‘Gutsy’ Women Knocking on the Door

Review by Bill Doughty

In an iconic photo, four Asian American Pacific Islander women at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard train in firefighting. Long mislabeled as taken during the attack of Dec. 7, 1941, the photo in fact portrays some of  the strong women who applied to support the Navy’s war efforts in the wake of that attack. From left to right: Elizabeth Moku, Alice Cho, Katherine Lowe, and Hilda Van Gieson.

Over time, history usually has a way of sorting out fact from fiction.

Rear Adm.Grace Hopper, "Mother of Computing"

The facts and highlights of strong women of grit and grace are spotlighted in a book recommended for Women’s History Month. Profiles of more than 100 women come to life in “The Book of Gutsy Women” by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton (Simon & Schuster, 2019).

Among the women profiled are some we featured in Navy Reads posts: Rear Adm. Grace Hopper, Ada Lovelace, Rachel Carson, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Margaret Chase Smith, Malala Yousafzai, and Maya Angelou. This book includes mini-biographies of both famous (Clara Barton, Helen Keller, Ida B. Wells, Maya Lin, Gabby Giffords, Greta Thunberg, and Venus and Serena Williams) as well as less-well-known women (Rigoberta Menchu Tum, Dr. Gao Yaojie, Nelba Marquez-Greene, Wangari Maathai, and Jineth Bedoya Lima).

Chelsea and Hillary Clinton, 2011

Hillary and Chelsea each provide essays about their subjects. They also offer personal perspectives about the women who have inspired and enlightened them – women who have made a difference in the world. The book is organized in sections: early inspirations, education pioneers, earth defenders, explorers and inventors, healers, athletes, advocates and activists, storytellers, elected leaders, groundbreakers, and women’s rights champions.

Chelsea writes, “I learned of Grace (Hopper) in 1996, when the navy named a new ship the USS Hopper (DDG 70) in her honor … I learned even more about her when I spoke many years later at the Grace Hopper celebration, the largest gathering of women technologists in the world.”

Former First Lady, senator, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reflects about the suffragists who knocked on the door, marched in the street, and fought for women to be able to vote in the United States one hundred years ago. That right was guaranteed with the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, but it was a right that took decades to apply to women of color:

“Reading the words of the Nineteenth Amendment today, it’s hard not to wonder why it took so long” ‘The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.’ But, of course, it was a long struggle because it was about so much more than the right of women to vote. It was about race, class, and deeply held cultural and religious views about women’s subordinate roles to men in society. It was about men’s –– and some women’s –– insecurities and fears of the unknown. These challenges are still present today.

The franchise –– the basic right of citizenship –– is still being fought over between those of us who believe every citizen should be able to vote and have that vote counted, and those who want to restrict the vote by erecting barriers against people, largely still based on race.”

Celia Ou, a graduate student at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, monitors computer screens displaying detailed sonar imaging of the ocean floor aboard the Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) vessel R/V Sally Ride, Dec. 15, 2016. (John F. Williams)

Nearly all the Gutsy women featured in this book faced and overcame some kind of obstacles of discrimination. Chelsea Clinton says this about space pioneer astronaut Sally Ride, the first American woman in space (in 1983) and a champion of STEM education for young people worldwide:

“Even after her death in 2012, Sally Ride kept breaking barriers. She came out as a lesbian quietly, without fanfare … Not long after her death, Tam [O’Shaughnessy, her partner of 27 years] received a call that surprised her, from Ray Mabus, then secretary of the navy. The navy hoped to honor Sally by naming a research vessel after her. Secretary Mabus was calling to ask whether Tam would be the ship’s sponsor – a role that had, up until that point, been filled by the wife of the man for whom the ship was named. ‘I think it is fitting the the celebration of Sally’s legacy as a pioneering space explorer and a role model includes an acknowledgment of who she really was and what she cared about,’ said Tam. The R/V Sally Ride, commissioned in 2016, is the first navy research ship named for a woman. Her legacy lives on in the scientific curiosity sparked in the girls and boys she continues to inspire, the ship that bears her name, and a spot on the moon named after her by NASA.”

