The Need for Transformational Leadership

The Need for Transformational Leadership———————–  

                Opinion

                By J. F. Kelly, Jr.

Not since WW II has the nation been so in need of strong, steady leadership, not just the kind that demands results by edict, but transformational leadership which inspires and achieves lasting results by changing behavior. This can only occur when people trust their leaders and willingly follow their guidance even when it is inconvenient. This is the sort of leadership that can change the very culture of an organization or a nation. Our own War of Independence and WW II produced such leaders but in the current national crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic they seem in scant supply.

One aspect of the national culture that needs to change has to do with political behavior. I wrote several weeks ago that in crises such as this which constitute an existential threat to the nation, it is critical that that we put aside policy disagreements and rally around our elected leaders. Leaders need support to lead effectively. Donald Rumsfeld famously said, “You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have.” The same might be said about our elected leaders. Elections give us the means to change them in an orderly manner but short of impeachment, which is hugely disruptive, as we have seen, we need to be led by the leaders we have, not the ones we wish we had.

I urged that it behooves us for our own and the nation’s good to put partisan politics on the back burner until we have this epidemic well under control. Although, there have been some heartening examples of bi-partisan cooperation between the federal and state governments, politics as usual still prevails in the media and the Congress. It’s to be expected, perhaps, on the part of a media that thrives on controversy and dissent but one would have expected more from Congress which at this writing is still in recess, absent from Washington even as frontline workers keep what’s left of the economy running, risking their own health.

And at this writing, Congress stills delays passage of desperately-needed additional aid to small businesses, which both parties agree is needed, while Democrats seek to add additional money for local governments and hospitals. As Professors Glenn Hubbard of Columbia and Hal Scott of Harvard Law recently noted in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, small businesses, those with less than 500 employees, constitute 50% of the workforce and 44% of GNP. If they fail, a depression is around the corner. How many members of Congress were alive during the Great Depression? I was. You don’t want to experience one. Pass the damned bill. Keep those businesses afloat and save the jobs.

While Congress dithers as usual, President Donald Trump’s performance has been mixed. One of his strongest example of leadership in my view has been his willingness to devote about two hours a day, plus preparation time, to brief the nation on TV in an attempt to keep frightened Americans, many confined to their homes, worried about getting sick and losing their jobs informed on progress and problems in fighting the pandemic. Why would Americans not want to hear from their president and his task force of experts daily at a time like this regarding what is most on their minds? During WW II, President Franklin Roosevelt’s Fireside Chats were something we looked forward to.

Yet, he is reflexively criticized by liberal pundits who seem incapable of giving Trump credit for anything and by Democrat candidates who obviously resent the president’s daily TV exposure in an election year. Could the briefings be improved? Well, of course. Mr. Trump is not a polished speaker and it shows when he shares the platform with others who are. He is repetitious and can’t seem to finish a thought without moving to another. He becomes defensive when he senses criticism. He spends far too much time bragging about what he has accomplished. He doesn’t always get things right such as when he asserted that he has final say over everything the governors do or don’t do. He doesn’t, of course. Ours is a federal system. We are a union of states and those states have certain rights under the Constitution. Fortunate, he backed off this position and the recovery guidelines give the lead to the states where it belongs. His unfortunate “liberation” tweets referring to Michigan and Virginia were seized upon by the media as supportive of the demonstrators defying social distancing requirements but were intended to point out the overreach by governors in those states in placing unnecessary restrictions on its citizens.

But the public knew that Mr. Trump was not your typical politician or a polished speaker and they elected him anyway because they were tired of conventional politicians blowing smoke. And in an emergency such as this they want to hear regularly from the person in charge, not just the talking heads in the media. To his credit, with all he has to deal with and with all the responsibilities weighing upon him, he’s there every day and, most of the time at least, displays uncharacteristic patience in answering some truly idiotic questions from the chattering class, anxious to provoke a fight or create something to write about. Most of us, I think, appreciate him for it and want him to succeed in dealing with this crisis because if he fails, so do we all.

 

Maintaining Confidence in the Ability to Lead

Maintaining Confidence in the Ability to Lead————–

                Commentary

                By J. F. Kelly, Jr.

                In the midst of a national emergency brought on by the Coronavirus pandemic, the very last thing we needed in the Navy was a failure of leadership. Nevertheless, one was initiated starting with a memo sent by the commanding officer (CO) of the San Diego-based, forward- deployed aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVA 71) to over 20 addressees, some outside the chain of command, urging more immediate action to deal with the Coronavirus outbreak on his ship. The correspondence, sent by unsecured means, was, leaked to the media, causing some embarrassment to higher authority and reportedly causing anxiety among some of the crew and family members back home. There was also concern that a potential adversary could be encouraged to exploit the situation although the presence of the disease onboard the carrier was hardly a secret to anyone at this point.

