This Wednesday night, I am honored to speak to the Navy Supply Corps Foundation in a special Zoom session on Excellence Through Leader/Follower Synergies. (And yes—all are welcome to join!)
As I prepared for this talk, something unexpected happened.
I found myself transported—right back to the flight lines of the U.S. Air Force, where I first learned that leadership doesn't lift off without logistics.
So I wanted to share some thoughts with you here—because whether you're military or civilian, a frontline manager or a C-suite executive, you'll never reach your mission without mastering your resources.
SPARK and the "R" That Keeps It All Running
In my leadership framework, SPARK, the "R" stands for Resources. No matter how talented the team or visionary the mission is, you can't get it right without the right people, processes, products, and pipeline.
That truth was forged into me not in a classroom, but on a flight line.
As a young lieutenant in the United States Air Force, I served as an aircraft maintenance officer and later became a squadron commander. One of the first hard lessons I learned was this: jets don't fly without parts and fuel. You can have all the speed, firepower, and Top Gun swagger in the world, but Maverick and Goose are grounded without logistics.
Logistics makes the world go round. And more importantly, it makes missions possible.
Gulf War, August 1990: Lessons in Strategic Resourcing
When I deployed to the first Gulf War at the beginning of August 1990, we arrived in our Area of Responsibility to prepare for what would eventually become Operation Desert Storm.
However, what most people don't realize is that the combat phase didn't begin until January 17, 1991. So what did we do for all those months? We executed Operation Desert Shield.
We resourced.
We stocked.
We built.
We aligned.
We fortified.
We assembled a formidable coalition of allied forces, established ourselves in tent cities, and ensured that everything, from aircraft parts to chow tents, was in place. It wasn't glamorous, but it was essential.
It was over in weeks. By February 28, 1991, the mission had been executed with overwhelming force and speed. That wasn't an accident—it was a testament to preparation and provisioning.
Luke 14:28—A Mission-Minded Reminder
There's a verse in Scripture that says:
"For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?" — Luke 14:28
I saw Luke 14:28 in action in the Gulf. We counted the cost, brought what we needed, and were ready when it came time to build or battle.
Excellence is directly tied to resourcefulness. But here's the secret: you can't be resourceful without access to your resources.
The SPARK Behind the Scenes: Means Efficacy
In my doctoral research, I studied something called means efficacy—the belief that your team has what it needs to succeed—not just motivation, not just vision, but real, tangible support.
You can rally the troops all day long with inspiring speeches and mission statements. But if the team looks around and sees empty shelves, outdated systems, unclear leadership, or burnout—morale plummets and execution stalls.
That's where the "R" in SPARK comes in. Great leaders don't just cast vision—they secure provision. Because even the greatest vision in the world still needs the right resources to fly.
Final Thought
Want to be excellent?
Want to SPARK greatness?
Then don't just hype the mission. Fund it. Feed it. Fuel it. Because the greatest mission will stall without the means to make it move.