Military readers may find fascinating nuggets of history in the essays about Sylvia Earle, Mary McLeod Bethune, Florence Nightingale, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Mary Edwards Walker. Chelsea writes this about Walker:

“…Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, the only woman in her medical school class at Syracuse Medical College in 1855. She was a practicing physician when the Civil War broke out. She desperately wanted to enlist in the Union Army as a surgeon but wasn’t allowed to because she was a woman. Initially she was called a nurse, since women generally weren’t considered doctors. Because women were not allowed to enlist, Mary had to volunteer, working for free at a temporary hospital, first in Washington and then in Virginia, where she traveled to Union field hospitals across the commonwealth … When her medical credentials were finally accepted she moved to Tennessee and became a War Department surgeon – a paid position that was the equivalent of a lieutenant in status.”

Dr. Sylvia Earle became chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 1990. She pioneered research in preserving and protecting the ocean, including the study of damage to coral reefs. Her inspiring TED talk, above, is a call to action. Hillary writes:

“When I think of Sylvia’s work, I am reminded how important it is for all of us to peruse and consider what we want to leave to the generations who come after us –– how they’ll honor the past, imagine the future, and give gifts to those who will live out their lives long after we’re gone. That’s exactly what Sylvia’s life as a scientist, an engineer, a teacher, and an explorer should inspire all of us to do: we must preserve our oceans for the future.”

Last year, this book generated controversy because of the women who were not included. For example, there is an unfortunate dearth of women who have served in or with the military. Surely, the authors could have included a “protectors” section filled with inspiring women who served in uniform.

Despite the intriguing photo on the cover, there is little focus on the women who served on the Homefront during the Second World War. In fact, there’s no explanation of the colorized photo of the women firefighters at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.

Yet, considering the general lack of attention toward the achievements of women in American and world history for many generations, it is refreshing to see a book of this scope. Women continue to knock on the door, push through the glass ceiling, and demand equality.

“The Book of Gutsy Women” illustrates the strengths of women throughout history, often in the face of sexism, misogyny, harassment, and patriarchy. It highlights the facts of women’s history and showcases women’s contributions to creating a better world now and in the future.

‘British Naval Intelligence’ and 007

Review by Bill Doughty

British Royal Navy Commander James Bond, Agent 007, enters the battle space, impeccably dressed. Trained to defend himself, he carries the latest hidden weapons and devices. Bond gets the best intelligence and communication technology. He trusts his American friend Felix Leiter of the CIA, and they often work together. James Bond (almost) always has secret information to be one step ahead of his enemies. He is licensed to kill.

Commander Ian Fleming

It’s not surprising that 007 is a creation of imaginative thinker Ian Fleming, who served in British naval intelligence during the Second World War.

Fleming’s real world contributions during and after the war, along with those of dozens of other personnel, are featured in “British Naval Intelligence” by Andrew Boyd (Seaforth Publishing, 2020). Fleming was the “most visible example of an extraordinary range of recruits” in British Intelligence at the beginning of World War II as Hitler threatened the world.

This book details the strategies, tactics, and methods developed from the late 19th century through two world wars. It concludes with Britain’s war in the Falklands and the end of the Cold War. Understandably, much of the book is devoted to operations, equipment, leaders, events, and policy during WWII.

One through-line is the Anglo-American intelligence relationship between the two navies. Boyd examines a “difficult” partnership early on, but shows how key leaders came together to build trust and confidence as both the Royal Navy and U.S. Navy evolved, built alliances, and confronted enemies like Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and the Soviet Union.

Vice Adm. Ghormley confers with Adm. Nimitz, circa 1943. (NHHC)

American readers will be interested in Nimitz’s “logical and generous” leadership in integrating intelligence operations, as well as in the roles of Adm. Harold Stark, Rear Adm. Robert Ghormley’s, and Capt. Carl Holden’s roles. Boyd describes a “notoriously anglophobic Adm. Ernest King,” Chief of Naval Operations during WWII.

Boyd shows how intelligence teams developed aerial photographic surveillance, codebreaking, prisoner-of-war interrogations, shoreline intelligence, Secret Intelligence Service monitoring of ports, other signals intelligence, and “operational research” – both successes and failures throughout the 20th century.  Over time, submarines, satellites, and towed array technology became invaluable to both British and American efforts.

“British Naval Intelligence” naturally spotlights operations and issues from a Royal Navy perspective, with a heavy emphasis on the North Atlantic, Barents Sea, and Mediterranean. Boyd writes this about Operation Torch, the allied amphibious invasion of Northwest Africa, pictured below: “Torch was the first British-American combined operation undertaken before D-Day, and it had consequences that remain underestimated.”

