Sailing True North: Ten Admirals and the Voyage of Character

As I began to read James Stavridis' latest book, I was again reminded of another whose author also focuses on military leaders. In Edgar Puryear's Nineteen Stars: A Study in Military Character and Leadership (1973/2003), they are three five-star generals (George Marshall, Dwight Eisenhower, and Douglas MacArthur) and another with four-stars, George Patton. All are directly associated with World War Two.Stavridis' focus is on ten naval leaders throughout a period that extends from Themistocles (524-459 BC) to Rear Admiral Grace Hopper (1906-1992). The others are Zheng He, Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Horatio  Nelson, Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan, Admiral Lord John Arbuthnot Fisher, Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Admiral Hyman Rickover, and Admiral Elmo R. "Bud" Zumwalt Jr.  I knew little (if anything) about most of them when I began to read this book. All seem worthy of inclusion as do other naval leaders such as John Paul Jones and Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, a non-admiral.Stavridis shares these thoughts in his Preface "The voyage of character is the most important journey each of us ever makes...above all, we learn from these admirals that the quality of finding sufficient time to think and reflect is a crucial part of building character. In our frenzied world today, we should learn from their collective example...Leadership is broadly understood to be the ability to influence others, generally in order to accomplish a specific purpose...Character, on the other hand, is about internal effect and the ability to influence oneself."He goes on to suggest, "Character is at the heart of the ability to lead the inner self toward what is just and right. It proceeds from overcoming the strong amoral impulses -- what Freud described as the id -- and sailing toward the metaphorical light of moral choice. Character, unlike leadership, has both moral and ethical weight and can be more correctly described as either good or bad."These are among Stavridis' other observations that caught my eye:"Themistocles's life invites a question that will haunt this book and the lives of most of these admirals: is vision the consequence of character? I would argue that vision is in fact one of the most distinctive elements of human character, and that it is so often what separates the ordinary life from the extraordinary." (Page 17)"Beyond his devotion to the nation, Nelson was a master of leadership and character in assembling the right collection of subordinates and motivating them to pull together asan effective squad -- from a handful of sailores manning a gun when he was a young midshipman to the legendary 'band of brothers' he created among his ship captains when hed was a fleet commander. This type of team-building approach -- fanatically adopted by twenty-first century organizations such as US Navy SEALs and the corporate giant Google -- is at the heart of both Nelson's character and leadership skills." (88-89)Did Admiral Hyman Rickover use anger and impatience "clinically as an appropriate tool of leadership? Or were they rather a character flaw that he could not control?...My view: I suspect that this diminutive, complicated, driven utterly brilliant leader used anger consciously to achieve results; but the fearsome temper also met some dark need in his own heart. He was at once the Master of Anger and a leader of brilliance as well." (191)Stavridis uses -- never abuses -- the voyage metaphor while achieving two separate but interdependent objectives:  to examine the journey of exemplars from whose personal growth and professional development many valuable lessons can be learned, and, to help his reader understand and apply those lessons during their own journey. He concludes with this observation by Oliver Wendell Holmes who correctly said that "to reach a port we must sail, sometimes with the wind, and sometimes against it. But we must not drift or lie at anchor."This is precisely what Tennyson's Ulysses had in mind when reaffirming his commitment "to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield." Here's how James Stavridis describes it: great leaders keep going, and -- most important -- they keep learning.

What more can I saw about a book by Admiral Stavridis? He is a remarkable man, very entertaining, and writes so very well about his naval experience and subjects. His work needs no recommendations--read and you will be hooked forever. He is also a great speaker!

I found this book both enjoyable and instructive. The author's descriptions of the strength and weaknesses of admirals from ancient Greece to recent times are fascinating, and I also was interested in how he related these to high and low points of his own distinguished naval career. A very valuable book, although not exactly a page-turner.

This book is loaded with character and history It should be a required reading when entering the navy. We would be a better country for it.

Retired Admiral James Stavridis has written an excellent new book, and it’s all about integrity. “Sailing True North: Ten Admirals and the Voyage of Character,” is an uplifting and informative story about Stavridis’s own journey in the U.S. Navy, but is mostly about ten other admirals who inspired him, and helped shape his personal path. I’m also a bit biased. I have known Jim for over 20 years, and he is one of the finest people I’ve ever met.Here are the admirals, along with some of Admiral Stavridis's text from the book about them:Themistocles, 524-459 B.C. -- The Power of PersuasionA Greek admiral who possessed a predictive skill, and “ . . . forecast the possible outcomes in any given circumstance.Zheng He, 1371-1433 – A Sailor of the Middle Kingdom“An organized frame of mind tempered by a calm personality.’Sir Francis Drake, 1540-1596 – A Pirate and a Patriot“A good example of how a deeply flawed character can still accomplish a great deal in an energetic life—for both good and ill.”Vice Admiral Viscount Horatio Nelson, 1758-1805 – The Band of Brothers“Personified the desire that many people of character have to be part of something larger than themselves.” That trait was echoed often by the late Senator John McCain.Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan, 1840-1914 – The Influencer“ . . . unwavering in his determination to communicate a new strategic vision of his nation—one that fit the times and turned America’s gaze to the world.”Admiral Lord John Arbuthnot Fisher, 1841-1920 – Rum, Buggery, and the Lash“ . . . relentlessly upbeat and positive.” Stavridis added, “If I could pick only one admiral to spend a long evening with, it would be Jacky Fisher.”Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, 1885-1966 – The Admiral’s AdmiralPresident Gerald Ford, in dedicating the aircraft carrier bearing Nimitz’s name, quoted E.B. Potter, who said, “He was aggressive in war without hate, and audacious while never failing to weigh the risks.”Admiral Hyman Rickover, 1900-1986 – The Master of Anger“ . . . no admiral in this book was more visionary than Hyman Rickover.”Admiral Elmo R. “Bud” Zumwalt, Jr., 1920-2000 – The Angel of Change“Bud Zumwalt was great in vision, bold in challenging old customs, ideas, and assumptions; and both willing and able to make the bureaucracy howl.” Zumwalt’s gravestone bears the epitaph, “Reformer.”Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, 1906-1992 – Don’t Go Near the Water“ . . . a believer that it was loyalty to principle that mattered, not blind loyalty to any given boss.”Admiral Stavridis also offers ten character traits that echo the success and failures of the ten admirals, and also served him well over during his career on land and at sea.CreativityResilienceHumilityBalanceHonestyEmpathyJusticeDecisivenessDeterminationPerspectiveGeneral James Mattis said, “If character matters, this is a must read for those who would live a full life.”I agree 100%. “Sailing True North” should be an addition to everyone’s library.

