Admiral Thad Allen is probably the most famous military
person about whom you have never heard. That is due to the facts that he
received his raves for traditionally non-military endeavors and before
retiring, his service was with the United States Coast Guard.
First, a word about the Coast Guard. Initiated by Secretary
of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in 1790 as the Revenue-Marine to enforce
customs laws, the Coast Guard was assigned more responsibilities through the
years. Originally housed in the Department of the Treasury the Coast Guard was
called upon to be an active military service during wartime. For example, a
Coast Guardsman was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his support of
the Marines during the battle for Guadalcanal in August 1942. After 9/11 the
Coast Guard was transferred to the newly established Department of Homeland
Security where it currently remains. The Coast Guard is the only military
branch with domestic law enforcement powers in addition to coastal defense and
search and rescue.
Second, a word about Thad Allen. Born in California in 1949,
Allen moved often as a child since his father was a career enlisted Coast Guardsman.
After graduating from high school in Arizona he attended the United States
Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut where he also played football. Allen graduated in 1971 and was commissioned
an officer. He then began the journey of working up through the ranks with various
assignments. He developed his leadership competencies as a self-described
life-long learner including earning master’s degrees in administration And management
from George Washington University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Allen’s career reached its peak in 2006 when he was named the Commandant of the
Coast Guard and he retired in 2010.
Now, a word about the two events from which Allen earned his
accolades. First was Hurricane Katrina which devastated New Orleans and the
surrounding area in 2005. While serving as Chief of Staff to the Commandant
Allen was designated the deputy to the Principal Federal Officer (PFO) of the recovery
efforts. Just days into the operation the PFO was relieved due to in competence
and Allen was appointed his replacement. T
he second event was the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the
Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Allen was in his final days as Commandant when he was
appointed the National Incident Commander to coordinate containment and cleanup
of the spillage. In fact, Allen retired from the Coast Guard during this
operation and stayed on until his assignment was completed. In both endeavors
Admiral Allen was praised for his bias for action, his integrity, his energy, his
willingness to deviate from protocol to serve people more effectively, and his
creation of a “unity of effort” among numerous government agencies and private
enterprises.
From my reading of Allen’s achievements, I have gleaned some
“Allenisms” on leadership:
·
Have a simple set of core values
·
Leadership is the ability to reconcile opportunity
and competency
·
One needs to be a lifelong learner and
intellectually curious- one becomes better at recognizing opportunity and
having a larger base of potential when an opportunity presents itself
·
One should focus on trying to optimize what
skills and talents one has
·
Leaders are responsible for their own morale
·
When faced with a complex, fast-moving crisis,
leaders must constantly adapt their mental models and create a “unity of
effort”
·
Three ways to deal with change- adapt, manage,
or suffer
·
Keep a steady focus and do not become too caught
up in the moment
·
Keep a list of “Dogs That Hunt”- persons who get
results- and utilize their talents as needed
·
Be aware of social media and the 24-hour news
cycle
·
If you’re not visible to your people out on the
boats in 110-degree heat, you’re not a credible leader
I am looking forward to the day when Admiral Allen writes
his own book on leaders and getting things done.
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