I remember the classroom where the Navy taught officer candidates their first class in leadership. Like everything in the Navy, it was old and outdated. Built between World Wars, it was worn, but well cared for.
The floors were mopped, shelves dusted, and anything brass polished (by us) every single night. I also remember the teacher, Master Chief Petty Officer Frangione. Master Chief had been an enlisted sailor in the Navy longer than most of his students had been alive. As a very senior enlisted sailor, he took an active hand in molding the people he would be calling, “ma’am,” and, “sir” in a few weeks’ time.
I do not remember everything that Master Chief taught us, but I distinctly remember his Jersey City accent, his gravelly voice, and his stern look when he gave us his golden rule: Praise in public, reprimand in private.
As I have previously written, I am a big proponent of positive coaching and positive leadership generally, and at the core of that belief is Master Chief’s golden rule. When you take the time to catch someone in the act of doing something good, and call them out for it publicly, it sends the message that you recognize good work while also showing everyone else what you expect of them.
On the other hand, when you catch someone in the act of doing something wrong, it is best to take them aside and privately discuss the matter. This lets your people know that they will not have to face public humiliation for making a mistake. If managed well, this creates a situation where the individual will actually learn how you want things done.
Most importantly, both of these actions conspicuously show those you are leading that you value and respect them. While it is easier to be feared than loved, people will do anything for love. When you lead with fear, they will turn on you the first chance they get.
The second lesson I remember from Master Chief is that you can joke about your peers, lightly tease your seniors, but never, ever make fun of those below you. They have no way to respond to this, so don’t put them in that position.
Over the (many) years since, I learned a couple of other things the hard way.
Never ask someone to do something you would not do yourself. There is a distinction to make here. While in the Navy — and since — there were things I routinely have had to ask people to do that I could not do. As the intelligence officer at a spy plane squadron, I managed six intelligence specialists who could identify almost any piece of military equipment from even the grainiest photograph. I could not do that, but if I had been able to, I would have. And that’s the distinction: This isn’t about ability, it is about morality. If you wouldn’t do something yourself, then you shouldn’t ask someone else to do it for you.
Lastly: Give credit, take responsibility. If something goes badly when you are in charge, no matter who messed it up, it was your responsibility to prepare them for that moment and their failure is your failure. Take the time to publicly praise those who did their parts correctly. Quietly take aside those who could have done better. But above all, acknowledge that you were responsible for the failure, and resist the urge to passive aggressively assign blame by saying you relied on the wrong people. It was your job to set them up for success.
While taking responsibility can be hard, the flip side can be even harder. When you succeed, it is absolutely critical to give credit to the people around you. Giving credit is not just about praising in public, it is also about giving the time and space for those you are leading to become leaders themselves. If you have truly done a good job as a leader, you don’t need to tell people what a great job you did. Everyone knows that success, especially when repeated, is not accidental.
When the people you manage, coach, or teach flourish, their accomplishments are your accomplishments. Accept that successes, awards, and praise heaped on them by others is the measure of how well you are doing, and recognize that you do not need to share their spotlight to enjoy that reward.
Will Wood is a small business owner, veteran, and half-decent runner. He lives, works, and writes in West Chester.
Source: Berkshire mont
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