Happy New Year. I’m not one for New Years’ resolutions, but I am sorely tempted this year after I watched a brilliant TED Talk by Margaret Heffernan. In essence the talk is about the importance of the team over individuals, and the leader’s role in creating the conditions and culture for the team to flourish. Where this is done well teams perform better and, because the team is creating the solutions and the value as opposed to dancing to the tune of a dictatorial director, diversity and social cohesion amongst the team enhance overall outcomes. I wrote about the importance of diversity for high performance (amongst other issues) in my blog on Women in the Armed Forces last year and how, in my experience, it leads to superior teams. Ms Heffernan explains it far better in her talk than I can and I would highly recommend taking 15 mins to watch it.
Her lecture chimed with me as many of the points she raised about the importance of the team resonated with my own leadership philosophy, which I committed to print as in 2015 I prepared to take on the role of the Commander (Weapon Engineer) in HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH. We put it into practice as we formed up the Department, moved onboard the ship and took her to sea for the first time, bringing her home to Portsmouth in August 2017. I have reproduced it below should it be of interest or in any way helpful. I would, as always, be interested in your views and feedback and, importantly, your own philosophies of leadership. Like all of our skills, leadership only improves through iterative practise, honest feedback and critical reflection.
As for the New Year’s resolution: Ms Heffernan talks about the importance of ‘Social Capital’ – that mortar that holds the bricks of the team together, which is especially important when the pressure comes on. This is generated by stepping away from the desk (and especially the email inbox), taking the time to get to know your team mates and developing shared experiences, and thus common bonds. We are good at this in the Royal Navy, it is a crucial part of our ethos, at least in our ships, submarines, naval air squadrons and commando units. I am less convinced that in the budget and staff constrained, and deadline-riven world of the HQ we value the generation of Social Capital anywhere near highly enough. So my resolution is to champion the value of Social Capital in the HQ and to make the time to develop it.
Anyhoo, here’s my erstwhile departmental philosophy. See what you think:
HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, Weapon Engineering Department Philosophy
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle
We are all hugely privileged to serve in HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH. This ship, along with HMS PRINCE OF WALES, will be at the heart of our Nation’s reach and influence for decades to come. We have the opportunity and the responsibility to set the conditions for her success from the outset, and we must do so in a manner worthy the Sovereign after whom the Ship is named.
Readiness and flexibility: We work for a Service whose purpose is not only to shape world events on behalf of HM Government, but also to respond in times of crisis. Even locally, the unexpected can happen at any time and without warning. These moments can be defining for the individuals, ships and even countries involved. When the moment arrives (and it will) we must be ready. We can only hope to achieve this if we make excellence our habit in all that we do: engineering standards, maintenance, administration, training, military bearing and our overall conduct. By being as ready as we can possibly be, we can be confident to tackle whatever the world will throw at us. We can thus meet events on the front foot with the flexibility to seize and retain the initiative, not worrying about playing catch-up on things that we ought to have done.
Teamwork: We will succeed together or not at all. This is a team sport. Effective teamwork relies on clear, honest and timely communication in all directions and we must all work hard to achieve this. It also means that we don’t pass on problems; we must each take responsibility, trusting that the team will support us. We will look out for each other, and when our support is needed we must offer it willingly. Our instinct must not be to walk past and leave it to someone else – the standard we walk by is the standard we accept and we will, rightly, be judged accordingly. As our Nation’s Flagship we must set the highest standards.
Our Terms of Reference should be the bare minimum we seek to deliver. We must add value wherever we are able across the Department, the Ship and the Service. This doesn’t mean that we should do others’ jobs for them, and all must pull their weight, but it means creating a culture that allows the whole to be greater than the sum of the parts. Everyone must feel part of this team. As well as being entertaining, humour and ‘banter’ can have a powerful cohesive effect if grounded in trust and mutual respect, but it must be inclusive. If there is any sense that an individual is being picked on, excluded, victimised, bullied or discriminated against it is corrosive and harmful to the team and the individual. We will not tolerate this in our Department; we will treat others as we would wish to be treated ourselves.
Safety and Risk: Shipbuilding, seafaring, aviation and fighting are hazardous businesses. We must be assiduous therefore about safety. Our enemies will try to do us harm, we must ensure that we do not do it to ourselves. Safe systems of work exist and are to be adhered to. Where there is a compelling need to take risk against safety this must be approved by the Command and, where appropriate, documented. Do not take unnecessary risks with your own, or others’ safety, and look after each other. We will have a just safety culture, reporting all incidents and near misses.
Getting HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH ready for, and conducting, operations will not be easy. Frankly, if it were straightforward the Nation would not need us to do it! It will be professionally and, at times, personally challenging but it will also be hugely rewarding. It should be a great deal of fun too and we must all do our best to make it so. It’s going to be quite a ride – let’s enjoy it!
Finally, as a guiding principle: always do the right thing, not the easy thing. If in doubt, ask.
