BEYOND THE SEA

Roncska presents an autobiographical leadership study with an unusual theme at its heart: love.

In his nonfiction debut, a retired nuclear submarine commander and onetime aide to President George W. Bush, reflects on his 28 years in the U.S. Navy, including his time carrying the so-called nuclear football, and his experiences as a leader himself. Along the way, he interweaves segments that recount his life story with intriguing reflections on his growing conviction that it takes a kind of familial love and trust to forge a team culture that validates effective leadership in any organization. His account takes readers through his various commands in the Navy, from lower ranks to executive officer of the U.S.S. La Jolla and, finally, as captain of the U.S.S. Texas, which had a thoroughly demoralized crew when he took command: “Sailors didn’t feel valued or like part of a family,” he observes. On the Texas, and in every other leadership posting, Roncska says that he continually interrogated his own feelings of complacency: “How would I stay attuned to my blind spots?” he asked himself. “How would I demonstrate grace while enforcing standards? How would I show my love?” These leadership lessons effectively culminate in an account of his time in President George W. Bush’s White House, and thanks to Roncska’s vivid, engaging prose, this is the most memorable part of his book. In unabashedly warm (and notably apolitical) terms, Roncska reflects on the “fun and camaraderie” of the administration, and the many kindnesses, big and small, that the president and first lady, Laura Bush, showed him. In his account, trust-building familial love started with at the top, with the commander-in-chief.

A longtime Navy man’s surprisingly touching account of finding a new way to lead.