Boyd also describes the importance of shared intelligence at turning points: Battle of the Coral Sea, Battle of Midway, and Operation Overlord, the Normandy landings.

As WWII ended, Britain and the United States adapted to a “new world order” in facing new Soviet threats. Once again, Ian Fleming played a key role, helping to create the Joint Intelligence Bureau in August 1945.

The Cold War saw a continued warm and collaborative relationship between the two navies. British intelligence succeeded by “fostering an effective post-war relationship with the American intelligence agencies and leveraging the vastly greater American collection capability.”

Lord Mountbatten (second from left)..

On the American side, Bill Donovan, who had led the Office of Strategic Services, helped create the CIA. Across the Atlantic, Rear Adm. John Inglis became director of Naval Intelligence, colloquially known as “Room 39.” The allies focused on “the ever-growing threat posed by the Soviet submarine force.”

Cooperation was, as always, dependent on personalities – “notably the personal relationships between Lord Louis Mountbatten, who became First Sea Lord in 1955, and his American opposite number, Admiral Arleigh Burke, and the fanatical eccentric architect of the US Navy nuclear submarine programme, Rear Admiral Hiram Rickover.”

Boyd concludes his massive, 776-page book with the Falklands War, where “the strengths and weaknesses of British intelligence were evident in the only major engagement between the Argentine navy and the British task force, which led to the sinking of the Argentine cruiser Belgrano by the SSN Conqueror.”

Boyd’s comprehensive history of British naval intelligence in the previous century brings rich insights into the important Anglo-American relationship, both good and bad.

Weaknesses of American intelligence were personified during that era by Chief Warrant Officer John Walker, communication watch officer at COMSUBLANT in Norfolk, Virginia. Walker, Boyd shows, was a wannabe 007 James Bond spy who set up an espionage ring of associates (including his son) and sold out his country by providing “a vast amount of communications and cryptographic data, giving access to strategic plans, intelligence assessments, day-to-day operations, and technical capability.” Walker conspired and colluded with the Soviets starting in 1967 and then with the Russians through the 70s into the 80s, creating untold damage to the West’s anti-submarine warfare efforts.

Even 007’s creator, Ian Fleming, might have difficulty contemplating the depth, breadth, and depravity of the Walker spy debacle.

“British Naval Intelligence” adds new information to the history of the British navy and to the development of war-winning naval intelligence. This short and admittedly U.S.-centric Navy Reads review can only scratch the surface of this important and enlightening book.

‘Woke’ or Enlightened

By Bill Doughty

The updated Navy Professional Reading Program is a treasure trove of good books recommended by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Russell Smith. Some titles are traditional favorites by Hornfischer, Stavridis, and Marlantes, to name a few; others are unexpected and fresh choices.

That’s why it’s a little bit surprising to see National Review take a potshot this week at the list, alleging that some of the titles, including Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s “How to Be an Antiracist,” are “woke books” that “have no place in U.S. Navy training.” The National Review screed is by someone who writes under the pen name “Roger J. Maxwell.” 

Maxwell complains about the inclusion of Jason Pierceson’s “Sexual Minorities” and Michelle Alexander’s “The New Jim Crow,” drawing more attention and interest in those authors and their views, even if readers don’t agree with everything they say. 

These books, along with several others on the list, reflect a more diverse and inclusive culture.

One of the stated aims of the NPRP is to “Develop a greater appreciation of the views of others and a better understanding of our changing world.” Ironically, National Review published the article with a photo of Kendi in a shirt proclaiming “CHANGE.”

Maxwell recently published another piece in National Review railing against the DoD stand-down to confront extremism, including white supremacism and white nationalism in the aftermath of the 1/6 insurrection at the Capitol. Maxwell concluded, “The only foreseeable outcome of Secretary Austin’s initiative is the creation of distrust in the ranks.”

Accusations of “partisan politics” and “woke ideology” in the military by National Review and Fox News, particularly by Tucker Carlson, remind us of the reaction to the initiatives of Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, who was CNO from 1970 to 1974. [Zumwalt is pictured at the top of this post talking with sailors on the messdecks aboard USS Puget Sound (AD-38) in Newport, RI, circa 1970.]

