Leadership 'somewhere south of hell'

[bruno]

Really interesting article in todays Washington Post " On-Leadership" section. It's interesting to me that there is also an element of second chance here in this story. While the Captain clearly wasn't prepared for his baptism of fire, it seems as though he redeemed himself later on with another shot. Very interesting reading at the link below:

http://views.washingtonpost.com/lea...4/war-beneath-the-waves.html?hpid=smartliving

How would you perform on the job if hell broke loose and others relied on you to lead them out of the fire? Warriors train for it. But when the world is crashing in and leadership is required, is training enough?
Charlie Rush, a young Naval officer from small-town Alabama, faced just such a moment when as a Japanese destroyer attacked the submarine USS Billfish, where he was a junior officer. And when the moment came -- when the depth charges were exploding with terrifying proximity, when the submerged vessel was running out of breathable air -- he stepped up and took charge, though his actions that day meant risking everything.
Rush's story, hidden from public view for more than 60 years by a "gentleman's agreement," now teaches us the meaning of leadership under fire and how the line between courage and cowardice can become so extraordinarily thin.

 

[raimius]

Quite a sobering story.
The crew was lucky to have such an officer and good Chiefs.