At the Navy Fighter Weapons School (aka “Topgun”) and the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron (aka “Blue Angels”), everyone knows it is their responsibility, their duty to speak up if they disagree, if they see an issue that needs resolved. This certainly applies in the air and equally on the ground as they move rapidly through their hectic schedules of meetings, briefings, and flying.

In the Navy and Marine Corps we were always training; always seeking to improve our individual and team performance. Even in combat, under the most stressful conditions, we reviewed our performance carefully and sought improvement.

The fifth question asked when judging someone’s trustworthiness is “Do I understand you?” It’s difficult to trust someone who you don’t understand.

Every December before commencing pre-season Winter Training, the Blue Angels have an all-hands meeting. Its purpose is to get everyone on the same page by clearly defining the team’s values and its mission. It is a time of reflection and story-telling as the new members of the team begin their assimilation and the returning members are reminded of “Who are we?” “Why do we exist?” “How must we behave and perform to succeed?”

Many cultures and religions have strong traditions of extending hospitality, even to strangers. Often because it originated as a matter of survival. During early days, helping others was necessary for survival of the species. Along the way, extending hospitality was woven into most people’s hormonal reward system by nature and nurture. Extending hospitality that is gratefully received causes the release of dopamine and a feeling of pleasure.

High performance teams that achieve and sustain extraordinary levels of success have many characteristics in common, but likely the most important is a powerful, inspirational story.

For Blue Angels, the post-flight debrief is sacred. Everything else can wait until they analyze their performance after every flight. Their debriefs answer three fundamental questions.

In 1784, after the Revolutionary War and the ending of France’s protection, America’s merchant ships began to be attacked in the Mediterranean and seized by Barbary pirates, its sailors forced into slavery.

Trust is a direct function of interdependence. Bowling teams don’t require trust.