Lee Ellis's Blog, page 225

Happy Veterans Day and a Special Video Clip

Happy Veterans Day to the brave military men and women who currently serve or have served our nation.

We are honored to announce the release of this new video clip from USAF PACE Profession of Arms Center of Excellence memorializing Captain Lance P. Sijan.

In this clip, PACE shares the story of Lance’s shoot-down, capture, and last days as he fought for his life in the jungles of Vietnam.

Please watch –

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Today’s Veteran Highlight – Former POW Orson Swindle

Orson Swindle, a decorated Vietnam War prisoner of war, was interned as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam after he was shot down on November 11, 1966, and was held until his release on March 4, 1973. Swindle served over twenty years as a Naval Aviator in the U.S. Marine Corps, and he retired as a lieutenant colonel.

Like many other former Vietnam POWs, Orson returned home to flourish as a citizen and strong contributor to American society. His was a Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission of the United States from December 18, 1997 to June 30, 2005. He had previously served as Assistant Secretary of Commerce during the Reagan Administration. In addition, he previously served as State Director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In his book, Leading with Honor, Lee describes some of the difficult moments during Orson’s captivity –

“In the summer of 1969, when American families back home were celebrating the lunar landing, American POWs were suffering badly. An escape attempt at the Zoo had the V looking for any excuse to whip us into line. Fearful we had an escape plan, the V began torturing our SRO Capt Ken Fisher. We had none, but Ken was strapped to a stool in leg irons and kept awake for twenty-one days. Though delirious, he gave them nothing and resisted until they returned him to our cell. Captain Orson Swindle

(USMC) refused to sign “good treatment” propaganda statements, so they got similar torture. After more than two weeks without sleep, the guards began beating them. Eventually they signed a “no value” statement, giving the V a way to save face.”

Orson Swindle – Military Times Link

Orson Swindle – Wikipedia

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With Orson Swindle and Jon Fer at Nam Viet restaurant in Arlington VA–a mini-reunion of old cellmates from the Hanoi Hilton.

 

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Pictured during his tenure as Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission

During this Veterans Day weekend, Lee and Orson wanted to share the poignant portrayal in this television commercial created by the Food City company –

 

 

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Leading with Honor Wisdom for Today, November 10, 2017

“The simple act of saying ‘thank you’ is a demonstration of gratitude in response to an experience that was meaningful to a customer or citizen.” – Simon Mainwaring

 

 

 

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Today’s Veteran Highlight – Former POW Smitty Harris

Such an important leader and friend in Vietnam POW history, (then) Captain Smitty Harris is a legendary figure to all POWs. The year before I arrived in the camps, most of the POWs living at the Briarpatch, a camp near the mountains outside Hanoi, were stricken with beriberi. Smitty had to walk on the cold floor of his cell until his feet were numb enough to allow him to sleep for a while without pain. When the diet and treatment improved, they were able to bounce back.

In one very serious time in the camps, Smitty Harris and Fred Flom (1st Lt, USAF) were fighting losing battles with a debilitating gastro-intestinal disease. Through a crack in our door we watched Smitty and Fred stagger across the courtyard to the bathhouse, their emaciated bodies reminiscent of survivors of Auschwitz and Bataan. Smitty’s POW weight had dwindled from 130 pounds to about 90.

Son Tay SRO Lieutenant Commander Render Crayton realized it would take drastic action to save the lives of these men. Using the tap code, he sent an urgent message that was transmitted across the entire compound: “Tell every English-speaking Vietnamese you meet that the camp commander must do something for Harris and Flom, or his superiors in Hanoi are going to be very upset with him about what is going to happen in this camp.’”

By threatening to make trouble, we were virtually inviting reprisal. This ploy was especially risky because it revealed that we had a cohesive team with good communications. Once the enemy realized that we were organized as a military unit with a functioning operational leader, they might try to break us. Nevertheless, the seriousness of the situation justified the risk.

The next day, POWs across the camp delivered the bold, agreed-upon message in rapid-fire succession. If only one or two guards had received the message, the V would have downplayed it. But our “over-communication” resounded across the camp like a string of firecrackers that couldn’t be ignored.

Evidently, the V camp commander, fearful for his job, was convinced we had the will and capability to carry out our threat. Three days after the message hit, Smitty and Fred were taken to a field hospital a few miles away and given a fluoroscope. This was followed by two shots twice daily that were apparently vitamins and antibiotics. Their improvement was slow but steady. A year later, they were back up to their normal POW weight.

It’s superbly fitting that the code was instrumental in saving Smitty Harris’s life, because Smitty was the man who saved all of us by bringing the tap code to the POW camps. In fact, he was known to us as the “code bearer.” When Smitty was in survival school, he alone stayed after class one day to learn about the code used by POWs in World War II.

Then as one of the first POWs in the war, he passed on this precious gift to his fellow prisoners. Now, four years later, the code had come full circle and saved his life.

Smitty retired as a colonel, earned a law degree, managed a large law firm, and eventually retired again. He can still score his age in golf.

