Loyal and Lonely

You're steadfast.  You've stuck by the team.  You're putting in your time...
But wait; weren't you supposed to get something back by now?

Maybe someone actually owed you something, but probably not.  You jumped onboard because of an earnest promise that the ship was on a great path, and that you would get your turn at the helm, or even your own boat!

So here you are, time has passed, you've shown your loyalty time and again -- so why the hell does it feel so lonely?

Good news: the answer is rather simple.  Bad news: you have to make a choice.

The reason you feel lonely is because you've hitched your loyalty to an old path.  As it turns out, $#!^ does happen, and the group or cause you've committed to had to adjust its course.  This happens over and over again - that's life, it seems.  As this happens, the path drifts further away from the vision when you joined.

You know this, of course, because you've been reacting and doing your part to pursue success.  But you forgot to allow your vision to change along the way.  That's why you feel like you're on an island.  Stop and look around - you're still in the same spot with everyone else, just facing the wrong direction.

The bad news?  Well, it's up to you if it's actually bad news or not, but here it is: It's time to make a choice.  You've got a few paths in front of you - none of them being your initial course.

If you're going to stay onboard - great! - but take the time to stop and ask how you fit into the new future, and what you need to do to get there.  If it's time to chart a new course - also great! - but be wise about it.  Don't just jump overboard and start swimming - make sure you know your new heading and how you're going to get there.

There are some other signs you might need a course correction, but the point is to not be afraid of asking yourself to question the course.  Loyalty is still expected, but with the speed and chaos in our world today, the focus is much more near-term.

If your gaze is always on the horizon, you might lose track of exactly where you are. *tweet this*

Have you hit that fork in the road before? Did you see it coming?

Welcome!

Thanks for visiting my new blog!

I've been writing a bit on LinkedIn, and a few other platforms, but it's time to open wide up, and get some real practice in before launching my website.

So here's me in a nutshell - what keeps me busy during the day - and what keeps my mind spinning at night:

(adapted from my professional bio)

A husband, a father, a Veteran, a (retired) Sailor, a TED junkie, a North Carolinian, a beach bum - pick one.
My passions are around innovation, education, mindfulness and sustainability.
Along the way I've picked up a thing or two about critical equipment (nuclear and data center), building operations & military and corporate leadership.

[ HERE'S MY RESUME ]
With more than a decade of operational and management experience in multi-dimensional critical environments, my engineering mindset provides a unique and effective approach to daily business operations as well as enterprise-scale strategic challenges. As a facility manager, my daily goal is to establish and fine-tune business and engineering operations with a direct impact on the long-term success and security of the organization.

[ BUT HERE's WHY I WORK HARDER THAN MOST ]

✦ I enjoy the challenge of working with cross-functional teams and subject matter experts to drive performance improvement and process efficiency. It's nice if we all get along, but that's too easy and probably means we're not being open with each other.
✦ I'm not scared of working in ambiguity towards perpetuity, and will always put my name to my work, regardless of the risk or outcome. Projects tend to bore me because there is an end in sight.
✦ I strive for poise and clarity in communication, whether the audience is executives, industry regulators, or social media followers.

now for the secret:

If you made it this far, you might as well know that, for entirely obvious reasons, I'm obsessively interested in that which will improve the lives and careers of MIllennial and Military leaders. Be it a professional avenue such as my current role in business management, or on a personal level, volunteering my experience and expertise, that's where I want to invest my efforts.

Please enjoy my writing and ask all the questions you want!  

Follow me too!