the aviator lawyer
Mark C. Fava

Lifelong leadership and business lessons for success from a follower to a leader with a few good stories along the way . . . . .

Here's What I Learned

Welcome to the aviator lawyer, a project filled with unique and engaging content about success gained from over 36 years of learning as a naval aviator, a lawyer, a follower, a leader, and an author.

Explore the aviator lawyer blog

My blog posts below are chronological, so you can start at the very beginning with "What I Learned From the Admiral" or feel free to check out the Index and read any one of them.
I am now working on "What I Learned From the Judge!"

Start at the beginning

Go to the Index

Nov 25, 2022
7 min

Fair winds and following seas Admiral!

We have come to the end of my blog series of “What I Learned from the Admiral.” I have one last lesson in this conclusion. As it is...

Nov 19, 2022
4 min

Say thank you often

Saying thank you goes a long way! I learned that more than 30 years ago from the Admiral. This is a story about the power of saying thank...

Nov 13, 2022
6 min

Use the right tool for the job

The Admiral taught me to make sure I always had and used the right tool to get a job done. If you did not have the right tools, he said,...

Nov 10, 2022
10 min

Family trips

Happy Veterans Day! One of the many rules as an Admiral’s Aide, and a primary reason for so much focus on “attention to detail,” was that...

Nov 3, 2022
5 min

Seniority matters

This could be the shortest post yet. The concept is simple, yet extremely important —seniority matters. So does situational awareness of...

Oct 21, 2022
8 min

More on loyalty and integrity: If there's doubt, there's no doubt

This is a blog about leadership principles I learned many years ago when I was an admiral’s aide or Loop. I have posted a lot on this...

Sep 30, 2022
6 min

Loyalty on the job

As an employee, loyalty to your boss and employer is important. As an admiral’s aide, in addition to knowing the admiral better than...

Aug 29, 2022
7 min

Timing is everything.

As a loop, being on time mattered. I have already discussed the importance of being on time and an occasion when I was embarrassingly...

Aug 18, 2022
11 min

Be a team player

In whatever organization you are in, be a team player. In large part, your reputation and success will be based on whether you are a team...

Aug 6, 2022
10 min

I need a blow torch!

Be flexible, creative, and innovative, especially when things do not go as planned. I spent most of the night and day as an admiral’s...

Jul 29, 2022
12 min

Lobsters

I am on vacation in Maine, so this post is timely and a trip down memory lane. I was stationed in Brunswick, Maine as an Admiral's Aide...

Jul 16, 2022
8 min

Deckhand, a congressman, and two admirals.

When I first got the job as an Admiral's aide, the Admiral told me in the initial guidance that I would have to do a bunch of tasks, some...

Jun 5, 2022
5 min

Barbershop scuttlebutt

When I became an admiral’s aide in the Navy, the Admiral provided me with six rules that I discussed in an earlier blog post, the Initial...

May 24, 2022
9 min

Leaders remain cool when failure seems imminent

As an admiral’s aide, there were many times when failure seemed imminent. As a pilot, you never want to be in an inverted spin. When you...

May 10, 2022
7 min

Be on time!

This is a story about when I was late and made the Admiral late. This is a blog about leadership from the perspective of a lawyer and a...

Apr 24, 2022
7 min

Don't touch my stuff

When I was an aide or "Loop," packing luggage in a car's trunk was organized, thoughtful, and purposeful. This is a blog about leadership...

Apr 10, 2022
9 min

The Change of Command speech

As a Loop, I was responsible not only for the caretaking of the Admiral, but also for all of his stuff – his luggage, his briefcase, his...

Mar 28, 2022
7 min

Details matter - a helicopter ride

In this post, I talk about the importance of "knowing the details." As an aviator, a lawyer, and a leader, knowing the details matters....

Mar 13, 2022
12 min

Using the stars, sparingly

As an Admiral's aide, I had one mission. Flawless execution of the admiral's goals and daily schedule. In this post, I will discuss using...

Feb 28, 2022
11 min

Know your boss - the "head," toothpicks, and a pillow

This is a series of fun stories about the restroom, toothpicks, and a pillow and what each of the matters taught me about leadership and...

Contact

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United States South Carolina

the aviator lawyer Mark C. Fava

Explore the aviator lawyer blog

My blog posts below are chronological, so you can start at the very beginning with "What I Learned From the Admiral" or feel free to check out the Index and read any one of them. I am now working on "What I Learned From the Judge!"

Contact

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the aviator lawyer
Mark C. Fava

My blog posts below are chronological, so you can start at the very beginning with "What I Learned From the Admiral" or feel free to check out the Index and read any one of them.
I am now working on "What I Learned From the Judge!"