Sgt. Carrie Falls aboard USS Bataan (LHD 5). (MC2 Magen F. Reed)

Fifty years ago Zumwalt was accused of weakening national defense and creating distrust in the ranks by pushing for equality of opportunity for women and people of color. In reality, he created an enlightened reformation in the U.S. Navy even as fundamentalist conservatives derided him for pushing what they perceived as a left-wing ideology.

Zumwalt was an informed leader who recognized the need for the military to grow, adapt, and change – staying true to core values while protecting our democratic republic.

People who serve in the Department of Defense must reflect the values as well as the demographics of the United States and, above all, fulfill their oath to support and defend the Constitution, a document that was born out of the Enlightenment and Age of Reason. Constitutional Amendments and the Bill of Rights guarantee the right to vote, equality for all, and freedom of speech (including the freedom to read). That may be an ideology, per se, but it’s an ideology reflecting “We the People” and “E Pluribus Unum.”

If there is criticism of the newly updated Navy Professional Reading Program, it is the deletion of the previous version’s “Canon,” which showcased America’s founding documents, especially the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights.

Nevertheless, both the CNO and MCPON are commended for publishing titles that hone professional critical thinking skills for a continually evolving Navy, nation, and world. The NPRP motto is “Read well to lead well.”

Navy Reads, which is my personal and unofficial blog, is dedicated to promoting leadership, reading, and critical thinking. We look forward to reviewing some of the NPRP suggestions in the months ahead, including “How to Be and Antiracist.” It sounds enlightening.

Careers for Women: Navy+

Review by Bill Doughty

Girls and young school-age women can get a glimpse of the benefits and challenges of serving in uniform in “US Navy” by Carla Mooney (ABDO, 2020), part of ABDO’s U.S. Military Careers Series.

In simple and clear prose, Mooney briefly compares the Navy’s early history with life in the Navy today. She then focuses on a few key occupations, including aviation rescue swimmer, cryptologic technician, and nuclear operations technician, among others..

Mooney writes this about women serving aboard submarines:

“For decades, women were not permitted to work on navy submarines. In 2010, the Navy began allowing female officers to work on submarines. Nearly a decade later, in 2017, there were approximately 80 female officers and 50 enlisted women serving in submarines. The Navy expects that number to increase. To accommodate female sailors, the Navy is modifying existing submarines to add extra doors and specific washrooms for women. The Navy is redesigning new submarines to accommodate both men and women sailors.”

Mooney also highlights jobs as sonar technician, explosive ordnance disposal technician, and Navy nurse, explaining the educational requirements and training involved.

“Navy nurses are commissioned officers. They are required to have a bachelor of science degree from an accredited nursing program at a four-year college or university. They must also have a license to practice as a registered nurse in a US state or territory or in Washington, DC. Navy nurses have one year after starting active duty to obtain their nursing license. Navy nurses attend Officer Development School (ODS) in Newport, Rhode Island. This five-week program provides an intense comprehensive introduction to the responsibilities of Navy staff corps officers. Staff corps officers are commissioned officers in careers that also exist outside of the military They work as physicians, lawyers, chaplains, and nurses.”

Rear Adm. Tina Davidson

She quotes Rear Adm. Tina Davidson, former director of the Navy Nurse Corps: “Navy nurses are versatile and care for our warfighters and their families in a multitude of environments, from shipboard, to the field with marines, as flight nurses, to serving in academic positions teaching corpsmen as well as other nurses,” she said. “We also have nurses in staff jobs and executive medicine. Regardless of where we serve, we are leaders at every level and committed to lifelong learning.”

Mooney explains the differences between commissioned officers and enlisted sailors and shows various ranks and insignia. She also gives advice on getting financial assistance or other help in furthering their education. 

Reading level for this book is sixth through twelfth grade. “Some high school students choose to join the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC),” she notes.

Is the Navy a rewarding career? It can be.

“A career in the US Navy is not a good fit for everyone. It is very controlled, with service members being expected to follow rules, obey orders, and meet intensive physical fitness standards. Yet for many people, a Navy career can be very rewarding. Navy personnel travel the world, working in many locations on land and at sea. They receive intense training with state-of-the-art equipment that prepares them for Navy careers and future careers in the civilian world. Service members can pursue their interests and choose from many career fields.”

This small book provides an honest and informative overview for both young women and young men thinking of their future careers and possible service in uniform.

