Coronado resident, author and retired Navy Captain Brett Crozier spoke with the Coronado Council of the Navy League and MOAA members about his book, Surf When You Can – Lessons in Life, Loyalty and Leadership from a Maverick Navy Captain, at the Coronado Yacht Club on October 10.
Speaking to a full house that drew not only members of the Navy League and the local chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, but also interested Coronado residents, Crozier gave an informative presentation on his career, leadership lessons and a state of the Navy. Captain Crozier kicked off the presentation talking about how the Navy is a family business for him, two of his three boys joined the Navy, and his youngest son is currently at the University of San Diego after having graduated Coronado High School in 2022. His wife Mary is the daughter of a Navy Captain and she has been the glue that held the Crozier family together through their 30 years in the Navy. Crozier’s love for the Navy was evident as he discussed his career as a Naval Aviator, having flown both helicopters and jets, as well as his many leadership tours in command of the finest Sailors in the world.
Crozier shared the incredible experiences he had while in the Navy and the most poignant leadership lessons he took away from those experiences. As the Commanding Officer of Strike Fighter Squadron Ninety Four (VFA-94), the USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) and the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), Crozier was highly praised as an excellent leader who took care of his people. It was that concern for his Sailors on board USS Theodore Roosevelt that ultimately led to his being relieved of command after an email to Navy Leaders detailing his concerns for the health and well-being of his crew during the Covid pandemic was leaked to the press. Crozier said that “Despite everything that happened on the TR, I wrote the book from a position of love, because of all the great things that I learned and the experiences I had in the Navy, I wanted to share those.”
Crozier explained that the leadership lessons he learned in the Navy are transferrable to all types of jobs, and all aspects of life. From small business leaders, to non-profits, the leaderships traits outlined in Surf When You Can can add valuable tools to anyone’s toolkit.
Crozier said, “Trust is essential in any organization from the top down. As Steven Covey said it, if you want to trust people you have to give them your trust and they will trust you back… and trust requires character, reliability and strength.” Crozier shared that in order for people to get to know your character, you need to spend time to get to know them and let them get to know you. He talked about an experience he had when stationed in Naples Italy at NATO in which he had an Italian Army officer ask him to join him for espresso every day, but that he had a lot of work to do and didn’t go at first. He realized that the espresso was really more about getting to know and trust one another than about grabbing a cup of coffee and later named his first chapter in the book: ‘Never Turn Down Espresso.’
After sharing a few more lessons from his book he closed that portion of his presentation saying, “I think great leaders know that trust, life work balance and honest feedback are absolutely essential to high performing teams, and because I like things simple… never turn down espresso, surf when you can and take a stand when necessary.” Crozier then shifted his discussion to the State of the Navy and the need for a strong Naval Force to provide a stabilizing presence in the world, to protect the sea lanes that are so important to our economy, and to protect our borders. His remarks were thoughtful and well researched, providing valuable information to a group  that is very interested in the Sea Services. By the end of the evening numerous members of the audience were encouraging Captain Crozier to run for office, to which he laughed and said, “Thank you, but then I wouldn’t ever have time to surf.”
Crozier Retired from the Navy but continued his servant leadership taking a position with Veteran’s Village San Diego as the Chief Operating Officer. After a year with VVSD he moved on to work with the Support the Enlisted Project (STEP). He and his wife Mary enjoy being a part of the Coronado Community and living in the Cays. He said, “We settled in Coronado because after 30 years in the Navy with almost 20 moves, no place felt more like home and more welcoming to our family.”
Coronado Navy League and MOAA meet bi-monthly at the Coronado Yacht Club to socialize, share war stories, enjoy a buffet dinner and participate in presentations from prominent military and civilian members of the community. The Coronado Navy League is eagerly welcoming new members; to join, reach out to Joyce Murphy at [email protected].
