[Seahawk]

Ok. First of all relax. You have two strikes against you walking to the batters box and you know what I am referencing. Maybe three if I think about it.

I am very much an introvert away from work. I have close friends I have known since HS, poke and tickle stuff still on the phone. I laugh just thinking about the knuckleheads. In the past 40 years, maybe 5/6 I am really close with.

I say that because I have managed, still manage, small and large organizations, which I am really good at. I had a female colleague, one of the first female Naval Aviators, Test Pilot, engineer like you, ask me how I make this whole managing people thing look so easy.

I have written this before: Acting Classes in college, the hardest course I took and I am not even sure why I took them. But I learned to pretend to care.

Don't get me wrong: I do care about the important stuff, but my GAS meter is broken on the whiners.

Here is what I would do if I was you: Take the promotion if offered then learn how to set a tone for the ENTIRE office, the people you manage. You will regret it if you don't.

I ran a 450 person program office, billions of dollars a a year, for five years. When I was selected for the job I brought the senior team leads in individually, handed them a list of requirements I expected them to abide by (cleared by legal, remember this was a government job), things that were important to me.

I then brought the contract support companies in one at a time, gave them the same sheet.

I worked down the line from there, everyday, ten minutes before lunch, after lunch etc...I met every single person individually or in small, focused groups.

Set the tone. Lead. You can do this.

Quick Sea Story.

I met with a retired Navy Seal, E-9 last month. He is working some complimentary projects to ours in the Virginia Beach area and we had lunch, butt sniffing like all small companies do.

There is a point where we both realize we are introverts just making sure we tend to our respective companies.

He tells me: "I always feel like I carry 25 coins into a room, a day, an operation, a conference. Every interpersonal meeting takes a coin away from me. At the end of the day, coin less, I am exhausted."

"An extrovert shows up without coins and comes home with more than 25, refreshed."

You can do this. You will be pissed if you don't try. Trust me.