Smitty Harris – Biography Link

 

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Leading with Honor Reader Testimonial

So grateful for testimonies like this one from a ‘Leading with Honor’ reader –

“Great lessons about leadership and resiliency coupled with the endured hardships from being a POW. Lee Ellis did a tremendous job drawing opportunities to learn, grow and develop in multiple facets from such dire circumstances. Highly recommend this book and I thank him for his willingness to share his experiences.” – D. Walker, Leading with Honor Reader

Purchase your Copy of Leading with Honor

 

 

 

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Today’s Veteran Highlight – Former POW Ken Fisher

I’m thankful today for Ken Fisher, my fellow crewman, aircraft commander, cellmate and senior ranking officer (SRO) for more than three years and cellmate for close to five years for his friendship and courageous leadership in very tough times. I grew as a man and as a human being following his example.

Also, a big shout out to his bride, Maggie Fisher who faithfully served as wife, mom, and warrior in the fight to get better treatment for POWs and accounting for MIAs. Looking forward to seeing them again soon at our next reunion.

LE

Ken Fisher – Biography

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Jim Collins and Chief Executive Network

Had a special time sharing the Leading with Honor message at the Chief Executive Network’s conference last week to more than 300 CEOs.

Author and speaker, Jim Collins, also presented at this event. So grateful for Jim’s humble dedication to helping leaders and companies go from good to great.

Learn more about Jim’s work and books.

Learn more about Chief Executive Network.

 

 

 

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15 Ways to Spot Great Leaders – Check out this List

From our friend, author, and speaker, Mary Kelly – she offers “15 Ways to Spot Great Leaders” from her latest book, Why Leaders Fail and the 7 Prescriptions for Success.

Please review this list, see if you agree, and add to her list:

They remind others 24 hours in advance of planned meetings, phone calls, and deadlines.
They stand up for co-workers who are doing the right thing.
They keep the boss and their employees informed about what is going on, both good and the bad news.
They start and end meetings on time.
They have agendas for meetings so they don’t waste other people’s time.
They are 5 minutes early for meetings, because keeping others waiting is disrespectful.
They are as respectful to the people who empty the garbage and vacuum the floors as they are to the CEO and their best customers.
They are up to date about current events and industry events. They are experts in their field and interesting conversationalists.
They are grateful, and they show it. They know how to say thank you to specific people, for specific actions, at appropriate times, in a way that does not come at the expense of others.
They are generous with their time when people have a problem.
They put down their cell phone, move away from the keyboard, and focus when others are talking.
They don’t walk past trash on the ground. They pick it up and throw it away.
They remember the important life events of those around them: births, deaths, weddings, and birthdays.
When they learn they are wrong, they change their mind.
They make the right decisions, even when those decisions are not popular.

[image error]Learn more on the Good Reads page for this excellent book, Why Leaders Fail and the 7 Prescriptions for Success.

 

 

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New Lance Sijan Video Biography – “Unbroken Will”

Happy Veterans Day Week to the brave military men and women who currently serve or have served our nation.

We are honored to announce the release of this new video clip from USAF PACE Profession of Arms Center of Excellence memorializing Captain Lance P. Sijan. In this clip, PACE shares the story of Lance’s shoot-down, capture, and last days as he fought for his life in the jungles of Vietnam.

Ejected from his fighter jet over Laos in 1967, Capt. Lance P. Sijan spent 46 days and nights evading capture from the Viet Cong. When captured he was 80 pounds and close to death. But he was a million miles away from giving up. Lance believed in freedom and his fellow Airmen. He died January 22, 1968 and was the first Air Force Academy graduate to receive the Medal of Honor. He lived the code of conduct to his last breath and left a legacy of love and leadership for Airmen today to follow.

Here’s the new clip:

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Lee Ellis and Lance Sijan became good friends during their pre-Vietnam War pilot training and even better friends during their missions. In his book, Leading with Honor, Lee shares about those moments after their shoot-down and capture –

“Before my deployment to Southeast Asia, Air Force 1st Lt Lance Sijan and I had been dormmates and golfing buddies. At Son Tay camp, I learned that his plane had gone down one day after mine. Badly

injured, he survived in the jungles of Laos for forty-six days before being captured. His remarkable story was not a surprise. Throughout our training he was always keen about his professional development. Lance stood out in survival school because he appeared to be the most highly motivated learner, both in the classroom and on the mountain trek.

As Ron Mastin (1st Lt, USAF) flashed Lance’s painful story across the camp to our building, I put the pieces together. I remembered our first winter of captivity, when my cellmates and I had listened help-lessly as someone in a cell down the hall deliriously cried out for help. I summoned the officer in charge, and a few minutes later Fat in the Fire opened the peephole in our door. “Please, will you help this man?”

I pleaded. With a serious look on his face he replied, “He has bad head injury. Been in jungle too long. Has one foot in grave.” He slammed the peephole shut and left.

Of course, in the isolated cells of Thunderbird, we had no way of knowing who was dying. Two years later, I realized that we had been audible witnesses to Lance’s last valiant struggle to survive. After the war, we learned more details of Lance’s heroic actions to evade, escape, and endure. His courageous efforts to resist, survive, escape, and return with honor were so notable that he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor (posthumously). One of the Air Force’s most prestigious annual awards for leadership is named the Sijan Award.”

