The T3 Leadership Blog

Teamwork • Tone • Tenacity™

I was honored to deliver the Keynote Address last week at the Deer Park (Long Island) Class of 2019’s High School Commencement Ceremony, my alma mater.  It was great to be home and offer advice to this generation 40 years after my Class of 1979 received our diplomas.       To put ’79's High School years in perspective, I informed the soon-to-be graduates that during our time in school:   “The Yankees were 2x reigning World Series Champs,  There was only one “Star Wars” film,  There were no “Avengers” movies  (their comics sold for 25 cents), We saw “Queen” perform...

On Memorial Day Monday we remember and honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice serving our country. Here's three important things worth remembering about this solemn holiday: 1) Every country has their version of Veterans Day, only the USA has a Memorial Day dedicated to those who lost their lives while on active duty. Local celebrations started popping up in several eastern states between 1865-1867 to remember the fallen from the Civil War. In 1868 it became a national event. 2) Originally named ‘Decoration Day,’ it was established on May 30. Why then? Two reasons: First, that date didn’t coincide with any one particular Civil War...

Have you ever been inspired by the leadership, heroism and motivational resolve of others?  I sure have, especially by explorers and pioneers who successfully led missions into the unknown.  One of my favorite such stories is that of Lewis and Clark.  President Thomas Jefferson said of Lewis, “His courage was undaunted.”  Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark documented their expedition across 7,000 miles in meticulous journals, chronicling their inspirational application of “Teamwork, Tone, Tenacity” (T3) leadership skills which directly contributed to mission success.    In May 1804, Lewis and Clark’s 30+ member "Corps of Discovery" left from St. Louis...

APOLLO 13:  OUT OF THIS WORLD “TEAMWORK, TONE, TENACITY” (T3)!   The Apollo 13 mission of April 1970 is an inspirational lesson of how “Teamwork, Tone, Tenacity®” (T3) can overcome adversity and lead to success.  Commonly referred to as a “successful failure,”  Apollo 13’s goal to put two men on the moon was aborted after an oxygen tank explosion aboard their service module two days after takeoff.  Following four harrowing days in space, during which a return to earth of military astronauts James Lovell (Navy), Jack Swigert (Air Force) and Fred Haise (Marine Corps) was in doubt, their command capsule safely splashed...

It’s March Madness!  The 2019 NCAA Men’s College Basketball “Sweet 16” tips off this week.  The nation is excited about watching great games being played by great teams with great coaches.  The most prominent coach still in the tournament is Duke’s Mike Krzyzewiski with 5 national championships under his belt.  The inspirational “Coach K” is rightly considered the greatest leader of young athletes on the court today.  But which NCAA basketball coach led his teams to more championships - 10! - than any other?  UCLA’s John Wooden, “The Wizard of Westwood,” from 1948-1975.  Coach Wooden’s ability to motivate, build character...

The ultimate Man-Dog “T3” is underway in Alaska.  Approximately 50 human Mushers and their groups of  12-16 sled dogs left Anchorage last week and are midst of crossing 1000 miles of frozen tundra, rivers and mountain ranges en route Nome.  That’s about the distance from San Diego to Denver!  The Iditarod  highlights that “T3”doesn’t just apply to humans, but to humans working with their best friends: dogs. The Iditarod began in 1973 for two reasons: 1) A way to promote Alaska’s sled dog culture in the face of growing snowmobile use, and 2) preserve the historic Iditarod Trail between Seward and...

  It’s Super Bowl Week!  As we prepare to watch the Patriots battle the Rams this Sunday in Super Bowl LIII, it’s worth remembering a motivational football legend who personified T3.  Vince Lombardi was hired as Head Coach of the Green Bay Packers on this date 60 years ago.  He’s one of the greatest examples of inspirational T3 in the professional sports world, and one of the most quoted American leaders from any field on the value of Teamwork, Tone, Tenacity.  Prior to Lombardi’s hiring in 1959, the Packers were 1-10-1 and cellar dwellers in their division.   In Coach Lombardi’s first...

I had the good fortune to meet with Jonson & Johnson (JnJ) CEO, Alex Gorsky in Arlington, VA recently.  Alex is a 1982 West Point graduate and was an Army Ranger and Infantry Officer for six years before joining the business world.  Since becoming CEO in 2012, he has continuously improved JnJ’s value, global market share and employee satisfaction.  How?  A focus on the JnJ “Credo,” which challenges JnJ employees to place the needs and well being of the people they serve first.  The credo is literally etched in stone in the company’s main lobby.  Written in 1943 by former...

Last week I wore a uniform for the first time since retiring from the Navy two years ago.  There are typically only two occasions when veterans put back on the cloth of their country: A Military Ceremony When asked to Promote The Orthopedic Oncologist Who Saved Their Life! I couldn’t have been prouder to do so, and to be speaker for the inspirational Captain Jonathan Forsberg, USN, Professor of Surgery and Director of the DoD's Osseointegration Program at the Walter Reed National Medical Medical Center in Washington, DC.  Dr. Forsberg is the full motivational package of "Teamwork, Tone, Tenacity™” (T3)! We first met...