Thomas Modly, the Acting Navy Secretary at the time, reacted by removing Capt. Brett Crozier from command of the ship for displaying “extremely poor judgment”, a process known as detachment for cause, a supposedly non-punitive action for expeditiously removing an officer from command, usually for substandard performance, poor command atmosphere, faulty judgment or behavioral issues. The usual reason given for the action is loss of confidence in the officer’s ability to command. The CO involved has little recourse in the matter because the action is administrative in nature, not punitive, but it is almost always career-ending. Even more importantly, it can be an extremely disruptive experience for the officers and crew. A ship’s captain usually establishes a distinct culture in the ship through his or her unique leadership style. That culture can suddenly change, even as a result of a normal change of command and change can be disruptive. Every new CO also experiences something of a learning curve before settling in. The firing of a CO extends the disruption because it is usually followed by a temporary acting CO before a regular relief can report onboard.

Mr. Modly, of course, had the authority to order the firing and Capt. Crozier would appear to have used poor judgment in his communications choices, but it was fair to ask what actual good was accomplished by this abrupt removal of an apparently popular, competent and certainly qualified CO of a forward deployed aircraft carrier caught up in a pandemic. If it was deemed necessary to relieve him at all, couldn’t it have waited for a more opportune time after things settled down a bit on board the ship which was already moored in Guam? And why did the action have to be taken by the civilian Acting Navy Secretary, in a Pentagon office halfway around the world, rather than by one of the several flag officers in the CO’s chain of command who were, presumably, closer to the situation and better trained to judge a CO’s fitness to command?

There is almost always more to a story than what one reads or hears in the media, but it’s obvious from the reaction of the crew and others that this action did not sit well with them or with the public. Commanding officers need to have the confidence of the seniors they report to but the crew of a ship has to have confidence in their leaders as well. The crew of the Roosevelt clearly had confidence in their captain.

Perhaps the most important lesson to be learned from this public affairs fiasco is in dealing with crises, first of all do no harm. Don’t make matters worse. Mr. Modly made matters worse by the firing and then, incredibly, compounded the harm by flying to Guam to berate the crew and Capt. Crozier, calling him stupid or naïve. Capt. Crozier may have had a lapse in judgment, but he is neither stupid nor naïve. Our command selection process does not put stupid or naïve officers in command of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers or any other Navy ships.

Mr. Modly has since apologized and resigned but the damage was done and it was considerable. His words reflected a shocking failure of civilian leadership and composure at the highest level of the Navy at a time when the public may need assurance from those highest levels that the readiness of the U. S. Navy, which is essential to our national security, will remain at the highest levels throughout this national and global crisis.

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While We Wait and Wish———————-

While We Wait and Wish———————-

                Opinion

                By J. F. Kelly, Jr.

                For those confined at home because of the pandemic, life may not be much fun but it could be a lot worse. Each day brings us closer to a vaccine or more effective treatments but that’s small comfort when we don’t know when that will be. Meanwhile, while we wait and hope, it’s a great opportunity to reflect on how to be better prepared for the next pandemic which we are told to expect. These reflections should not include assigning blame. There isn’t time for that now. They’ll be time enough for blaming when the dying’s done, with apologies to Kenny Rogers.

Rather than focus on past mistakes, we need to concentrate our collective energies and imagination on the present and the future as we look for ways to stop this epidemic. Mistakes of the past are a sunk cost. We know the coronavirus originated in the wet markets of China just as two previous epidemics did. Exotic animals like bats are slaughtered there for food in close proximity to conventional food markets and common sense would dictate that they should be closed. Delay by Chinese authorities in taking early action and alerting the world to the growing epidemic caused the disease to spread globally. Blaming China at this point, however, while it might make us feel good, won’t do much to solve the problem or facilitate the cooperation we will need.

We should meanwhile, be collecting lessons learned in order to be better prepared for the next crisis. One obvious lesson is that while globalism is here to stay, it carries obvious risks. Epidemics that originate anywhere in the world can spread everywhere. Nations must be truthful and candid in exchanging information to help prevent the spread. This is a problem in countries like the People’s Republic of China where the Communist Party rules supreme and controls information and the government’s number one priority is the good of the party, not the Chinese people. It is difficult for Americans to understand this because it is so different from how open things are in a democracy like ours. We tend to assume that all foreign leaders are rational actors and motivated by values similar to ours. That assumption brought us to the brink of war during the Cuban missile crisis.

President Donald Trump has described Xi Jinping as his friend. Mr. Xi, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and other Communist leaders may at times be cordial with Mr. Trump when it suits them but if Mr. Trump thinks they are his friends, he is deluding himself. Xi is chairman of the Communist Party in China and the interests of the party trump any friendships. Beijing will always act in the best interests of the party. We must never again be reliant on China for vital materials including pharmaceuticals.

