[quote=Capt. Fran;14183](God, I hope not. My first captain was a moron and I’d love to believe that I’m at the very least, not a moron. Mt. Skier, C_A? Will you guys back me up on this?)
I think that professional habits come from a genuine desire to be professional: Conscious Leadership. Of course your idea of leadership and professionalism will be heavily influenced and shaped by what you’ve experienced throughout your career.
I happened to start my career sailing with some real losers. Iron fist, scream at you for no reason, etc. Well, I saw some of my shipmates adopt this attitude. I call it the hazing response. By god, that was how it was when I started out, so I’m gonna treat everyone below me like shit, too! Nice. And guess what. These yayhoos have zero loyalty amongst their crew.
Maybe because I’ve seen the good, the bad and the truly ugly, that I make deliberate decisions to be a fair and approachable captain. This doesn’t mean that my ship is a democracy. It just means that I don’t mind hearing from my crewmembers. (But, I’m very lucky in that my ego is huge, and it won’t take a dent just because someone else has a better idea than me. )
I think that most modern and successful captains try to incorporate bridge resource management techniques into their everyday leadership style. Shared mental models, effective communication techniques, clear roles and responsibilities, etc. can all lead to confident and loyal crew.[/quote]
My first captain was an asshole, who spent most of the time yelling at his crew and telling us what a great captain he was. I thought that was the way it was supposed to be, and when I first sailed as Master I was a total dick. About a month into my first command, the word got out and a mentor of mine, someone I respected and knew well but had never sailed with, came down to my boat and called me out on it. The best decision I ever made was to admit I was wrong and then change my ways. I now treat my crew with respect, set a very high bar for my expectations from them, and encourage them to speak up if they are uncomfortable with anything going on. For them, it is good because they know I’m willing to change if they come up with a better way. For me, it makes my job so much easier because I allow my crew to succeed. I learned this lesson long before BRM came along so adapting to the new BRM principles was a no-brainer.