EDUCATION
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Book Review
FATHER, SON CHART COURSE THROUGH NAVY Melvin G. Williams Sr. and Melvin
G. Williams Jr. have quite a story to tell. For the father and son, that is what a combined career of nearly 60 years as U.S. Navy sailors will do. Distinguished careers taking on assignments that included submarines, aircraft carriers, sur- face ships and fleets will give you plenty to talk about. The elder
Williams served from 1951 to 1978, his final duty as command master chief. The son served from 1978 to 2010, his final duty as vice admiral and com- mander, U.S. Sec- ond Fleet. They tell a remarkable story of their ser- vice to the nation in Navigating the Seven Seas: Lead- ership Lessons of the First African American Father and Son to Serve at the Top in the U.S. Navy, pub- lished in February 2011 by the Naval Institute Press.
As the title suggests, the story of
Melvin G. Williams Sr. and Melvin G. Williams Jr. is one of leadership, prec- edent and determination; but, the memoir takes you further into their ideas and per- spectives, traversing subjects like family, history, motivation, discrimination and, of course, their beloved navy. The Williamses tell their story through their own words, actions and deeds but, most importantly, via per- sonal guiding principles they call the
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“Seven Cs.” They define the Seven Cs as “Character, Competence, Courage, Commitment, Caring, Communicating, Community.” The Seven Cs are what got them through their service and served as a beacon for their lives.
They break down each of the Seven
Cs to offer readers insight into how adher- ence to these principles—whether for military service or not—can position one for leader- ship. For instance, taking a tenet from each one of them, character equates to humility, compe- tence to judgment, courage to selfless- ness, com- mitment to teamwork, caring to faith, com- municating
to listening, and community to assimilat- ing.
Each “C” represents a chapter in the book, beginning with character. “We believe that an individual’s character— personal values in terms of doing things right, the way mistakes are handled,” they write, “and individual differences that define who we are—is the foundation of leadership.”
What is nice about their autobio- graphical sketch is they bring readers
by M.V. Greene
mgreene@ccgmag.com
through their thoughts on each of the Seven Cs. As if on a sojourn, the William- ses take the time to explain their personal chronologies in words, ideas, opinions and photographs. Their “back-and-forth” method of telling the story in their own voices to characterize their experiences also lends to the book’s appeal. Particularly poignant is how the
elder Williams explains how some harsh lessons in post-World War II America made him stronger and more deter- mined to succeed. “As a young sailor in the 1950s,” he explains in the book, “I discovered that the steward’s rating had limited opportunity for advancement for those who served within it—particularly minorities. It was difficult to watch sailors in other ratings come into the Navy after me but advance first. … Nevertheless, I maintained a positive attitude and was determined to advance.” Williams Jr. graduated with a degree in mathematics from the Naval Academy the year his father retired. Now associate deputy secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy, he recounts throughout the book lessons learned from his father and others about being a navy man. “My father and I have a commitment to the defense of freedom through service in the Navy,” he writes. “This has been the case of nearly 60 consecutive years of active duty service. It has been by choice.” The younger Williams is a Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) winner and ardent supporter of the work of historically black colleges & universi- ties to develop minority engineers and scientists.
Humility, according to the Wil- liamses, is one of the characteristics of character. That is fitting because in their own humble manner, they note that the bottom line to Navigating the Seven Seas simply is to serve as a resource to those at any age interested in leadership.
USBE&IT I SPRING 2011 17
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