How to lead a boatload of youngsters working in high-stress, no-fail situations
I recently had the privilege of spending two days and one night aboard USS Harry S. Truman as the aircraft carrier and its strike squad departed Norfolk, Va. for an eight-month deployment. I spent time with the ship’s officers and crew; a community of 5,600 Americans from all backgrounds and walks of life, the vast majority of whom are very young.
I watched as people in their late teens and twenties executed “no fail” missions. Many of the crew members are too young to be considered millennials (i.e., they were born after 1996). That led to some fascinating discussions with Captain Nicholas Dienna and other officers about how they engage these millennials and post-millennials to perform at peak levels in an unforgiving environment.
It is a common misperception that today’s young adults are lazy and lack work ethic. Captain Dienna knows this is completely misguided. I asked him about his approach to managing his young crew, and here is what I learned. Executives in any industry can emulate these lessons in order to better manage this cohort on their teams.
Always take time to explain the why. The captain said millennials and their successor generation are as tough, gritty and talented as any generation that came before them, if not more. However, they need to know the “why.” According to Captain Dienna, “Do this because I said so” no longer works. He compared this outdated approach to an image of teachers disciplining students with yardsticks. Captain Dienna works to ensure that every crewmember understands his or her mission and why they’re doing it. I spoke with many levels of the ship’s crew – from officers to the sailors responsible for mopping the deck. It was abundantly clear that each knew their purpose and the value of their contribution.
Have empathy. The system needs to be revamped, the captain says, and he is doing it. “Industrial-age practices simply don’t work in the information age.” Jokingly, he said that when a ship used to dock at a port, “the first thing sailors would look for is booze. Now, it’s wi-fi.”
Captain Dienna is empathetic with the needs of his young sailors. For example, I asked him about the ship’s agenda on deployment day. I expected a lot of activity, given the ship was leaving for eight months. To my surprise, the Captain told us he had a very light day planned. “Look, you’ve got to realize that most of these people just left their families for eight months,” he said. “Deployment is especially tough on young marriages. We’re going to take it slow today and allow time for absorption.”
In another example, a senior officer was very open about his personal struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder. This remarkable level of transparency made the leader human and relatable. It was a clear signal that he empathized with serious challenges that his crewmembers may face during the deployment.
The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman departs Naval Station Norfolk as part of a regular deployment in support of maritime security operations and theatre security cooperation efforts.
Feelings matter. Captain Dienna related that, not long ago, when a sailor expressed his or her feelings, it carried negative stigma. When referring to millennials and post-millennials, he said “’Soft and lazy’ is pure garbage. But they do talk about their feelings.” The captain is proud of the Navy for recognizing and acting upon this reality. “We acknowledge that stress is real. We’re investing in resiliency counsellors and psychologists. We have a ‘fit boss’ who helps the crew stay healthy. The more we focus on physical and mental health, the better we can cope with the challenges that lie ahead.”
The ship’s chaplains are engaged in helping the crew come to grips with their feelings. They are not on board to evangelize. Instead, the chaplains care for the entire crew, all 26 denominations. A primary role of the chaplain is to listen and be present for the sailors – an outlet for them to express their feelings. This is especially important when the call comes from home that a child was born or that a family member passed away. The value of having such a go-to is clear, when the chaplain asks: “How do you put a dollar sign on the value of a kid who did not commit suicide, or on a note from a sailor saying, ‘You got me through this deployment’?”
Abandon rigid thinking. Captain Dienna recognizes that young crew members may come to the table with new and better ideas. Innovation is encouraged on the USS Harry S Truman. The Captain does not adhere to lazy, status quo thinking. By promoting creativity, he builds ownership and pride across all ages and ranks. Ultimately, this results in a much more engaged and effective crew.
Only use the brig as a last resort. The ship operates a brig (jail). Those serving time in the brig can eat as much bread and drink as much water as they like in 20-minute intervals three times per day. I asked the commander responsible for the brig to tell a few inmate stories. “The brig really isn’t used that much,” he said. “The Captain doesn’t like it. He feels that there are better ways to correct behaviour, and his methods work a lot better. The captain will only use the brig as a last resort, if nothing else works. Most of the time corrective measures or alternate forms of discipline are more effective.”
Captain Dienna’s style might run counter to popular perceptions about military leadership tactics. It would be a serious mistake to conclude that his approach is soft. To the contrary, he knows that enterprise-wide engagement is the only way to successfully execute in a high-consequence environment. His leadership approach is strategic and deliberate. Captain Dienna does not lead from an outdated playbook, and as business leaders, neither should we.
• Brian Fielkow is CEO of Jetco Delivery and author of Leading People Safely.