Having a great mentor early in your career is a huge blessing. It sets you on the right course. It gives you skills and reinforces values that you will use for the rest of your life.
Good fortune smiled upon me in the early 1990s when I started to work for the late U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings, a consequential lawmaker with a thick Lowcountry brogue. He taught staffers to stick to their guns, keep people informed about what was really happening in Washington and be tough when you need to be, but have a sense of humor, too.
About the same time, Charleston aviation lawyer Mark Fava got a similar practical education while working as the gatekeeping aide to a U.S. Navy admiral who had high expectations for the young Navy lieutenant and pilot.
“You are going to do a lot of things and see a lot of things as my aide,” the “salty” admiral told Fava when he started the position after duty as a naval aviator. “Many are going to be great, and some are going to be … well … not so great.
“Many tasks will be well above your pay grade, and others will be well below your pay grade. I need you to perform exceptionally well whether you’re completing a great task or a not-so-great task. You understand that, Lieutenant?”
Of course, the answer was, “Yes sir, I understand.” And for the next 17 months, Fava got a different kind of education regarding excellence, much like great mentors give to their charges all of the time.
Fava, a Boeing South Carolina vice president who has practiced aviation law for 30 years, chronicled what he learned in a new book, “Lessons from the Admiral: Naval Wisdom and Sea Stories for Leaders” ($24.95, Amplify Publishing).
The lessons are practical, from “be on time” and “confidentiality matters” to “know what is important to your boss” and “respect the role they want you to perform.”
One example – something you might not think is a big deal – was the story of a toothpick. Fava had been advised to have a packaged wooden toothpick on hand in the rare event that the admiral wanted one. One morning after breakfast during a cold trip to Greenland, the admiral commented how it would be nice to have a toothpick. Fava – attentive to the advice of an earlier aide – slid one to the admiral, who grinned and gave him an attaboy. Bottom line: Details matter.
Other lessons:
- Send thank-you notes and give credit when you should.
- Be prepared; know details so you – and the boss – don’t get surprised.
- Develop simple habits to help keep you organized.
- Ask for help when you need it.
- Don’t panic.
- Be creative when things don’t go as planned.
- Be dependable, a team player and perform with integrity.
- Take care of your people and help them when you can.
Fava’s 148-page book is an easy, instructive read. It’s filled with the kind of advice that can help anybody succeed in a professional environment.
One note: Fava intentionally didn’t mention the name of the admiral in the book, as he shared later: “I wanted the admiral to be a mysterious figure that the reader envisioned in his or her mind based on my descriptions of him and our relationship. That was also the inspiration for the cover.”
In November, however, Fava traveled to Virginia to meet with the admiral, now in his 80s, to give him a copy of a book in what was described as an emotional meeting.
Later when told the book is a fantastic tribute to the career of the admiral, who once commanded the Mine Warfare Command in Charleston, Fava shared his name.
So let’s recognize the 36 years of service and inspiration for Fava’s book. Thank you, Rear Admiral Byron “Jake” Tobin. The lessons you taught Fava are exceptional.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of the Charleston City Paper and Statehouse Report. Have a comment? Send to: [email protected]
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