The Nutshell #11 - a "citizen better" journal
11 to 24 May 2024
Welcome to The Nutshell for subscribers of The Greater Good. A journal where I share my personal journey to citizen better.
What I’m Doing
It has been a busy couple of weeks since my last newsletter. I’m starting to like the biweekly approach to publishing The Nutshell. It gives me more time to think and curate what I want to share on my journey to citizen better.
I continue to be thankful for the many people in my life (new and old friendships) who are helping me in different ways. Some are providing me with career advice and guidance as I write the next professional chapter. Others are providing support in dealing with the various challenges life throws at you. And others are happy to go for a walk or a bike ride and just spend time with me. It all matters and my thanks to my friends who are making my life better.
I published my latest editorial on leadership last week. I kicked off the series of editorials with an overview of why all citizens should find a way to lead - Leadership and the Citizen. The subsequent editorials have focused on specific leader characteristics that I believe are important. The latest offering is on toughness. So much can be accomplished if you just stay in the “fight”. As I used to say to the officer and naval cadets at RMC, “the boat is always leaking.” Life is hard and there will always be challenges, so accept challenges as a natural state of being. With this mindset, you can be tough and not simply survive, but thrive in life.
I used this picture in my recent editorial to make a point about my amazing upbringing. I love so many parts of this picture. We were living in Cold Lake, Alberta at the time since my father was flying with 419 Squadron. The Beaver uniform is a classic and I can only assume the flag is for Canada Day. I can spot some items in the house that I clearly remember my parents having for years - pots and pans, the little white table, and the fabric chairs. The avocado green paint was a staple colour of military housing. The photo is a reminder of my good fortune and my desire for Canada to continue to be the kind of place where this type of childhood is more common than not.
The podcast work is moving along at pace. I have recorded or scheduled podcasts that fill the remainder of 2024. Over the last two weeks, I have sat down with the CEO of COVE, Melanie Nadeau, former Army Commander, Mike Jeffery, and Podcaster and classmate, Bona Normandeau. I have also lined up podcasts with a former National Security Advisor and a retired Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy. Our Northern Sentinels have been so generous with their time and stories which has been the life blood of this project.
Image credit - COVE
I have decided to make the move to using a virtual platform when I cannot do a face-to-face for the NSP. This is really going to help me continue to expand the range of guests on the show. I’m curious how it will change the interaction with the guest, but my hope is the pre-podcast work will help me to continue to build the relationship before hitting record.
I have written a few editorials on my transition. As we get closer to summer, there will be many serving members of the Canadian military who will be starting their transition to civilian life. Please share your experiences with them. Once they are no longer in the military, the small things become magnitudes more difficult to fix. As an example, I just submitted a small reimbursement claim to DND. I started the process on 9 March through the email contacts I was given on retirement. None of these worked. I needed to use my network to find someone who would help. It took me two and a half months to find someone in DND to help me on a simple administrative issue. I’m very aware that as a retired general, I can still find ways to fix problems when the system is unresponsive. Great for me, but how does the corporal or captain get their problems solved? All this to say, please encourage anyone retiring to be deliberate and take their time with all of their retirement steps. If they need help, there are many of us ready to do so.
What I’m Reading
A sample of my reading this week.
The National Post’s “Heroes Among Us” series is essential reading for all Canadians. What we have in Canada comes at a price. There are new profiles every week such as Bill Fletcher pictured below.
Image credit - Richard Foot
My wife put me onto James Fell and his Sweary History. These are short, humorous pieces that can really brighten your day if you don’t mind a little profanity. One of his latest posts on the time in Spain is funny and fascinating.
I try to avoid being overtly political. My friends will certainly know my opinions on different issues, but I find sharing these opinions publicly to run counter to my goals of getting more Canadians to citizen better. I provide that context because this great piece in The Bureau is more about leaders in general than the current PM.
If you are not aware of the MacDonald-Laurier Institute, I encourage you to add it to your reading list. A recent editorial on Canada and grand strategy is a solid summation of some key issues we are facing as a nation.
A group of 23 U.S. Senators wrote to the Canadian PM urging him to communicate Canada’s plan to get to the NATO 2% target. There is nothing surprising in the content of the letter, but the letter itself is a unique action.
What I’m Listening to and Watching
I watch Real Time with Bill Maher every week. I always find something useful from the discussion. One of his recent episodes with Eric Schlosser, Douglas Murray, and Frank Bruni was particularly engaging.
I’m not sure I have ever watched a full episode of Seinfeld. Recently, I have seen Jerry Seinfeld at a few events and have taken to his humour. His commencement speech at Duke is a gem.
Image credit - Jared Lazarus
A bit of an older podcast, but I enjoyed listening to Rich Roll on the Modern Wisdom podcast. Lots of great life messages that resonated with me.
One of my new podcasts on my listening list is No Stupid Questions. As someone who clings to their routine, I was immediately drawn to the questions Do You Need a Routine?
What People are Saying - the good, the bad, and the ugly (Feedback on The Greater Good)
I received some really nice comments on my latest editorial about toughness. It’s amazing how meaningful feedback is in life. In addition to the kind words below, I received some emails and face-to-face feedback.
Great article qui m’amène à plusieurs réflexions sur le leadership et la façon dont on fait face à l’adversité avec son équipe. Un article très opportun dans ma vie en ce moment.
Great words of wisdom and reflection once again from a respected veteran. Well said Chris. Please keep up the great work. More people need to read this and be reminded that sometimes life is hard and requires tough decisions and real action, especially by those in leadership positions in our society. Thanks again.
Another on point article. Hard things present opportunities for growth, just as failure does. I also think it's important for leaders to share those experiences, so that others can learn from them. Lots of folks talk about vulnerable leadership - to me it means being comfortable with sharing (at the appropriate time/place) the really hard times and tools used to overcome them. If leaders make it all look easy, then it feeds the expectation that leadership should be easy.
Next on the podcast is former CFL great, Tim Fleiszer. After Tim, my discussion with Invictus Games gold medalist, Alaina Mundy, is next in the lineup.
Finally, there will be a series of ads in the coming months supporting the Veteran Volunteerism Initiative from the True Patriot Love Foundation. This is being led by the incomparable Eleanor Taylor and aims to build a research based volunteer program to help transitioning veterans. Stay tuned for more information on this.
Reminders to Subscribers
If there are guests you would like to see on the podcast, please drop me a note in the Substack chat function.
I continue to offer free advertising for veteran charities and businesses on The Northern Sentinels Podcast. If you know a business or organization that could benefit, please pass along the offer. They can connect with me through Substack, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
Thanks for supporting The Greater Good. Please take the time to recommend my Substack to someone to help grow the community. Have an amazing weekend.
Loved the picture of you and your dad.