Leadership Lessons with U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Ronald Piret

Rear Admiral Ronald Piret leads the 2,600 people who comprise the U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. He is also the Oceanographer of the Navy, Navigator of the Navy, and Hydrographer of the Navy. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Oceanography. He holds master’s degrees in oceanography and meteorology from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., and national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College (NWC) in Newport, R.I., where he graduated with distinction. See full bio here.

In this interview, Rear Adm. Piret discusses his background and why he chose a career in the Navy, the importance of mentorship to his career development, the mission of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, the advantages of leading a blend of civilian and uniformed personnel, and the vast amounts of information captured and processed on a daily basis by the Command. He also talks about building trust, recruiting highly technical people, dealing with failure, the importance of diversity, how recognition is a key driver of engagement, how great leaders resist the urge to use their rank to get things done, and advice he has for young people who want a role in leadership.

“Lessons that I've learned, things that I've observed when joining an organization is to remind ourselves first to listen and observe to gain a better understanding of the culture and the environment that you're in. I think, also, understanding the composition of that team or your audience and what the backgrounds may be so that you communicate effectively is really quite important. Third, just realize that you can't rush trust. It takes time and you have to invest in the relationships. That when you have to have tough conversations, you don't shy away from them. And, in fact, the fact that you can have that kind of candid exchange really strengthens the trust and the partnership.” Rear Admiral Ronald Piret talking about how to build trust with a new team.

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