Students graduate with the knowledge they have gained from their professors and peers, but once they leave, they have to apply those lessons to the real world.Throughout the rest of his speech, McRaven recounts his life as a Navy SEAL following his own graduation from the University of Texas and the ten most important lessons that he learned from his initial six months of basic training.No matter what career path you have chosen, you are sure to face challenges.
He remained out of the partisan fray and indeed kept his unsparing criticism to matters on which he can reasonably claim significant expertise: national security policy and leadership. For example, at the Air War College, where I teach, students are required to take a three-month course on “Strategic Leadership in the Profession of Arms” and are offered a wide array of elective options on leading change in organizations, institutional ethics, and civil-military relations.
Instead, be a leader and help your team along by encouraging everyone to grow and preventing just one person from taking on the entire load. While tucking in sheets may not feel meaningful to you, as a Navy SEAL heading to bed after a long day of training, a neatly made bed would provide meaningful comfort and a sense of reward. Apply this idea of team work to your life. What task do you do every day that provides value when all is said and done? Earlier this month, in response to the revocation of former CIA Director John Brennan’s security clearance, retired Adm. William McRaven wrote a response to President Donald Trump in the Washington Post that declared the actions of the president had, among other things, “embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation.” 5 Key LessonsWhile few people have first-hand experience enduring the infamously difficult training that is required to become a Navy SEAL, Admiral McRaven offers lessons in his commencement speech that are universally applicable.During these times, focus on the things you have rather than the things that you need. Where he departs from civil-military norms, then, is in his choice to criticize the ethics and leadership of a sitting president — an actor who is both political and partisan. Draft Andrew Yang & Admiral William McRaven for a 2020 Independent Ticket #Unity2020. You can sign the petition here to send a message that Black lives matter. I chose this speech for my rhetorical analysis because of the important message it portrays, by how helping a … Consider your strengths and the progress your team could make together if you shared your expertise with them.While in training, Admiral McRaven underwent uniform inspections by his instructors, which he (and his fellow students) would fail on every occasion, no matter how hard they tried to prepare for it. Realize that these hurdles are most often opportunities to gain strength and resilience, which will make success more likely in the end.One thing that is certain is that you will face dark moments during your life. If you can’t complete a small and mundane task each morning such as making your bed, you can’t expect yourself to be able to complete more complicated tasks moving forward.McRaven starts by focusing on the schools motto, “What starts here changes the world.” The motto in itself relays the message that graduating from the University of Texas is just the beginning of what’s to come. U.S. general and flag officers have a vast amount of leadership experience, advanced education in ethics, and decades of professional practice at identifying, cultivating, nurturing, and promoting leaders. The implication here, however, is that McRaven’s expertise from the military is limited to issues on national security — a deeply problematic assertion. However, by very deliberately refraining from endorsing any political party or candidate, McRaven stays well within the practices set during previous episodes of civil-military tension. Set this task up as a routine, so no matter what, this one thing gets completed every day.In McRaven’s speech, he describes rafting through the tall waves of the sea at night with three rowers on each side of the boat and one guide at the bow. You may decide that some are too big to overcome or too complicated to deal with. The instructors would always find something wrong with the students’ efforts, which would result in them having to endure a grueling run into the water, fully clothed, and a roll through the sand before spending the rest of the day in their dirty uniform.One thing that every 2014 graduate of the University of Texas has in common is that they were able to witness one of the most empowering and inspirational commencement speeches of our time.What Does Quality Over Quantity Actually Mean?