Aviation Electronics Technician 1st Class Aerial Lucky, Aviation Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Dayna Williams, Lieutenant Junior Grade Sarah Black and Aviation Electrician’s Mate 2nd Class Annie Adams, assigned to the "Ghostriders" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 28, pose with their MH-60S Seahawk aboard the Blue Ridge-class command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) March 17, 2019. (MC3 Jonathan Word)

Other titles in this series for are “US Marine Corps,” “US Coast Guard,” “US Special Operations Forces,” “US Air Force,” and “US Army.”

TOP PHOTO: PHILIPPINE SEA (March 17, 2021) Cpl. Haley Wolf, from Chaska, Minn., Senior Airman Faith Malone, from Newport Beach, Calif., Intelligence Specialist 2nd Class Kyli Sinclair, from Yorba Linda, Calif., Sgt. Kaitlyn Burback, from Vernon, N.Y., and Staff Sgt. Angelica Cruz-Tovar, from Orlando, Fla., all assigned to Enforcement Coordination Cell, embarked aboard U.S. 7th Fleet's flagship the Blue Ridge-class USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), serve as an integrated team, critical to Blue Ridge’s mission in the area of operations. As the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed fleet, 7th Fleet employs 50-70 ships and submarines across the Western Pacific and Indian oceans. U.S. 7th Fleet routinely operates and interacts with 35 maritime nations while conducting missions to preserve and protect a free and open Indo-Pacific Region. (MC2 Reymundo A. Villegas III)

‘Kingdom Coming’ Came to Capitol

Review by Bill Doughty ––

Michelle Goldberg

“Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism” by Michelle Goldberg (WW Norton, 2006), is a book completely relevant after the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol by Trump-inspired insurrectionists, white supremacists, and Christian nationalists.

When, where, and who are the next targets?

Written fifteen years before the 1/6 attack, Goldberg seems to predict the violence at the Capitol as she explains the passion and self-righteousness of homegrown extremists rooted in Christian identity.

Goldberg writes, “This is what we are up against. Christian nationalists worship a nostalgic vision of America, but they despise the country that actually exists –– its looseness, its decadence, its maddening lack of absolutes.” (To be clear, most Christians condemn and regret the violence of Jan. 6, and not every rioter was a Christian fundamentalist extremist.)

In “Kingdom Coming” Goldberg reflects on the rise of fascist fundamentalism in the wake of “the Posse Comitatus, the Christian Identity-influenced paramilitary network, which in turn bred the militia movement.” By the mid-1980s and into the 90s Posse Comitatus had at least 15,000 active members and many more followers throughout the nation.

“The militia movement, which was active in several states during the mid-1990s, evolved out of the Posse Comitatus. Militia ideologues often trafficked in an explosive blend of conspiracy theory, survivalism, hatred of the federal government, and Christian Identity; the movement was part of the paranoid and violent demimonde that nurtured terrorists including Oklahoma City bombers Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols and Olympic bomber Eric Rudolph. As the decade came to an end, the militia movement splintered and dissipated. Yet its brand of radical religious nationalism, rather than going underground, slithered closer to the mainstream.”

McVeigh

McVeigh very nearly joined the U.S. Navy, but chose instead to enlist in the Army, where he met Nichols. McVeigh participated in Operation Desert Storm in the early 80s.

As noted in an earlier Navy Reads post, of the insurrectionists who were first arrested for attacking the Capitol Jan. 6, around 12 percent reportedly had connections to the military. So far, more than 40 of the people arrested are military veterans. (Others had ties to law enforcement. And at least one violent insurrectionist served in the previous administration as a Trump appointee.)

Goldberg explores the modern history of Christian nationalism and touches on some of its permeation in the military, including at the Air Force Academy, where cadets were made to accept Christianity as a “total ideology.” In 1961 Maj. Gen. Edwin A. Wacker, a member of the John Birch Society, was found to be “indoctrinating” U.S. troops stationed in Europe; he was denounced on the Senate floor. In 2003 Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin wore his uniform while proselytizing Christianity over Islam: “I knew that my god was a real god, and his was an idol.”

In 1986, Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger issued a directive decreeing that “military personnel must reject participation in white supremacy, neo-Nazi and other such groups …” But the military failed to completely root out the relatively small number of white power hate groups and individuals in uniform.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III speaks to service members aboard USS Nimitz, Feb. 25, 2021. (DoD Photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jack Sanders).

