What my triumphs (and failures) as a leader on Navy warships taught me
USS Boxer (LHD 4) at sunset
The make or break of any assignment is the relationship with the boss. Nothing else in my view comes close to the impact this person has on team morale and performance. A weak leader destroys trust, respect, and unit cohesion. A strong one inspires, increases military retention, and even when the mission is exhaustive, they motivate people to keep going.
In my 14 years as a Navy public affairs officer, I served under both types of leaders, and as a professional communicator, I’ve had to adjust my communication style appropriately. Managing these relationships successfully is an art that demands constant fine-tuning. I’ve stumbled a few times and adopted a few best practices. With time, diverse experiences with dozens of leaders, and a lot of introspection, I’ve come away with a few insights and overall philosophy on leaders which has helped me understand how best to serve any kind of leader and coordinate across the staff.
The two most challenging tours I’ve had as a professional communicator were my 10 months as the Amphibious Squadron PAO on USS Boxer (LHD 4) and my two years as a department head on USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Both assignments were demanding sea duty jobs where I developed a high tolerance to expect the unexpected. On Boxer, I led a team of 15 highly skilled Mass Communication Specialists, but most of them did not report directly to me. Instead, as assigned to the ship, they reported to the Administration Department but supported the media needs of my boss the squadron commodore, their higher headquarters chain of command. This bifurcation of reporting could have created a rift, but the best way I found to navigate this divide was to build trust and respect with the ship’s commanding officer, while at the same time consistently serving my boss.
One example comes to mind. The squadron commodore was interested in raising crew morale by having a music concert on the ship. Normally, the ship’s recreation director, known as the “Fun Boss,” takes on this planning and the coordination of the logistics, but since the job was gapped, I was tapped to take it on. Through a series of planning meetings, I built the agenda to bring on a Miami Reggae group. This event involved intensive coordination across the staff and with the nonprofit organization USO. From the electricians who set up the sound stage to the air department preparing the flight deck to the cooks on the mess decks to hosting the meet and greet, an incredible team brought this concert together. It was thrilling watching the musicians perform on the flight deck, the crew cheering them on with the backlight of the big ship’s number 4 shining behind them. This event solidified my relationships with the ship’s crew, relationships that continued to pay dividends later on when we hosted the Marine Corps Commandant and Medal of Honor Recipient Dakota Myer.
On the flip side, there were missteps in working with leaders and staff I’ll never repeat. One is not keeping my boss informed when mistakes are made and not confiding in a sponsor, who can advocate on my behalf. Having no previous experience managing a cruise book, during my carrier tour I failed to take the time to learn the detailed requirements from the publishing company to what exactly was needed from the crew to include numerous submission deadlines. Although I had an experienced Departmental Leading Chief Petty Officer primarily in charge of managing the program, as the department head I had overall oversight. I felt my direct supervisor, the ship’s executive officer, did not value my contributions as a leader, so I was reluctant to approach him when I was having difficulties. Things started to boil over when we missed submission deadlines as departments were not responding back to us in a timely manner. Not only did I fail to support my DLCPO as he tried his best to collect this information, but I also caused the crew to receive the cruise book nearly six months after deployment.
The lesson I took away from this experience is that when I was stumbling, I failed to find a sponsor on the staff who could advocate on my behalf, especially when I wasn’t in the room. This person could have also given me advice on ways to lead more effectively. Looking back, the Chief Engineer and the Supply Officer are two examples of fellow department heads with whom I had a good rapport, but whom I failed to confide in. I think had I shared with them my challenges, they could have not only given me feedback on ways to approach problems differently, but they could also have advised me on how to work better with my executive officer.
Turns out, my executive officer slowly over time became an unlikely mentor. While I don’t feel he ever changed his mind on my ability to lead and communicate, I think he appreciated me on a personal level. I and my team benefitted from his constructive edits on my writing submissions. In fact, he helped my team win 17 communication awards, as he was an adept storyteller and helped make our awards packages better. He made me a better person, and I only wish looking back, I’d allowed myself to be more vulnerable around him and a few of the staff members.
I believe after 25 years serving in the Navy under bosses with divergent leadership styles, there is good to everyone. No boss is all bad, and its incumbent of me as a communicator to identify what areas we share common ground, and harness that to build trust and show him or her how myself and my team adds value to the mission. This philosophy has helped me weather those leaders whose character traits I did not admire, but also served me well when I had to privilege to serve under a boss who inspires others.