Please share your comments and tributes in the comments section below.

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Links:

Lance Sijan – Written Biography

Lance Sijan – U.S. Air Force Academy

Lance Sijan – Personal Website

 

 

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Choosing to Win the Battle for Honor: 3 Leadership Mantras

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Whether we’re tuned into the evening news, cable channels, the local paper, or social media, the barrage of dis-honorable behavior can be overwhelming. It seems that everywhere we turn, deception, duplicity, and disrespect are coming at us like a tsunami.

Rampant Behavior Reasons

Some, perhaps many, have put their head in the sand, rather than engage in the issues. Even more disheartening are those who with a wink and a nod ignore dis-honorable behaviors—especially if the guilty are associated with the same political ideology, ethnic  group, race, religion, or favorite sports team.

This “take care of our own” mindset of tribal loyalty comes easily to human nature; it’s always been around, but I don’t think it’s ever been so obvious and so threatening to the ethical foundations of our society.  When there are blatant illegal and unethical acts that are smoothed over and no one is held accountable, we have a big problem. Accountability is a fundamental requirement for law and order to prevail.

Without accountability each can do whatever seems right in his or her own eyes and that leads to chaos—a very dangerous environment that quickly takes us away from truth and justice.

“When ‘winning at the expense of truth’ takes over, the ‘the ends justify the means’ mentality follows right behind.”  [Tweet This]

As POWs in Vietnam, we experienced this firsthand with the communists. They told us that truth was “that which most benefitted the party.” Therefore, torturing POWs to sign false confessions and even statements that we had received lenient and humane treatment was completely justified in their minds.

The Powerful, Positive Silent Majority

The magnitude of the problem should remind us that getting off course can happen to anyone.

If we care about our freedom and the ethics of our culture as leaders, we must be proactive in the battle for honor. Honor and truth are crucial to our culture and survival as a free society.

Regardless of how negative the societal landscape appears, I’m convinced that there is an overwhelming silent majority that believes in honor and accountability. It has to start with one—and before we can be heard, we have to be seen, walking the talk.

Each individual that chooses to engage with honor can be like the leaders in the POW camps; we can engage and take others with us into this battle. If you serve in any capacity as a leader, then you have the responsibility and privilege of showing the way for others. You can lead them to a higher level.

Three Leadership Tips for your Battle

Want to prepare yourself for these moments when you’re tempted to cut corners or ignore someone on your team acting with dis-honorable behavior? Here’s a three-point mantra for all of us:

Recognize the enemy is in us.

[image error]Accountability starts when you recognize that every person is capable of dis-honorable behavior—that includes you and me. Andrew Carnegie, the famous industrialist of the 19th century, put it this way, “All honor’s wounds are self-inflicted.”

In a more down-home way, the famous cartoon character philosopher, Pogo the possum, expressed our situation by saying, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” So, think ahead and stay on guard.

Employ the carrot and the stick.

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Dave Cantu, www.ToonForWriters.com

The carrot comes from our deepest desires, our strongest sources of energy—the source of our purest motives. These deep desires include needs like: to be safe and secure, to use our talents,  to provide and protect, to be known and understood, to be valued and cared for, to love and be loved, and to have meaning and purpose. Clarify your values and deep desires and make them a part of your daily life.

You can also see how the drive to succeed in meeting these strong desires might get distorted and cause us to cut corners. That’s where the stick of courageous accountability has to be in play—the awareness that someone is going to hold us accountable. Make yourself accountable to others you trust in areas of character.  Confront others who are exhibiting dis-honorable behavior.

Admit mistakes and correct back quickly.

Certainly there are things in my life that I’m not proud of—decisions and behaviors that I wish I could replay and do differently. That’s not possible for anyone, but we can learn from our mistakes. We can use them to correct back on track. Early recognition allows us to make small corrections—before we get far out of positon or way off course.

As an instructor pilot teaching students how to fly the wing position in formation, I emphasized how important it was to always be correcting back to proper position. Small corrections are easy to make, but when you drift significantly out of position, recovery can be a challenge for even experienced pilots.

Choosing to Win the Battle

In the pursuit of honor there is no easy day—human nature can be weak—and temptations never sleep. [Tweet This]

The challenge for leaders is that we have to set the example for others while simultaneously fighting to stay on course ourselves. That kind of vulnerability only comes through self-confidence that is anchored in character, courage, and commitment.  As H. Norman Schwarzkopf, General and Commander of Forces in the Persian Gulf War says, “The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.”

LE

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The Honor Code – 7 Core Behaviors for Honorable Behavior

[image error]This set of core behaviors forms the bedrock for all honorable and successful leadership. Need a set of values to display in your team or organization?

Download your free copy.

 

 

 

 

Engage with Honor: Building a Culture of Courageous Accountability

[image error]This month’s article was an excerpt from Lee’s latest award-winning book, Engage with Honor.

Get your copy and learn more the Courageous Accountability Model, a practical way to apply and lead others with positive accountability.

 

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