5 Leadership Lessons from the Sinking of the Warship Vasa

On August 10, 1628, the Swedish warship Vasa, which was designed to be one of the most powerful warships in the world, sunk just minutes into its maiden voyage in the Stockholm harbor. It tipped over and sank in calm seas with a light wind, killing about 30 sailors in the process. The ship was raised in a remarkably preserved condition in 1961 and is now on display in a popular museum in Stockholm built to house it.

The disastrous story behind the ship provides several lessons in leadership in new product development.

1 - Clients Should Specify Needs and Priorities, Not Designs - Swedish King Gustav Adolf, who commissioned the building of the Vasa during his reign, was a highly innovative and effective military leader. He had a particular affinity for the use of artillery in land battles, so he wanted the new ship to be an extra large artillery platform at sea. He also had a desire to make a statement about his grandeur and strong claim to the throne, so he wanted the ship to be an impressive visual showcase. To him, that meant the ship needed to have a second row of cannon onboard, so he dictated that design as a requirement. This was a new design for the Swedish navy and required major design changes from the more common, single cannon row ships. The ship designer the king hired did not have experience with a double row design, but complied as directed. After design had started, the king changed his mind and decided he preferred the new ships to be smaller because he wanted them sooner to make up for new losses of other ships in battle. It was too late to change the Vasa though.

LESSON => Product development leaders should keep clients focused on defining their needs and priorities, not on dictating designs.

2 - Get Independent Expert Reviews - The king′s hands-on approach to design created another problem. The shipbuilder drew up a design as the king dictated. Without experience in that type of ship, the shipbuilder came up with a design that had fundamental flaws. In particular, the center of gravity of the ship was too high. Because he was not an expert, the king did not notice this flaw and approved the design. Once the king had approved the design, nobody wanted to question it for fear of offending the king. After the ship sank, the king commissioned an investigation and the experts quickly identified the flaw in the design. Because the shipbuilder had died before the ship was completed, it was easy to blame the shipbuilder for the flawed design without any embarrassing discussions about the king′s role in the design process.

LESSON => Incorporating independent, third-party reviewers in a new product development process can ensure that you have the required expertise and avoid political biases.

3 - Monitor Manufacturing Quality - Beyond an inadequate design, the Vasa may have been hurt by a flaw in the manufacturing process itself. Researchers later found rulers used in the building that suggest that the craftsmen building the ship used slightly different standards for a measurement of a foot. The Swedish workers used a Swedish foot with 12 inches, while the Amsterdam workers used a foot with 11 inches. This may have been the reason why the ship was also slightly bigger and heavier on one side and tilted in the water.

LESSON => Incorporating independent quality assessments in the manufacturing process can identify problems early in the process, when they can still be fixed.

4 - Empower Whistleblowers - Shortly before the ship was launched, the supervisor of the construction arranged a test of the stability of the ship for a visiting Vice Admiral. They had thirty men run back and forth across the deck to test the stability but they stopped the test when it appeared the ship would capsize. Despite that warning, the ship was not fixed before launching.

LESSON => At least 30 people involved in that test had credible, eyewitness reasons to suspect the ship was flawed, but it still launched that way, perhaps because none of those witnesses had an obvious, safe way to pass that information up to more senior leadership.

5 - Do a Soft Launch - When the ship launched, it was a big deal with lots of people watching from shore. The captain wanted to show off the ship, so he had all the gun ports open to do a cannon barrage. When the ship tipped, water started rushing into the lower open gun ports. By the time they were closed, it was too late. Had the gun ports been closed, perhaps the ship would have toppled just enough to demonstrate the need for rework without sinking.

LESSON => A soft launch is where you test a new product or service outside the public eye first, with trusted people who will privately give you feedback. A soft launch enabled you to focus on ensuring the basics work without focusing too much on pomp and frills of an official launch.

Thankfully, the Vasa sank in a shallow, freshwater harbor that made it easy to recover and kept it preserved. It is a remarkable relic of shipbuilding in the 1600s. It also provides surprisingly relevant lessons in leadership centuries later.

Sources: All photos and facts come from the Vasa Museum and Wikipedia.

About the Author of this Article: Victor Prince is the #1 executive coach for financial services executives. He is also an Amazon Top 20 best-selling leadership author who helps organizations build leadership, strategy, communications, and critical thinking skills. Follow Victor on LinkedIN to access his 100+ articles on leadership, strategy, learning & development, and more.