Freedom is Not Free
I’ve been quiet for a while, but I’m back and here is my quick update. Lots has happened over the last several months. My daughter graduated from high school! Woohoo for her and for me! Teenagers are hard to parent and believe me, as many of you already know, this struggle seems to be a […]
Women Lead Radio
After flying 35 different aircraft as a Naval Aviator, how does one turn to inspiring the next generation of leaders as an educator and author? Join us on Women Lead Radio as Knight Campbell, your host of Leading on the Edge, has a conversation with CAPT Barbara Bell Ed.D., Vanderbilt Leadership Professor and author of […]
Merry Christmas!
Today as I look out the window, snow is falling in Annapolis. With stops and starts, the rain becomes snow and the snow becomes rain again. Thanks to a great playlist, Christmas music plays softly then jauntily in the background. The lights and ornaments sparkle on the tree. One ornament catches my eye and in […]
Queen Elizabeth II
Photo by Maxim Hopman on Unsplash Edward Segal at Forbes.com asked me to comment on what we might learn about leadership transition as Queen Elizabeth died today. The following is what I submitted and here is the link to what he quoted. Queen Elizabeth II is a leader to be revered. Today, we pause […]
Open Doors
Years ago, in the middle of my navy career there were some doors that needed to be pried open. Soon after the first Gulf War ended in 1991, the political debate began about what combat roles women aviators could and should hold. Up until this point, women had flown in the Gulf War, but only […]
Turbulence
Five things no one needs to remind us of the turbulent reality of today’s world. From the ongoing war in the Ukraine with the stability of Europe in question, to protests on our streets after the overturn of Roe v. Wade, to upcoming elections, to rising inflation, to… The list goes on. Several months ago, […]
Horizons
This is the scene I have been waking to these past two weeks. It is a view from our family cottage on Torch Lake in Michigan. Every summer as a kid I would awaken to the lapping of waves against this shore and the brightening pink, then orange, then fireball red sunrise peeking above the […]
Legacies
Last week I returned to Pax River Naval Air Station to witness Captain Lisa Sullivan’s Navy retirement. I thought I would post something right after the ceremony, but honestly, I found I needed time to savor the event I experienced. As I walked into the aircraft hangar, I felt suddenly at home. Old memories washed […]
Lighthouses
Later this week I am returning to Pax River to attend a Navy retirement ceremony for Captain Lisa Sullivan. This will be a very special event for me. I first met Lisa after I graduated from Test Pilot School. She was a high school student considering going to the Naval Academy, and she wondered what […]
NO is a complete sentence
NO is a complete sentence. I remember when I got to flight school and my class date was delayed for a short three weeks. Disappointed? Yes. But it was only three weeks. I was assigned a temporary job during the interim and that is where I learned an important leadership lesson. A single marine captain […]