Retired Admiral Leighton Smith Talks about Leadership and Self-Confidence

The students were astonished with his life accomplishments, but even more interested in hearing how Admiral Smith achieved them. He was an average student growing up in Mobile, Alabama. He and his friends went on to enroll in the University of Alabama. He was approached to see if he was interested in applying for the Naval Academy. His family was well-known in Mobile, so he managed to get many letters of recommendation. Though they were willing to write the recommendations, he could tell that they were doubtful he would be accepted. Much to his surprise, he was accepted, but he carried the mindset that he wasn’t going to make it in the Naval Academy and therefore he performed as such. It was when he was brought into the office of the administration and was told: “You can do this” and the fact that he really didn’t want to go home and raise pigs on his family farm, that he changed his ways. He attributed the officer who questioned him that day for being a great leader by showing compassion, courage and character. “Stop listening to all of those people who say you will fail and start believing in yourself,” he states.

Admiral Smith is a contributor of a chapter titled “Whose Life Is It Anyway?” in the book “A Better Man” written by Kelly H. Johnson.

Contributed by his family-- Leighton W. Smith, Jr. graduated from the Naval Academy with the Class of 1962 and received his wings in January 1964. He retired from active service in October 1996 with the rank of Admiral.

As a naval aviator, Admiral Smith, known in Navy circles by this call sign, “Snuffy”, flew carrier-based, light attack jet aircraft during multiple deployments to the Mediterranean, North Atantic, Western Pacific and Indian Oceans. He flew over 280 combat missions, has logged over 4,200 flying hours and over 1035 carrier arrested landings. Appointed to four star rank in April 1994, he became Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Commander in Chief Allied Forces Southern Europe. In December of 1995, he assumed, concurrently, command of the NATO led Implementation Force, (IFOR) in Bosnia, a position he held in August 1996.

Admiral Smith’s military awards include two Defense Distinguished Service Medals, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, three Legion of Merits, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Meritorious Service Medals, and 29 Air Medals. He has also received the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, the French Order of National Merit with the rank of Grand Officer and, on March 5, 1997, was made an Honorary Knight of the British Empire in a private audience with Her Majesty the Queen.

Among his several endeavors, Admiral Smith served as a Distinguished Fellow at the Center for Naval Analysis and has been a member of several Boards of Trustees or Directors of both charitable institutions and major corporations. In 2007, he was selected as a Distinguished Graduate of the US Naval Academy, that institution’s most prestigious award. --

To view his talk click here.