New Horizons 
I agree with every word of this. Having joined the RN in the mid 80’s as an impressionable 17 year old junior rate, I served on various ships during times of great change within the RN. From women serving at sea, to the decriminalisation of homosexuality: Some of the changes where met with apprehension to downright disdain, to apathy, to wholehearted agreement. Some senior rates and officers shared their thoughts openly and this created a rather unwelcoming and unhappy ships company.
It was during these times that true leadership shone…from 3 badge AB’s to the command. By addressing the doubts and opinions of the few, the seeds where sewn of what is known today as “inclusivity.” Sailors are naturally averse to change and can be quite vocal with their thoughts amongst their peers. However, this means that they can also be vocal if they have alternative opinions to their peers!
As the years passed and women served at sea, gained experience and promotion, sexuality became fully accepted, race and religion unimportant, it is now difficult to imagine a Leander in the 80’s.
It is my belief that a warship is now a much more coherent unit than 30 years ago and part of this is much better leadership, but also….nobody has anything to hide any more!
It really is about teamwork and not only from the top down, but from the bottom up as well. I think that the team is now stronger than it ever was and we should all be grateful for for the privilege of serving with fine people who 30 years ago would have been excluded.
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FS, as ever your eloquent blog offers sage advice.
As I prepare for my own head of department role, your words chime with my thoughts on leadership. It is by setting the conditions for others to succeed and flourish that will we deliver what the country needs and deserves, excellence.
Ones ability to be true to oneself and do the right thing is often perceived to be an enviable skill, but it rather a choice that we can all make. This choice, I hope, will be realised by leading with integrity, honesty and self-awareness. But as you say, a leader must learn and iterate.
Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts and reflections.
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FS, chalk me up as another who agrees wholeheartedly – but I see things perhaps from a different perspective to Chris Sutton. It isn’t that I disagree with Chris about the benefits of diversity, inclusivity, communication et al – far from it; he is completely right. I do not necessarily agree, however, that the 80s/90s RN was all as anti-diluvian in its attitudes as he implies. I served from 1978 – 1997 as a General List aviator (including small ship & air squadron command), and in those 19 years encountered all flavours of culture, coming (as always) from the top. Though the revolution in attitudes to sexuality was after my time, I was around throughout the period when women started serving at sea. Yes, there was opposition from some (I recall the wife of an old-and-bold Senior Rate giving me a full & frank brief on her opinion of the matter at a Ship’s Co Dance!), but – at least in the Type 22 in which I served at the time – most people saw it as long overdue and positive. My Flight maintainers had served alongside WRNS (as they were at the time) ashore for years, and I recall one of my POs saying “give it a few months and everyone will wonder what the fuss was about”. He was probably a bit optimistic about the time frame, but in essence he was right; none of the predictions of catastrophe foretold by that FCPO’s wife came to pass.
No doubt the experience in some other ships was different – but that’s exactly the point; it came down to leadership. The Fleet Air Arm culture, especially concerning flight safety, has always actively encouraged junior people to speak up – Chris’ “teamwork from the bottom up”. I don’t know whether the RN still uses the phrase “all of one company” – every member of a team makes a contribution that should be valued and encouraged – but it was a key leadership concept when I was at Dartmouth (gulp… 40 years ago). The benefits are obvious, and I have tried to foster a similar ethos ever since, whether in the Navy or “outside”.
My ship’s Captain at the time of women going to sea took the view that it was better openly to discuss the issue with people who were concerned – and to assuage their fears as much as he could by communicating – than to take a dictatorial “wind your neck in and get on with it” approach. He also rightly pointed out that the women who were joining us would have their own, equally valid, apprehensions which should no more be brushed aside than those of some men. This particular ship was well-led, and as a result the transition was almost a non-event; the atmosphere on board evolved slightly (better in my opinion for a reduction in testosterone), but after a short time the novelty wore off and people were judged on who they were and how they contributed to the ship, rather than by the colour of their badges (I expect many people younger than me don’t even know that the rank/rate badges used to be different).
In the 20 years since I left the Mob I have come across a spectrum of leadership quality every bit as wide as in the RN – but the principles of high performing teams are exactly the same, and FS has captured them well. Even though it took place after my time, I am proud of the fact that the RN has undergone a change in attitudes to sexuality that (from the outside at least) appears every bit as successful as the culture shift when women first went to sea. Proud, but not surprised; “all of one company” does not have caveats about gender, sexuality or anything else. You’re a matelot; that’s enough.
I can’t speak for what a modern warship feels like, because it is 20 years since I left – but to portray the 80s/90s RN as lacking coherence, not encouraging leadership from the bottom as well as the top, or lacking teamwork would be a travesty. There was – and no doubt still is – good and bad leadership, and it is that which really makes the difference.
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Hi Crispin
Actually I think that we are agreeing with each other lol. It wasn’t my intention to portray a frigate of the 80’s as a kind of “white male members only” club. Clumsily I was trying to say the exact opposite….that true leadership excelled (sometimes from unlikely people) due mainly to the RN’s fantastic team attitude. At the time, I did hear officers and senior rates (and several wives lol) foretelling much doom, but this was quickly addressed and as time passed the naysayers proved completely wrong. As you rightly say, we are all matelots first.
I apologise for not making my point as eloquently as others 🙂
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