Page 39 - MDSL Final

THE HUMAN FACTOR
Teamwork, Cohesion and Empowerment

“Character is the bedrock on which the edifice of leadership
rests. . . Without [character], particularly in the military
profession, failure in peace, disaster in war or, at best,
mediocrity in both will result.”

Gen Matthew Ridgway

Leadership at sea depends vitally upon deep professional competence,
but it in no way diminishes the importance of the human element. A
mission effective warship is one in which the commander regularly
harnesses the different professional skills and diversity of their ship’s
company to develop and empower them into a high performing team.
One advantage that the leader at sea possesses is that risk is shared
by the whole ship’s crew on board the ship involved in combat. The
need for teamwork and leadership are vital considering the arduous
nature of maritime operations. The greatest naval leaders possessed the
ability to generate enthusiasm, commitment and devotion among their
subordinates at every level which is a basic element of success in battle.

Strong teamwork is essential to success and is the component that brings
all our individual efforts together. It is the understanding, devotion and
commitment to work with each other, whatever the function, to provide
maximum unity of effort at all levels. Shared pride in success essentially
comes from good teamwork.

Mutual Respect

Respect for men and women in SLN goes both up and down the chain
of command as well as sideways amongst peers. It means treating each
other with fairness and dignity, and acknowledging every individual’s
contribution to the full. As operating conditions become more demanding
respect for each other is doubly important, as is the forging of those close
bonds of professional and personal trust that will withstand the stress of
battle. Mutual respect mainly grows from trust and understanding.

To Nurture a Stable Environment at Sea 21