Month: August 2026

“This is a book about courage, faith, and hope. It is a book about what we ought to be, what we can be, and what we will be. This is a book about the American spirit.”

This paragraph is from the introduction of William McRaven’s newest book, Duty, Honor, Country & Life: A Tribute to the American Spirit. Admiral McRaven served for 37 years as a Navy SEAL, including his final assignment as Commander of all U.S. Special Operations Forces. When McRaven retired from the Navy, he became the Chancellor of the University of Texas from 2015 to 2018. Since then, he has become a highly in-demand speaker and best-selling author, most notably for his book,Make Your Bed.

The title of this book is derived from the title of General Douglas MacArthur’s speech given at West Point, his alma mater, in 1962. As McRaven notes, the old man spoke without “his soaring ego” about the “courage, sacrifice and patriotism” of average Americans and with “a deep sense of reverence for his country and for those who fought so valiantly to defend its principles.”

Who We Are

Reverence for those who have built our nation and who sustain it today is a central theme of this book, which is a richly eloquent collection of McRaven’s reflections, speeches, and poems. It also is an apt tribute to our nation as it marks its 250th anniversary. Throughout, there are stories about the service and sacrifice of those under his command. McRaven also lauds families of service personnel who, in a very real sense, serve alongside their loved ones.

In a reflection about heroes, McRaven cites the courage of Medal of Honor recipients as well as being “inspired by diplomats, those U.S. ambassadors who carried the might of America in their words and their actions.” He closes his essay with a shoutout to “the teachers, coaches, parents, and guardians who raised us to adulthood, taught us right from wrong, motivated us through the pain and disappointments, and encouraged us to follow our dreams.”

For me, this paragraph sums up what I have observed from so many veterans with whom I have come to know, either personally or through story. Service men and women volunteer for us. And while their military service is rightly recognized, it is built upon a foundation of national ideals and values. That foundation, however, rests upon the willingness of citizens who are willing to — as another veteran, President John F. Kennedy, put it – “Ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country.” Patriotism is service. It is reserved for those in uniform, but it is an invitation to serve, collectively and individually,

Poem for action

McCraven, who has written poetry throughout his life, closes with a poem, “Sitting on the Porch.” In his introduction to it, he notes that the poem’s genesis was hearing sirens as he was seated in his rocker on the porch. “I knew that somewhere, someone was in trouble…. There is always someone in trouble… and while I couldn’t solve every problem, maybe I could still make a difference.” And so here’s a portion of this poem.

But the longer I rock/the more it seems,

that sitting on the porch/is only for dreams…

But now I know/that the answer lies

in getting off the porch/before I die.

Consider this poem as a call to action that each of us can answer in our own way and in our own communities, doing what we can to make a difference.

First posted on SmartBrief.com 7.02.2026

Is power based on influence, or is influence based on power?

 The answer is both. The challenge is to decide how to employ each. Do you lead with power, or lead with influence?

 The answer is it depends upon the situation.

 Corporate influence

When my generation (Okay, Boomer) first entered the work force, we were expected to follow orders or else. And we did or found another job. Over the decades, there was a subtle shift toward greater delegation, allowing employees to exercise more autonomy and decide how to work more effectively.

One of the influences was the Toyota Production System, in which authority resided more with workers than with bosses. It was said that the most powerful people in manufacturing at Toyota were the vehicle program chiefs. Same in the U.S., but there was a difference. Toyota chiefs had no direct reports; American chiefs had many. The former relied upon influence based on experience. The Americans relied upon command and control.

The operative principle is trust. In the first instance, trust is secondary. You do what the boss says because you want to keep your job. In the second instance, you want to follow the boss because you trust their know-how. Therefore, the optimal use of power should be based upon trust.

Individual influence

Power within an organizational context rests on a foundation of authority, e.g., the boss. Influence within the same organizational context is derived from example and experience. In the first instance, the boss tells you to do something, and you do it because failure to do so may result in your being fired. In the second instance, the boss asks you to do something, and you do it because experience has taught you that the boss knows what’s best.

Executives have power over others because of the authority inherent in their positions. They are the boss, and bosses have the responsibility to get things done and the authority to do so. They accomplish their goals through others.

Peers have no authority over their colleagues. But they can exert influence based on their experience and example. Their peers trust them because they have proven themselves able to accomplish what needs to be done.

 At the same time, executives can operate as peers insofar as they seek input and encourage individuals and teams to make the best decisions for how to accomplish the workflow. Doing so enables workers to exercise autonomy and, over time, take ownership of their jobs and their outcomes.

 Each form of power is valid, but when it comes to building trust, we gravitate toward those who enable us to make decisions – within the context of the job – to get things done. That behavior enables us to exert ownership. If we are only told what to do, we will do it, but seldom with the same enthusiasm. We lack autonomy.

 Our challenge is to understand our own influence – our sense of agency. We can make the choices that affirm our values and enable us to commit to helping the organization succeed.

First posted on LinkedIn 00.00.2026