On Martha Raddatz’s Face the Nation March 7, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III recommitted to eradicating extremism –– racists, fascists, supremacists, and anarchists –– in the ranks.

Referring to core values and the oath to protect and defend the Constitution, Austin said, “We want to make sure that our troops are reminded of what our values are, reminded of the oath that we took coming in. And my belief, my strong belief, Martha, is that 99.9 percent of our troops embrace those values, and are focused on the right things, and are doing the right things each and every day.”

The evidence of white supremacists’ and Christian nationalists’ active participation in the Jan. 6 insurrection siege is undeniable –– from images of the huge wooden cross, to signs, flags, and the words they screamed as they assaulted police officers and guards, the media, and the Constitution.

[Among the startling images captured Jan. 6 is a video by New Yorker’s Luke Mogelson, which includes a temporary takeover of the Senate chambers by Christian nationalists (at 7:55 in the video).]

Goldberg’s review of history includes several quotes from Hannah Arendt describing Germany’s conservatives in the post First World War era. They “bought into the dolchstosslegende, the myth that the military had been stabbed in the back by subversive civilian traitors –– especially Jews.”

Who could be scapegoats and targets in the years ahead if such thinking continues to grow? Atheists? Blacks? Browns? Asians? “Latte-drinking liberal elites”?

In "Kingdom Coming," published five years after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Goldberg notes the similarities of fundamentalists in the Middle East and the United States. She questions the wisdom of perpetuating foreign entanglements while ignoring threats on the Homefront. Those threats include “a conscious refutation of Enlightenment rationalism” and rejection of “the idea of government religious neutrality.”

“It makes no sense to fight religious authoritarianism abroad while letting it take over at home. The grinding, brutal war between modern and medieval values has spread chaos, fear, and misery across our poor planet. Far worse than the conflicts we’re experiencing today, however, would be a world torn between competing fundamentalisms. Our side, America’s side, must be the side of freedom and Enlightenment, of liberation from stale constricting dogmas. It must be the side that elevates reason above the commands of holy books and human solidarity above religious supremacism. Otherwise, God help us all.”

Far from just presenting a problem, though, Goldberg also offers prescriptions for finding reason through critical thinking and “practical politics.” She sees the answer in big-tent moderate strategies, not radical liberalism or conservatism –– neither Goldwater nor McGovern. The answer, however, is not appeasement.

President Joe Biden talks with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III during a visit to the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Feb. 10, 2021. (DoD photo by Lisa Ferdinando)

Goldberg seems to envision the current Biden administration:

“My ideas are not about reconciliation or healing. It would be good for America if a leader stepped forward who could recognize the grievances of both sides, broker some sort of truce, and mend America’s ragged divides. The anxieties that underlay Christian nationalism’s appeal –– fears about social breakdown, marital instability, and cultural decline –– are real. They should be acknowledged and, whenever possible, addressed. But as long as the movement aims at the destruction of secular society and the political enforcement of its theology, it has to be battled, not comforted and appeased.”

She cites the view of Arendt again to make her point. Arendt warned of “unprecedented unpredictability” of totalitarian movements, based on her experience witnessing the rise of Nazi Germany. Can the same advice apply to the mindset of the Trump supporters and Christian nationalist insurrectionists who believed Big Lie propaganda and heeded the call to fight and march on the Capitol January 6, 2021?

Arendt wrote: “Because of its demagogic qualities, totalitarian propaganda, which long before the seizure of power clearly indicated how little the masses were driven by the famous instinct of self-preservation, was not taken seriously.”

‘How to Lead’ -– Attributes

Review by Bill Doughty

What makes a good leader? What attributes can be found in successful ethical leadership? Listen to this.

David M. Rubenstein hears from renowned leaders in “How to Lead: Wisdom from the World’s Greatest CEO, Founders and Game Changers” (Simon & Schuster, 2020). He interviews people like Bill and Melinda Gates, Gen. David Petraeus, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and President George W. Bush, and others. He arranges the interviews in six categories: visionaries, builders, transformers, commanders, decision-makers, and masters.

According to Rubenstein, here are attributes of a good, successful leader: luck, focus, persuasiveness, a desire to succeed, pursuit of something unique, willingness to work long hours, ability to keep learning (“nothing focuses the mind like a good book”), integrity, humble demeanor, credit-sharing, ability to keep learning, responding to crises, and rising from failure.

