04 Nov NATIVE AMERICAN “TEAMWORK, TONE, TENACITY” (T3) LEADERSHIP: ADMIRAL “JOCKO” CLARK

Beginning Native American Heritage month, we celebrate the life and legacy of Admiral Joseph James “Jocko” Clark.  A member of the Cherokee Nation and native Oklahoman (b. 1893 – d. 1971), he was the U.S. Naval Academy’s first indigenous person graduate (1917) and America’s first Native American four-star Officer from any service.  His inspirational style: 

• TEAMWORK: Heroic on the seas as a Destroyer sailor in WWI in the Atlantic.   An Aircraft Carrier Commanding Officer (SUWANNEE, YORKTOWN and HORNET) and Carrier Task Force commander during WWII in the Pacific, and Commander of the Seventh Fleet during the Korean War.  

• TONE: Warrior spirit. Aggressive. Demanding. Intimidating. Beloved for taking care of his people.  ADM Nimitz called Clark, “The fightingest Admiral in the Pacific.”  He was often referred to as “The Patton of the Pacific.”  When Clark’s Carrier Strike Groups launched attacks against the enemy he called them “Cherokee Strikes.”  

• TENACITY: ADM Clark was tireless in battle and an exemplar of professionalism in three wars.  “Watch every angle and fight for every inch,” were his credo.  He did just that. 

Admiral Clark wrote a book following his retirement, “Carrier Admiral,” which is an invaluable resource for students of military history and motivational leadership.  Clark blazed a trail for other Native Americans to follow in the military and was made an Honorary Chief by both the Cherokee and Sioux Nations. In 1979, the Navy named the Guided-Missile Frigate USS CLARK (FFG-11) in his honor. The ship’s motto is “Determined Warrior.”

– Rear Admiral Paul Becker, USN (Ret) is a leadership expert.  He is the CEO of The Becker T3 Group, a platform for his motivational and national security keynote speaking. A former Naval Intelligence Officer, he’s successfully led large, diverse, high-performing teams afloat and ashore in peace, crisis and combat.  In 2016, The Naval Intelligence Community established “The Rear Admiral Becker ‘Teamwork, Tone, Tenacity Award for Leadership” in his honor