When one thinks of a captain of a cruise liner, with the capacity to carry over three thousand passengers and a thousand crew, one automatically makes the assumption that he or she would have the necessary nautical qualifications and experience. In the case of Francesco Schettino, the Costa Concordia captain at the centre of one of Italy’s worst maritime disasters, who is currently under arrest for manslaughter, this is true. It appears that the 52-year-old’s life has been dominated by the sea and he attended a nautical institute in Piano di Sorrento.
However, we also tend to assume that people that manage that many crew and have the responsibility for the safety of that many passengers, also have the natural leadership qualities for such a role. I don’t know what leadership development training the beleaguered captain has had during his career but from the many reports and interviews which are emerging in the media it is not looking as if he put much of it into action
First of all it seems that the ship had an unplanned change of course which caused it to run aground. A lesson to those leaders looking to go off strategy without consultation. It then seems that once in trouble, the captain found it hard to make the decision to evacuate the ship, resulting in a terrifying and chaotic evacuation procedure, which has cost lives. A lesson that he who hesitates, or dithers is lost. And when it looks as bleak as it can get, and as if these serious errors of judgement were not enough, it is alleged that our captain decided to put himself before his passengers and crew and save his own skin.
If this is true, how must his crew have felt. How can a leader abandon his fellow managers and crew to the responsibility of sorting out the mess, which on the surface of it, has a lot to do with the captain himself. In nautical tradition over many centuries, we learn that captains stay with their stricken vessels when in peril. I presume this tradition was instilled in them during their leadership development.
But are we asking too much of any leader, whether of a ship in trouble or an organisation about to go bankrupt. Not the same risk to life and limb I agree, but have we been watching too many black and white movies. Do we have too much of a romantic view of a strong leader putting everyone else first before himself or herself. Do we still expect our leaders to be heroes?
In modern society, perhaps not, but in my mind, we do still expect leaders to take responsibility when there is a crisis, to be decisive, to lead from the front and to never abandon the ‘crew’ to sort out the mess.
By Kasmin Cooney OBE | Righttrack’s Managing Director