I am grateful for this book! I saw the Admiral on TV and became curious as to what he had to say. I find myself yearning for any evidence of integrity and character nowadays, especially in these times when these traits are becoming more and more uncommon, especially at the highest levels of our government. I have never really thought too much about the Navy, myself having been to the ocean only a handful of times in my life. So I found this book very interesting, both in the Admiral discussing various times in his Navy career, and the history he discusses in each chapter. I think this would be an awesome book for use in a class about character and morals! I feel like I should re-read it with a yellow highlighter, which I just might do! Personally, I think of Admiral Stavridis as the anti-Trump. He is obviously a brilliant man, honest, and cares about these issues and our country deeply. I thank him for his service and for writing this book! It is good to know there are honest, moral people in our country at a time when we need them most!

Sea Power has always fascinated me. I will forever cherish the memories of walking in the footsteps of Admiral Chester Nimitz in Pearl Harbor and Admiral Horatio Nelson at Gibraltar. Back in 2011, I spent a night on the Rock and had trouble sleeping. Heat certainly had something to do with it, but I was also pondering how the British legend spent his days here, defending the interests of King and Country at the entrance of the Mediterranean Sea. I like to think that I might have crossed his spirit while walking in the beautiful streets of this British Overseas Territory.These men and women who ruled the waves were gifted with exceptional and inspirational values. And I’m very grateful to retired Admiral James Stavridis for writing Sailing True North: Ten Admirals and the Voyage of Character, where he details how these larger than life figures not only mastered what are certainly some of the most demanding jobs in the world, but also their character in front of adversity, whether it is the threat of invasion, war, bureaucracy, sexism or racism just to quote these examples. The best lessons are seldom learnt in easy circumstances.Naturally, I will not talk about each of the fascinating personas that are presented between the covers, but I will write a few words about my Top 3.The first one was a discovery for me. Zheng He was a 10 years old boy when he stood his ground in front of a conquering Ming General. He was then taken as a prisoner, “castrated and placed into imperial service as a eunuch.” In such circumstances, many people would lose faith in life. The boy nevertheless capitalized on his situation and “gradually became a favorite of the prince” who “[…] charged […] him with one of the most ambitious parts of this plan (rebuilding and modernizing the country): building China’s first deep-ocean fleet and leading it on exploratory voyages beyond the traditional range of Chinese coastal shipping.” Zheng He therefore embarked on a voyage that notably brought him on the South China Sea. This was during the 14th century. Beijing’s claim on that body of water is therefore nothing new.Zheng He was a wonderful surprise for me in the book and I certainly would welcome a longer chapter or article from Admiral Stavridis about this fascinating figure.Admiral Nelson is my second selection. A must for me. I already knew that the iconic son of Britannia had lost an arm and an eye during battle. But I was unaware that “[…] he was also afflicted with seasickness and other illnesses on and off throughout his life” and depression. There again, the future victor of Trafalgar turned things to his advantage. Not only did “[…] he painstakingly worked to learn to write left-handed”, he led his sailors to a victory that was “[…] at the top of the list of geopolitical impact within the era.” Said otherwise, Nelson blocked Napoleon’s way.Third and final, Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, the “American Nelson”. The German-American farm boy can also teach us a lot about the voyage of character of our daily lives. For him, “the true acme of character [was] sublimating anger, pettiness, and impulse in favor of a cool, calm temperament.” That was, for the author, “the genius of Nimitz.” In this day and age when we probably live the worst challenges of our epoch, coupled with a toxic political climate inflamed by hatred, intolerance and division, this should be a daily motto in itself. In a social context where nothing is private, his discretion is also a value we should take inspiration from. And, last but not least, I guess I share the positive view Chinese have about the famous sea dog for defeating the Japanese in the Pacific during World War II.There is one very important quality underlined in Admiral Stavridis book that I’d like to mention before I conclude. On many occasions, he mentions the exceptional character travellers he chose to portray were avid readers, writers and thinkers. Throughout their busy schedule, they took the time to engage in such cerebral activities. In an intellectual environment dominated by social media and intellectual fast food where many people “[…] now balk at reading a single long book”, it is essential to understand that the wisdom and knowledge of humankind is offered through books. The price of being a person of content is spending time between the covers of books. For the author, the books we read are as important as the company we keep in life. Powerful, indeed.Trust me, you won’t regret picking up Sailing True North, a book which should be required reading for anyone interested in embarking on a journey of character building and making a real difference in the world. We may not be at the helm of an aircraft carrier, but we certainly are at the helm of our lives.Anchors Aweigh, readers!BookMarc.ca

Leadership awareness

I started reading this book on a long train ride. I spent a lot of time staring out the window consumed in deep, reflective thought. I also found myself forced to take notes on the author’s succinct, impactful descriptions of the traits of character. I have purchased a number of these books for persons whom I respect.