By Major General John Gronski (USA, Ret.)
I recently took a cruise to Alaska. Crew members hailed from 81 different countries. You can imagine the leadership challenges a Captain of a diverse team like that must have.
The crew members I encountered all had excellent morale and their primary aim was to provide excellent customer service. This was an indicator of excellent leadership starting at the top and working its way down through the ranks.
A Remarkable Leader
Our Captain was a remarkable leader. I spoke to him about his leadership philosophy and it was truly based on serving the crew members he led and allowing subordinates to do their jobs after he provided the appropriate level of guidance. For example, he talked about how he did not spend most of his time steering the ship. He did that earlier in his career when he was a navigator. Now, after providing guidance, he allowed his navigators to do that job, but he would ensure he was present on the bridge during critical times.
The majority of the Captain’s time was spent engaging the crew and asking what assistance or resources they required.
Lesson on Team-Building
The 3 leadership lessons I took away were tried and true based on what I have seen from other good leaders:
1. Provide guidance and empower others to do their job.
2. Ask followers what they need and provide the resources they require.
3. Be present during critical times and when the going gets tough.
About John Gronski
Major General John L. Gronski (U.S. Army Retired) is the founder and CEO of Leader Grove LLC, a leadership consulting firm. John is the author of two books, “Iron-Sharpened Leadership” and “The Ride of Our Lives” and he is an international and Fortune 500 speaker.
A decorated combat Veteran, infantryman, and Ranger School graduate, John is a transformational leader and has significant experience in business as a management consultant, where he led teams implementing large, complex projects. He now serves as an executive coach, leadership consultant, and trainer.
Learn more about John Gronski at https://johngronski.com/
