LEADING BEFORE YOU FEEL READY

Leading Before You Feel Ready

Last week while walking around Coast Guard Headquarters, I looked up … and time stopped.

Mounted on the wall above me was the nameplate from my old ship, USCGC Cape Henlopen (WPB-95328), the cutter I commanded 39 years ago.

Seeing it again, these decades later, brought back a lifetime of memories.

I was just 23 years old when I took command of her. Still uncertain, still learning, still wondering if the Coast Guard knew what it was doing putting me in charge of this ship and her 11-person crew.

But the moment I stepped aboard, everything changed. I was surrounded by pros; seasoned chiefs and petty officers who taught me more about leadership, humility, and teamwork than any classroom ever could.

We patrolled from Cape Cod to the Caribbean, long nights, drug busts, high-speed chases, and a few unforgettable moments of calm and wonder in between.

Those years on the Cape Henlopen shaped the leader and person I became. The autonomy, the trust, the sense of shared purpose … it all became the foundation for how I’ve led ever since, in uniform and in business.

Standing beneath that nameplate reminded me how far those lessons have carried me and how powerfully early responsibility can shape a life.

To every young leader out there:

Say yes before you think you’re ready. With the right attitude, those around you will help you grow into the role.