and the Voyage of Character, he explores—through the lives of some of the most illustrious naval commanders in history—how personal character is the driving force behind successful or failed leadership.
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None of the admirals in this volume were perfect, and some were deeply flawed. But important themes emerge, not least that serving your reputation is a poor substitute for serving your character; and that taking time to read and reflect is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.
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“The big door of leadership can swing for good or for ill…the hinge upon which that big door of leadership swings is called character; the human heart,” says Admiral Stavridis. “What’s in that heart, what kind of character a leader has is what will determine how that big door of leadership will swing for good purpose or for terrible evil.”
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Here are a few of the lessons taught in the book:
• Themistocles lived about 2500 years ago and was the leading political actor and leader of the Athenian naval forces in the wars between Greece and the Persian Empire. He convincingly inspired his men, who were vastly outnumbered, to fight for freedom itself. The Greek fleet defeated the Persian fleet in an extraordinary battle that is still studied today in the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. He’s an example of the power of inner character, particularly to motivate others to success. However, he was also extremely arrogant and prideful, leading to his banishment from Athens. The character lesson to learn is that, no matter how successful you are, even at the very peak of success in your life, avoid arrogance—the tendency to over-reach. Exercise humility.
[ Read the SemperVerus article, The Importance of Being Civil and Polite ]
• The character lesson from the ancient Chinese commander Zheng He who lived in the early 1400s is resilience: no matter how far down you are, you can still come back if you exercise discipline in calmness of spirit and the willingness to face challenges and overcome them.
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• Chester Nimitz, the “admiral’s admiral” exemplified empathy, quiet confidence, calm demeanor. He had the gift of inspiring others without being flamboyant. He was self-effacing. He broke down big objectives into small, accomplishable bites. See the big picture. Play the long-game.
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Table of Contents:
Chapter I — The Power of Persuasion — Themistocles
Chapter II — A Sailor of the Middle Kingdom — Zheng He
Chapter III — A Pirate and a Patriot — Sir Francis Drake
Chapter IV — The Band of Brothers — Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Horatio Nelson
Chapter V — The Influencer — Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan
Chapter VI — Rum, Buggery, and the Lash — Admiral Lord John Arbuthnot Fisher
Chapter VII — The Admiral’s Admiral Fleet — Admiral Chester W. Nimitz
Chapter VIII — The Master of Anger — Admiral Hyman Rickover
Chapter IX — The Angel of Change — Admiral Elmo R. “Bud” Zumwalt Jr.
Chapter X — Don’t Go Near the Water — Rear Admiral Grace Hopper
Chapter XI — Resilience and the Modern Admiral
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Sailing True North is a reminder (just as SemperVerus is) that we must hone our character—our moral compass—to chart the right course in life.
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Listen to interviews with Admiral Stavridis on The Art of Manliness and The Hugh Hewitt Show.
[ Read SemperVerus articles on the character topic of BE ]
Invite SemperVerus to present its 5 life-changing success-generating components—prepare, aware, be, know, do—to your organization to inspire and motivate your members.
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