Battle-Tested Breakthroughs

Q: I loved reading your story. Tell us about your mission in Iraq and what it taught you.

A: One of the most memorable missions in Iraq for me [was when our]troops [were] pinned down in the cemetery outside of An Najaf. Our attack helicopter had already been out for a little over an hour, so it only had 20 minutes of fuel left and only one missile left. But when your Marines and soldiers are in trouble, we answer the call.

We headed up to the north of the cemetery; we were able to get the missile to come off the second time. But when it didnt come off that first time when we were coming down for our very first pass, we didnt have enough fuel to make a re-attack. Communication and our teamwork were essential in that moment. The missile came off, we pulled off, and we headed back to base. We landed almost out of fuel, and completely out of ammo.

But the really interesting part of itor the memorable part of the story for meis, several months after this mission and after being back in Iraq from my deployment, I was in the hospital standing in line for a routine appointment. I was talking to the Marine in front of me, and we started comparing stories of being in Iraq, and it turned out we were in the same detachmentthe 11th MEU. He started telling me about an experience where he was pinned down, didnt have any ammunition to shoot back with; and a Cobra came in and shot a missile.

I said, Wait a minute; that sounds like a mission I was on! When we paired up the day, it was the same mission, the same aircraft, and the same missile. And at that moment he just stopped and he stared at me and said, Maam, you saved my life.

That was my mission in life at that point: to protect the troops on the ground. What I really learned from that experience is the teamwork, the communication, that breakthrough mentalitythinking out the side of the cockpit. How do you get something done even though its proving difficult in the moment? [It is about] being decisive in the midst of combat. I like to say, you can be in combat in the middle of corporate America as well, whether youre in a nonprofit or an association. Being decisive as a leader is importantits critical.

Q: That is critical. In the book, you write about not giving obstacles power as well. Whats that about?

A: Well, thats huge because obstacles, challenges, road blockstheyre all inevitable. But how we respond versus react is really the key. As my granny used to say, anything worth having is worth working for.

Acknowledge the obstacle. You have to look at it [to] see what youre dealing with. You have to acknowledge it, but on the same note you dont want to give it power. The power needs to be reserved for how youre going to navigate that obstacle, circumvent that obstacle, or take that obstacle out.

One of the main things that I like to talk about is engagement. Youre probably familiar with the survey or report that came out a little while ago that said at least 78 percent of corporate America is disengaged at work. So how do we get that engagement back online so people are cleared hot? Cleared hot means you can blow up the target with bullets, bombs, missiles; and when bullets, bombs, missiles blow up, theyre hot! So you get that clearance to blow up your obstacles. Acknowledge them, dont give them power, and do what you need to do to engagego cleared hotand take that obstacle out so you can continue on toward the missions and the goals of your company, your organization, or your group and team.

Q: In the government engagement is a huge issue. There are so many obstacles in terms of the budget; there are challenges for our country such as homelessness or the debt. And I think that our audience really needs that breakthrough mentality. Do you have any advice on how to help our leaders work through those really big, daunting things that teams of peopleliterally agencies worth of peopleneed to deal with?

A: Yes. There are two points Id like to drive home on this. Number one is the breakthrough mentality. What is the definition of breakthrough mentality? Its refusing to settle even in the smallest of moments and demanding a breakthrough life, demanding a breakthrough experience or organization, or a breakthrough team. And once you have that breakthrough mentality inside you, youve harnessed the power of it and you are ready to unleash it.

Number two, you have to create a flight plan. Where are you? Where do you want to be?

If you look at some of the situations we have going on here, people have created a flight plan; we just all have our own flight plans that go in different directions, and you cant take one plane in multiple directions. You can do a flight that stops in different places, but what are we trying to do? How efficient or productive are we trying to be? Budgets are being cut back, personnel are being cut back. We can bring our team togetherwere not a group. Were not just a bunch of people in one place togetherwe are a team going for one mission, one goal, one team.

So we can create the flight plan that we have all agreed upon; then we can start taking the steps moving forward. But when your definition of success looks so radically different, thats where the real challenges and obstacles come up.

Q: I think about the idea of one mission, one goal, one team when I think about how the military is trying to deal with the repeal of Dont Ask, Dont Tell. I talked to someone in the Navy, someone who trained the Navy and tried to make sure that the message was carried out throughout the forces. Do you think training will help? Will it have an impact on our armed forces?

A: Truth and integrity always have an impact, no matter where it is. Dont Ask, Dont Tell just meant you didnt talk about it. It didnt mean that it wasnt already a reality. Gays and lesbians were already allowed to be in the military; they just couldnt talk about it. Or if they perished in war or a battle, their partner wasnt the one that got the call. Their partner could have heard about it on the news. This goes so beyond some of the superficial things that we talk about.

But if I were to really point at this question and the one before, to accomplish that goal, to accomplish the mission, it takes committed, consistent action by our leaders. Were all leaders; it has nothing to do with a title. The repeal of Dont Ask, Dont Tell has been a conversation thats been going on for a while. The LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community in the military has been in conversation for much longer than that when there was a ban in the military. If you were a homosexual, you had to lie. Now, were totally out of integrity.

When integrity and truth come into the conversation we can be in alignment and stop letting that top talentpeople who are ultraqualifiedgo because of something that doesnt even matter. We all know theres a war on top talent. Theyre trying to get that top talent into our organizations. Lets concentrate on the things that matter. How do we become the best team to accomplish the goal together? We win together, we lose together.

Q: Those are really powerful words. You talk also in the book about opening yourself up to discovery. You made a great analogy to the Karate Kid. Can you tell us how we do that?

A: When you talk about opening yourself to discovery, I have a more personal story that Id like to share.

I did not want to be in aviation; I didnt even want to be in the military. It wasnt a blatant not-want, I just hadnt thought about it.

I saw a black woman in a flight suit, and at that point I didnt want to go to the aviation tent because I had this block in my mind that black people dont fly. I dont see black people flying. And it wasnt something I really had an interest in or aspired to do.

But when I saw that black woman in the flight suit I said, whoa, wait a minute. Mind you, Im in college. Im not in K-through-eight or high school. I was in college, the time of tangibility of the possibility. Thats why mentors and role modelsthe champions and sponsors in our organizationsare so incredibly important. They represent the tangibility of the possibility and the belief that we can move forward and get it done.

Im having this conversation with you because I saw a woman in a flight suit on a hot summer day back in 1994 for five minutes. I dont know her name, dont know where shes from, dont know anything else about her. But she planted a strong seed. My question to the leaders is: What seeds are we planting? Its all about access and exposure, and on the individuals part, being open to discovery and giving yourself that access and exposure. Opportunities dont go away; other people take advantage of them.

Q: FlyGirl, on behalf of The Public Manager, thank you for your inspiration.

A: You are cleared hot.

Note: Hear the Podcast; www.thepublicmanager.org

Hooks Book Events; http://hooksbookevents.com/calendar/ details/zero-to-breakthrough-the-7stepbattletested-method-for-accomplishinggoals-that-matter/48

FlyGirl; www.vernicearmour.com