UP PERISCOPE: Putting Traditional Leadership in The Crosshairs

There are many leadership books written from the viewpoint of Navy Admirals, Marine and Army Generals, and Commanding Officers of all varieties. I have read many of them and love a few. This book is not written from that viewpoint. My leadership was forged through the eyes of a career enlisted. Approached and encouraged, starting my second year of Naval service on submarines, to “do better and become an officer.” I chose time and time again to remain an enlisted service member. My view out the periscope is that of a leader who realized the unparalleled leadership impact of a strong senior enlisted, what many in the private sector would refer to as a mid-level to director level manager. Every organization is a pyramid, a few people at the top, the majority at or near the entry, to lower-level positions. The unique application of leadership through the laser lens of a Command Master Chief is this; only a Command Master Chief has complete relatability to the most junior person in the organization and can also get a short notice face to face with the Admiral. When I was in the submarine force, very early on, I knew I was not motivated by power. I also knew I was big thinking with big thinking strategies. I needed to build skills in areas of talent, and I needed to have the authority to carry those ideas out. I have built my consulting company around this view and the belief in the influence and critical importance of these leaders. I now consult and coach executives from Fortune ’50s and lead discussions with entry-level team leaders. The tools and perspective from my periscope, are completely unique, based on this experience, as well as my time with Gallup as a consultant. I respected Gallup over the years as a Sailor from the outside, never imagining I would be on the inside as a consultant, becoming their top, client rated consultant in the world. The combination of this strength-based view, the System learned on submarines, the methodology, and process (patent pending) will become staples in the seabags of executives and first-time supervisors alike. Why? Well, I don’t just remember what it is like to clean a toilet, I still do on occasion.

Deb Fortin is President and Founder of the Submarine Way, after a distinguished career in the corporate world. She was Vice President and General Manager of several fortune 150 companies. Deb has led M&A teams, grown numerous businesses and turned around failing businesses in her career. Invited numerous times to President's Club, for meeting and exceeding sales and business goals, her strategic approach to leadership development is a cornerstone of her success. Deb has also served on numerous boards, and has been an active volunteer, writing for a diversity magazine, and serving as a Guardian Ad Litem supporting children in protective services. In 2016 after a keynote she and her husband did, to an emotional standing ovation, she quit her corporate job, and wrote a diversity and inclusion book based on her husband's 14 years on operational submarines, where inclusion was a given and highly effective leadership the result. Diversity and Inclusion, The Submarine Way became a best seller and it has given rise to a training, coaching and consulting firm that is changing communities and businesses through a patent pending system. Deb was approached and has recently reached agreement with Simon and Schuster for a Leadership specific follow up book to Diversity and Inclusion, The Submarine Way. Deb has a bachelor's degree in mass communication and a master's in human performance. Deb, along with her business partner and husband, John Gregory Vincent, split time between their log home in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina and their home in Greenville SC.

John Gregory Vincent is a 20-year veteran of the Navy's Submarine Force, retiring as a Command Master Chief. He is a former workplace consultant for The Gallup Organization, where he received the delivery excellence award in his last year with them as the highest, client rated Gallup consultant in the world. John is the world's preeminent expert in driving behavioral change through inclusion and known for cultivating leaders who produce higher retention, productivity, and innovation along with other key business outcomes. A successful entrepreneur, international keynote speaker, executive coach, author, and consultant, he founded The Genesis Group LLC in 2008 and later served as the chief talent and learning officer, before assuming his present role. He and his business partner have created a unique leadership model that is trademarked, protected by copyright, and has a patent-pending. It is the only patent-pending, inclusion focused leadership model in the world. He is the author, along with his business partner and wife, Deborah Cake Fortin, of the bestselling book, Diversity & Inclusion The Submarine Way, recently named one of the best submarine books ever written. He also wrote the critically acclaimed book UPSIDE: A Guide to Achieving Your Full Potential in Life. John and Deb expect their latest book UP PERISCOPE. Putting Traditional Leadership in the Crosshairs, to be released in early summer of 2020. John received a master's in business administration with a concentration in management from Grantham University and a bachelor's degree in human resources from Brenau University. He is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, DISC facilitator, and a former Gallup executive coach. He and Deb split time between their log home in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina and their home in Greenville SC.