Now, what about that third question, the one regarding career risk? Quite the dilemma, at first blush. I’ve had two “career ending” moments in my 34 years in the Navy, both of which included a tragic, but thankfully incorrect, statement from a 3-star Admiral to a far junior me, “Stavridis, your career is over!” because I took the risk of articulating an idea in print. On the other hand, maybe somewhere along the way someone noticed something I wrote and thought, “Hmmm, maybe that junior officer is worth taking the time to meet with and talk to.” Some of the best career moments I’ve had came in that positive way – and there were many more of them than the negative.