“Failure teaches humility and exponentially enhances the desire to succeed the next time,” he writes.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, interviewed in this book, gives this advice about good leadership: “You don’t dictate to people. But if you let them know what your vision is, hire the best people, and then don’t get in their way, those are the qualities of a good leader.”

As for other advice in responding to crises, Rubenstein writes:

“Leaders are most needed when crises occur, as we have been reminded this year during the COVID-19 pandemic and the nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd. Rising to the occasion when an existential crisis occurs can mark a leader forever –– Lincoln holding his country together during the Civil War or Churchill rallying his country to fight the Nazi attacks.”

Powell, Bush and Schwarzkopf attend a memorial service in Kuwait, Jan. 26, 2001. (Sgt. B. Beach)

In an interview with Gen. Colin Powell (former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and former Secretary of State), Rubinstein listens to how the United States responded to a crisis –– Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait leading to the first Gulf War during George H. W. Bush’s administration.

Powell said every good leader must have a strong vision and understand “why we are here” and then instill that understanding of “why” through all levels of the organization or team. 

“That’s what leadership is all about –– inspiring others,” he says.

Powell discusses how United States Marines achieved the mission in the first Gulf War, not only following their initial orders but also seizing an opportunity to advance when they saw the chance. Agility and nimbleness are good attributes for any leader.

Powell also takes questions head-on about his role in the second Gulf War, in which the CIA provided information Powell then relayed to Congress about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq –– as justification for an invasion. He offers a thoughtful and critical analysis.

Cadet Dalton MacAfee receives the Mike Krzyzewski Teaching Character Through Sport Award May 6, 2019 at West Point Military Academy. (PO1 Bryan Ilyankoff)

Interviewing Coach Krzyzewski (“Coach K”) of Duke basketball, Rubenstein asks about what he rightly calls “one of the greatest games ever played”: the 1992 semi-final game between Duke and Kentucky. Kentucky scored an improbable basket in the last seconds of overtime, putting them up by one point. With 2.1 seconds left in the game, Duke had the ball and called a timeout.

Coach K  remembers, “The very first thing a leader has to show is strength, so I met them as they were coming to the bench, and I said, ‘We’re going to win. We are going to win.' Then he called up a creative play –– Grant Hill passing 75 feet to Christian Laettner at the top of the key for a turnaround jump shot. Duke won the game and went on to win the championship thanks to their leader’s confidence.

Among this book’s eclectic group of leaders –– including Condoleeza Rice, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Yo Yo Ma, Robert F. Smith, and James A. Baker III –– is an unexpected but rewarding choice of subjects: Lorne Michaels, creator and producer of Saturday Night Live. SNL has catapulted the careers of Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Steve Martin, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Billy Crystal, Chris Rock, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Amy Poehler, Kristin Wiig, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Kate McKinnon, and scores of other comedians, talk show hosts, and actors.

Second Lieutenant Leah Davis speaks with actor Bill Murray, at the Wrenwoods Golf Course, Joint Base Charleston, S.C., Aug. 17, 2012. Murray participated in the golf tournament sponsored by the Airlift/Tanker Association. (SSgt. Katie Gieratz)

Michaels discusses the challenges of leading generations of creative people. “You try to create a culture where everyone feels they’re heard,” he says. “You lead by example.” He admits to being “ruthless” in ensuring the show is good. He is equally ruthless in ensuring everyone’s voice is heard and in being flexible enough to adapt quickly to change. He listens. To everyone.

It’s interesting to hear also about the history of how SNL got started; its ties to Johnny Carson, Howard Cosell, and first host George Carlin; and how the show and comedy itself has evolved over nearly 50 years.

Most of the very best leaders, by the way, have another important attribute: a sense of humor.

Robert M. Gates praises this book in a prominent blurb: “A wonderfully entertaining book about leaders from very different professions and walks of life … Rubenstein discerns the attributes of leadership they all have in common. ‘How to Lead’ is an exceptionally instructive and inspirational book.”

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday uses the 1MC to address the crew aboard the Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Billings (LCS 15). Gilday visited Naval Station Mayport Mar. 3, 2021 to engage with Sailors, speak to local Navy leaders, and tour a number of commands in the area. (MC3 Austin Collins/Released)