Colonel Candid

Determination, Patience, and Perseverance are Key Finding Mentors in National Security and Defense: Determination, Patience, and Perseverance are Key Successfully finding your mentor in the national security field takes perseverance and effort. Courageously entering into the field takes herculean efforts to get a foot in the door and once established, growing within this arena takes meticulous skill, determination, and tenacity. Finding someone to help decode the system and who knows the processes is critical. To find the right mentor, whether internal or external to your agency takes work; you must be persistent. I am sharing with you steps used over my twenty years for finding the right fit and attributes to look for in a mentor. The right time to find a mentor is now. The current political, economic, and social environment matters not. Follow the example of great business that began during a depression or economic crises. For instance, UPS began during the panic of 1...

In the middle of a tumultuous period, look around and see who is really leading. Clarity comes to most of us when we are amidst significant chaos. For those of you in leadership positions, I’d offer the following, recognize where you’re at, thinking about where you want to go, and find a way to get there. Rather simple but amidst a current environment of change each leader must understand the problems you faced yesterday no longer exist. It’s time to reframe as a leader. First, leadership is encouraging a group to get things done, and preserving harmony with a group by making everyone feels included. This requires the trust of those you lead. A leader organizes activities, provides guidance, and ensures the work is followed through. At the beginning a leader must first think what must be done. During a crisis, you must clarify what is urgent from what is important. After dividing this up, quickly ask for feedback. Do this by surrounding yourself with Subject Matter Experts people ...