Growing up in Texas, I vividly remember finding a Lubber Grasshopper struggling in the middle of Pine Island Bayou on a hot and muggy Saturday afternoon. Many yards from the water hickory and swamp blackgum trees, a grasshopper was a bobbing topwater lure on the water’s surface, ready to meet his death in the mouth of a five-pound largemouth bass. Imagining that the rest of his crew had already met their fate, I chose to rescue him from his sea and proclaimed him captain of our 14’ Gruman aluminum boat.
I thought about Captain the other day when I thought about what is required to be a captain. My brother and I appointed Captain as the captain of our flat bottom boat; a singular and designated position of prestige and fictitious honorability. Through the bends and winds of the bayou, he guided our schooner back to the boat dock to meet my father who was picking us up.
Singular leadership as a captain
In this example, Captain was the captain of our boat with a micro mission to meet my father at the dock. In other contexts, a captain may lead a group of individuals to perform objectives in conjunction with other captains doing the same. Consider American football, the collection of departmentalized individuals consists of an offensive, defensive, and special teams captain. In soccer, you may be one of the two or three with an armband denoting this appointed position when participating in the coin toss and then taking the field.
The word captain is used broadly in these examples to show how the word captain can be used in a singular sense or as a responsibility within a group. It also shows the vulnerability that could exist if the captain were to go array if the prestige of the authority overrides the importance of achieving the collection of the overarching mission. A rogue individual captain, defying the team's mission for personal or localized team benefit, strips away the title of a captain when working in parallel with other captains.
In many scenarios, having a single leader is essential for clear, inspirational, or decisive leadership. However, the aspects of shared leadership are necessary to solve complex problems or multidimensional scenarios. Regardless of context, a captain is the motivational agent of a collection of individuals. A captain’s success can be measured by their sole team's measurables, but in a macro sense, no individual captain's team will win if the mission fails.
Collection of captains
In manufacturing, where scenarios can be fast-paced and constantly in motion, the distribution of leadership responsibility can prevent one individual from becoming overwhelmed. Regardless of the setting, each captain should bring a diverse strength and perspective to the overarching mission. In a corporate setting, a Board may appoint a CEO, CFO, COO, and CTO, each contributing their specialized expertise within their teams. This diversity of corporate captains fosters well-rounded strategies aligned with the corporate mission and diverse vantage points during stressful decisions.
When a captain loses track of the mission and selfishly focuses on the key performance indicators of oneself versus how their actions could affect others, the team will lose. When the captain of a ship breaks position, the detrimental effects on the fleet can be immediately felt. If the offense fails to achieve a first down on the fifty-yard line, the defense has little room for error. The captain is a critical role for a collection of individuals, but a captain will never solely succeed in a mission.
Singular leadership versus shared leadership
While a single leader is crucial in some contexts and strategies, such as piloting an airplane or commanding a military operation, shared leadership is required in macro, dynamic, and complex environments. By distributing responsibilities, leveraging the diverse skill sets of a team, and enhancing communication, multiple captains will lead to greater success for the team.
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