US News and World Report has a feature online titled America's Best Leaders 2009. Included on the list along side the expected cast of business men and women, philanthropists and politicians are honorees from the military: General Ray Odierno and "Senior Noncommissioned Officers."

Being a retired senior noncommissioned officer (NCO) I am not at all surprised that our current crop of senior NCOs are receiving this recognition. As the article notes,

Senior noncommissioned officers are taking on increasing levels of responsibility, particularly as American forces continue to engage in wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan and small units must patrol large swaths of terrain.

NCOs at all levels have traditionally been the crucial keys to the success of our military. And as our commitments in this long war against those who support and engage in terrorism continues I have no doubt that the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen who wear the stripes of an NCO will continue to support their officers, train their subordinates and do what has to be done to achieve success. This tradition of leadership is nicely summed up in the Army's NCO Creed:

No one is more professional than I. I am a Noncommissioned Officer, a leader of soldiers. As a Noncommissioned Officer, I realize that I am a member of a time honored corps, which is known as "The Backbone of the Army". I am proud of the Corps of Noncommissioned Officers and will at all times conduct myself so as to bring credit upon the Corps, the Military Service and my country regardless of the situation in which I find myself. I will not use my grade or position to attain pleasure, profit, or personal safety.

Competence is my watchword. My two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind -- accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my soldiers. I will strive to remain technically and tactically proficient. I am aware of my role as a Noncommissioned Officer. I will fulfill my responsibilities inherent in that role. All soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership; I will provide that leadership. I know my soldiers and I will always place their needs above my own. I will communicate consistently with my soldiers and never leave them uninformed. I will be fair and impartial when recommending both rewards and punishment.

Officers of my unit will have maximum time to accomplish their duties; they will not have to accomplish mine. I will earn their respect and confidence as well as that of my soldiers. I will be loyal to those with whom I serve; seniors, peers, and subordinates alike. I will exercise initiative by taking appropriate action in the absence of orders. I will not compromise my integrity, nor my moral courage. I will not forget, nor will I allow my comrades to forget that we are professionals, Noncommissioned Officers, leaders!

(Thanks to Greyhawk at Mudville Gazette for calling this to my attention)

My greyhounds are creatures of habit. So the introduction of a new dog into the pack this past weekend has seriously changed their routine. All three of them are now wandering around the house trying to figure out what exactly is going on. The new boy, fresh from the race track, is trying to adapt to living as a house dog while the 2 old timers are struggling to get used to having a new companion sharing "their" house. They'll eventually work things out (they always do), and shaking up their routine will lead to a new normal.

Sometimes we too need to shake up our routines in order to find a new, better normal. Routines can lead to complacency, and complacency can lead to stagnation. Think about that the next time you find yourself struggling to break through to the next level on your journey to success.

Are your routines preventing you from achieving your goals? To paraphrase a familiar quote, if you keep on doing the same things you can't expect to achieve different results. So every now and then find ways to shake up your routine; your success depends on it.