Monday, April 19, 2021

Admiral Nimitz

 I read a great story over the weekend. I will have to shorten it to keep it under a minute…

 Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt appointed Admiral Nimitz to take over the Pacific Fleet. One of the first things Nimitz did in his new role was fly to Hawaii to survey the damage. 

 

Death. Destruction. Despair. Nimitz remarked the mood of Pearl Harbor was as if the Japanese had already won the war. 

 

Admiral Nimitz took a boat tour- surveying the sunken battleships,  and destroyed navy vessels. As the boat made its return to the dock, the young helmsman asked Nimitz, “Well Admiral, what do think after seeing all this destruction?”

 

Nimitz’s response shocked everyone on board. He said, “The Japanese made 3 of the biggest mistakes an attack force could ever make.” He then went onto explain the mistakes and highlight the silver lining in the midst of all the carnage. 

 

As I reflected on this story…I was convicted of seeing more negativity than positivity and opportunities in light of recent events. The year has been tough. Yet, how much are we seeing the good – and the silver linings that are truly there…if you look with a discerning eye. 

 

It’s easy to see the problems. As leaders, we need to be more like Admiral Nimitz. Let’s look beyond the troubles- and see the opportunities…and spread hope and optimism. 

 

I’m in your corner. Get After It. And Win the Day- pja

 

*57.8 Seconds to Read

 

**If interested, I can share with you the 3 mistakes Nimitz said the Japanese made. Interesting. 

No comments:

Post a Comment