Leadership Lessons From My Stay Onboard A Naval Aircraft Carrier

In early February, I had the privilege of spending 24 hours aboard the USS Carl Vinson while it was at sea for training maneuvers. Along with a dozen other civilians who were part of the Navy’s Distinguished Visitors program, I toured the ship from top to bottom after being transported from North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego via an Osprey aircraft. While the capability to launch and land fighter jets on a floating runway was certainly amazing, what impressed me most about the tour were the officers and sailors I had a chance to meet. Their commitment to their mission and to each other was definitely inspiring and reassured me about the future of our country.

As I often do, I tried to take away some leadership lessons from this experience. Here are five that I came away with.

Lead Small. Lead Big.

I had the opportunity to meet the commanding officer (CO) of the USS Carl Vinson, Captain Scott Miller , who has had a distinguished 29 year career in the Navy beginning as a naval aviator. He had formal training as a pilot, education in nuclear engineering and experience as squadron leader and as executive officer on the USS Stennis. I was impressed with his quiet confidence and asked him what he has learned about leading the 3,000 men and women under his command. He shared he thinks about the differences in leading small groups and large organizations. In small groups, you know all the members of the team personally. You provide direction to them but also have the opportunity to discuss issues, build trust by listening empathetically, and forge a team through shared experiences. But in a big organization of thousands of people, those techniques aren’t possible. To lead big, it is important to provide a clear mission that unifies the collective energies of the expanded team, to communicate broadly in ways that are reassuring and motivating, and to create a culture that allows everyone to successfully play their roles.

Question: How do you adjust your leadership approach to lead small and to lead big?

Humility Builds Trust.

Executive Officer (XO) Erik Kenny is a genuine badass by anyone’s measure! A graduate of US Naval Academy and a Top Gun pilot, Kenny is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the ship and its crew. I was fortunate to join him for dinner during our time on the ship and we discussed a wide range of topics, including our mutual appreciation of the movie Top Gun: Maverick (“just remember it’s a drama, not a documentary!”). With the enormous responsibilities he has as XO of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, I was surprised when he excused himself after dessert to “go get slimed.” A large group of sailors were holding a fund-raising event in the hangar where individuals would pay to have chances to throw a ball at a target, which if successful, would then drop a bucket of slime over their victim’s head. It is both a humbling and humiliating experience! But Kenny relished the opportunity, “If getting slimmed inspires just a handful of them, it’s an easy way to get a win for some of the hardest working people I’ve ever had the pleasure of serving with.” It was easy to see the positive impact this gesture had on building morale among the crew and trust in their XO.

Question: What impact have you had on your team by showing vulnerability and humility?

Grace Under Pressure Builds Confidence.

The top enlisted sailor on the USS Carl Vinson is Command Master Chief Israel Pedregon and we discussed over lunch his experiences from 30 years in the Navy. He has served under many commanding officers during his tenure but described Captain Miller as “the best.” I was curious what distinguished Miller from his other COs and CMC Pedregon’s reply was immediate. He shared that Miller’s ability to remain calm under pressure, to not get frazzled, and to not yell at his team to get action were behaviors that built immense respect and confidence among the officers and sailors. They would follow him anywhere!

Question: Does the way you express yourself when under pressure build or diminish confidence from your team?

Simpler Is Often Better.

An aircraft carrier is a complex vessel with some of the most advanced technology available for navigation, communications, and weapon systems. Yet when it comes time to track the position and status of every aircraft on a busy flight deck, the Air Boss’ team doesn’t use sophisticated software or high-definition displays. They use an old-school manual board affectionately called the Ouija board. Comprised of wooden pieces representing the different types of aircraft and service vehicles, the components are are manually moved real time. A box of bolts, wing nuts and pins is used to identify the operational status of every item on the deck, using a coding system universally adopted by every carrier in the Navy. Why such a simple system? Because it works and it doesn’t fail which electronics systems are known to do on occasion. In the heat of battle, 100% uptime is a very good thing!

Question: What simple systems do you use to manage the complexities of your operations?

Honor Others’ Sacrifice.

One of the most powerful encounters I had during the visit was with a fellow distinguished visitor, Taylor Stockdale. He is the son of revered Vice Admiral James Stockdale , the senior naval prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. Stockdale was held captive for over seven years and was frequently tortured and isolated in solitary confinement. His ability to have faith that he would prevail in the end while having the discipline to confront the brutal facts of his reality later became known as the Stockdale Paradox , advice that I have leaned on several times during the most trying periods of my career. When our group passed by the huge “You are not Forgotten” POW/MIA banner painted on the wall of the hangar, Taylor shared that he remembered his mother designing the banner in their kitchen so many years ago. He also recalled the celebration for the returning POWs when “I finally got to meet my father” at age 10. The banner on the wall was a poignant reminder for the sailors (and visitors) to honor those who had “given all”.

Question: How do you honor those who have made sacrifices that paved the way for your success?

My time aboard CVN70 was an experience of a lifetime! I came away with a deeper appreciation of our sailors and officers and their commitment to fulfilling their duties, a higher regard for the incredible teamwork that it takes to effectively operate an “airport at sea”, and a better understanding of the leadership skills it takes to make all those possible.