Today (June 14) is the 245th birthday of the United States Army. On this date in 1775, the Continental Congress authorized enlistment of expert riflemen to serve the United Colonies for one year. Boy, how times have changed!
Nearly eight years ago, one of my mentors, Bill Bates gave me a copy of Colin Powell’s It Worked for Me in Life and Leadership. Powell started in the U.S. Army as a seventeen year-old ROTC cadet and retired as a four-star general, after nearly 40 years of service.
In this book, Powell shares many rich leadership tips. I encourage you to peruse my summary of his work.
Last Tuesday (May 5th) marked National Astronaut Day—when we celebrate Astronauts as true heroes. That day’s mission is to inspire all to “reach for the stars” by sharing “out of this world” Astronaut stories and experiences. The day is celebrated commemorating Astronaut Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr., who became the first American in space aboard the Freedom 7 Space capsule on May 5, 1961. While his suborbital flight lasted only 15 minutes and reached a height of 116 miles into the atmosphere, his trailblazing example of heroic bravery and adventurous spirit is this essence of what National Astronaut Day is all about.
National Space Day dedicates the first Friday in May to the extraordinary achievements, benefits, and opportunities in the exploration and use of space. The goal of the observance is to promote math, science, technology, and engineering education in young people. The hope is to inspire them to pursue a career in science, especially a career in space-related jobs. At NASA, we encourage candidates to “Explore the Extraordinary, Every Day.”
To honor these special days, I picked up a copy of Rick Searfoss’ 2015 book entitled Liftoff: An Astronaut Commander’s Countdown for Purpose-Powered Leadership. Searfoss, a fighter pilot, test pilot, and astronaut, wrote this book to extend his personal mission of “sharing the leadership, teamwork, and innovation lessons of human spaceflight to launch organizations to higher heights of execution performance.” Unfortunately, he passed away in 2018.
Like me, I think you’ll really appreciate his thoughts and beliefs on leadership, which contribute to his legacy.