The second lesson to be learned is the price we paid for being unprepared for this pandemic when there were many predictions that we were at risk of a pandemic like this or an act of biological warfare. We have a long history of being unprepared including two world wars and 9/11. The time to prepare is before people start dying.

Thirdly, the federal government cannot solve every problem. Unlike some countries, we are a union of states. Clearly, the federal government must act when states need help and coordination or common strategies are necessary, but states have a responsibility to do the best they can to plan, budget and prepare for domestic emergencies. When they fail to do this, as some did, the federal government can be overwhelmed.

Finally, government at any level does not have all the answers. Ideas, innovations, inventions and cures that have won wars and conquered diseases have come largely from the private sector and often from individuals working alone or nearly alone on ideas that turn out to be solutions. We are in great need of such ideas and solutions and we need to encourage the many brilliant minds out there to come forward with them. As a naval officer commanding warships, I used to marvel at the vast amount of talent at every level on board our ships. When we had a problem with no apparent solution, I would encourage brainstorming, encouraging the crew to come up with ideas no matter how far-fetched they might seem. I’d get a lot of crazy ideas but every now and then someone would come up with an idea worth trying and sometimes they worked.

We need ideas now that may work and save lives. Governments need to create clearinghouses to process reasonable ideas deemed feasible. There’s a lot of undiscovered talent in America. Let’s hear from them.

Days of Our Distress————

Days of Our Distress—————————————

                Opinion

                By J. F. Kelly, Jr.

As we enter the third week of our national emergency caused by the COVID 19 pandemic, our reaction is becoming eerily reminiscent of how we geared up for World War II. Creation of the community volunteer Neighbor-to-Neighbor program in Coronado with volunteer block captains assigned brings back memories of neighborhood air raid wardens during that war. Neighbors helping neighbors has always characterized America’s response to crises.

Not since WW II has America and the rest of the world faced such a crisis as this and not since then has transformational leadership at various levels been so critical to success. As in war, where our very survival is also at stake, what matters most is not so much what approach we take but whether or not we succeed. Failure is not an option. You may recall that it took drastic and controversial actions to finally end WW II.

If I learned anything in 30+ years as a naval officer, 17 of them in command or second in command, 12 years as a civilian executive and seven years of studying leadership and management at the postgraduate level, it was an appreciation of the importance of strong leadership in crises and, importantly, strong support from those they are charged to lead. The latter, in fact, are the ones who must get the actual work done. Leaders set the goals, provide the vision and must motivate those they are responsible for leading. In the process, they must subordinate their career and personal interests to the good of their people and this applies to leaders at all levels, not just at the top.

Strong leadership without the support of those they lead will not work for long, so it’s essential that we put party politics aside for the duration of this war, just as we (mostly) did during WW II. It won’t be easy in this age of political polarization, but let’s resolve to try. I’ve been writing columns and opinion pieces for newspapers and other periodicals for over 40 years and giving up criticizing elected officials for the duration will be hard for me but, hell, I managed to give up chocolate for lent and I love chocolate even more than politics. This sort of reminds me of a sign the chaplain in one of my ships had on his desk. It read: “God loves you, and I’m trying.”

We may not be happy with all our elected officials and that’s normal. When Harry Truman succeeded to the presidency with the death of FDR in WW II, there was concern over his lack of leadership experience but he rose to the occasion with the strong support of the American people. Regular elections give Americans the chance to change leaders but while they are in office and responsible for making difficult decisions during crises like this, let’s acknowledge their authority and try to be supportive. Disagreement with policy should be respectfully expressed without the venom and hatred so often expressed in attempts to gain political advantage.

During WW II, we stressed the importance of maintaining morale, not just that of the troops, but of those “on the home front”. In this crisis, the troops are the medical professionals and technicians, the research community, the grocery clerks, pharmacy people, first providers and all those who continue to work to provide what we need to survive. They are the heroes. We all have a role to play in maintaining morale but leaders have a special role. They must display the attributes of leadership which includes collegiality and avoid personal attacks on each other. Quibbling politicians project a sense of insecurity, uncertainty and lack of control and promote anxiety among the public.

Reporters have a responsibility for sticking to verified facts and avoiding sensationalism to promote a story. They should stick to reporting the news, not inventing it, and leave opinion to columnists and commentators who, in turn, should avoid personal attacks. Criticize the idea or action, not the person, is a good rule in most cases for opinion writers.

Finally, if you’re feeling sorry for yourself because of the restrictions on freedom of movement, shortages and lack of entertainment, think about what our armed forces experience in prolonged battles where running out of toilet paper is the very least of their worries. Think about the workers and first responders who are putting themselves at risk to keep essential services running. Think about those who suffered daily air raids during WW II, huddled in basements and air raid shelters, wondering if they would make it through the night and have a roof over their heads in the morning. Think about our prisoners of war, in confinement for years, experiencing torture and solitary confinement.

Count your blessings and thank God for them. Stay well and take care of one another.