Steven Schultze - Professional Coach & Advisor
My name is Steve and after 30 years in the Navy, I found myself drawn to the world of coaching.
In the Navy, I was a nuclear propulsion plant operator and mechanic on submarines and worked my way up through the ranks to be a senior leader. Over half of my career was as a senior leader in a variety of organizations, from 50 people to over 2,000 people, in high-performing and highly demanding environments.
I am also a husband and father. I struggled for many years to develop a work-life balance to be a good husband and father and understand the stresses to succeed in an organization can place on a leader.
Very early in my first submarine tour (barely four years in the Navy), I was thrust into a leadership position. I had no clue what I was doing, but I did my best. On my second submarine tour a year later, I was again placed in a leadership position – over peers who were senior to me in time and at the same rank.
I stood out in the eyes of my leaders who placed me into these early leadership positions. Each was challenging, and as I struggled to do my best, I learned and grew.
What I don't want you to know about me is that I was ambitious. Mentors helped me grow and learn, but I wanted rank and leadership mostly for the title and financial reward early in my career. I got promoted and worked my way to the top rank for enlisted leaders. Along the way, I recognized it was not all about rank and money, or managing people and systems, but rather about having a vision, empathy, listening, mentoring, growing, developing, and challenging people's thinking (including my own).
After 22 years, I left the nuclear propulsion program and submarines to become a command-level senior enlisted leader, working side-by-side with the organization commander. I loved this and was the senior enlisted leader for four different organizations. I did not do this for the position of being the Command Master Chief but for the ability to build teams to succeed in ways they did not believe they could. I was good at this! I had the opportunity to change the culture and improve the quality of life for individuals in multiple organizations.
To develop junior personnel, leaders, and managers and watch them grow when given the opportunity was so satisfying. Taking on challenges and overcoming them was also a personal victory. On a few occasions, I was placed into an organization after the individual prior had been not performing to the standards expected by the commander, and I was asked to get the culture shifted and programs under my direct ownership back on track, each time I know I exceeded the expectations placed on me. By no means was I perfect or an example for everyone, but I made an effort to be as good as I could.
I did my utmost to lead by example. I was known for being level-headed, fair, and compassionate. I was the person you came to when you needed help. I was wise and analytical. I had attention to detail. I was confident on the outside but always questioning on the inside - always waiting for someone to call me out as an imposter. I was respectful, a mentor, a confidant, honest, focused, goal-oriented, tactful, humble, and genuine. I was also known for taking the time to learn the mission and culture after I arrived and then challenging all to raise the standards. I did not walk into the organization and say I’m here because everything is messed up, and I’m the guy to fix it. I looked for what is right and how we could build on that while fixing what is wrong. I have always enjoyed just talking with people to have a good time. You learn so much about them.
There were times when my values were challenged. But I always took the path to do what was right or best for the individuals involved, even when contrary to policy. I don’t forget those moments, nor do I share them.
In the Navy, leaders often say we spend 90% of our time on just 10% of our people.
What I also don't want you to know about me is that I was a bottom 10% (actually bottom 5%) type, when I went through all the nuclear propulsion training in my first years in the Navy.
And I know that even though someone may appear to be in the bottom 10%, it does not always mean it is because of their lack of effort. Sometimes they just need a little boost and support. In one of my commands, we had a troublesome person that would be considered the bottom 10%. Many of the leaders and managers under me were frustrated with them. It eventually reached a point of potential disciplinary action. But I found a way to support this person so that they grew and changed, but they never received discipline. Within a year, they were recognized as the best in their rank within the organization! We all need someone to believe in us, even when we struggle to believe in ourselves.
Years later, the commander still tells this story about the person struggling in our bottom 10% to his new leaders as a way to teach not only what he learned and continues to practice, but what all can learn – everyone is important and wants to be a part of the team.
If you need a leader to challenge your thinking, or to walk alongside you in your next mission, you and I should have a conversation...
Certifications
Certified Professional Coach, iPEC
Energy Leadership Index - Master Practitioner
Professional Certified Coach, ICF
EQ-i 2.0 and EQ360 Certified
Coach Master Toolkit Certified
Certified Physical Intelligence Coach
Everything DiSC Authorized Partner
Education
Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC)
Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership
Bachelor of Business Administration
Follow Steve on LinkedIn for leadership tips and thoughts.
