I remember it like it was yesterday. I was the Navigator on a ship, in charge of planning the routes and steering the ship on some particular occasions.
The whole crew is excited: We are finally heading back home after a long and exhausting deployment.
As soon as we are outside of the port, a thick fog envelops the ship. From the bridge (where ships are piloted), I could barely see the bow (the foremost part of the ship) – only 30 meters away!
The crew is well trained: we prepare for the so-called “blind navigation” and, prudently, the ship keeps heading toward the open sea. The Captain is on the bridge and monitors the bridge’s team working, while I keep maneuvering.
As per the rules of the road at sea, when in the fog, ships have to use their whistle every minute. So we do. And so does another ship on our port (left) side. On the radar, we calculate that we are on a collision course. With no hesitation, I order to change course to the left to point toward the stern of the other ship, to avoid a collision. Unfortunately, they turn on their starboard (right) side. Now we are still on a collision course, but much, much closer.
Unlike cars, ships move slowly and you have to calculate the exact moment before maneuvering. The air on the bridge is tense. The Captain is nervous, quietly looking at me. I decide to speed up, but there is no time to make the ship go fast enough to be safe.
Now we can distinguish the shape of the merchant ship, after a few seconds, we can see their watchout on the bow, embracing the flag pole and preparing for the collision on our stern. After a calculation, I order a quick turn to starboard.
The Captain nods and I can see the shade of a smile. He was ready to issue the same order. Ships turn pivoting on an imaginary axis that normally is on the bridge. This means that the stern drifts following a wide arc on the side opposite to where the ship is turning.
The maneuver is successful: the other ship passes no more than 5 meters from our stern. No one is hurt and we resume breathing.
Why am writing this long post? Not to brag about my maneuvering skills. Actually, I made a mistake when I turned on the port side after we noticed the other ship. I did not follow the rules of the road at sea. Nonetheless, the Captain knew me and the team very well. He trusted us and everything went perfectly and smoothly in the moment of potential danger. I was the only one talking. No one panicked or lost control. Everyone was focused and every action was executed quickly and correctly. The Captain was there, ready to intervene if needed.
This is real teamwork!
What about the error? The Captain told me "You and I did a mistake. We'll be more careful next time, right?" He shook my hand and smiled. A short interaction, a load of meanings.
This event is the most significant in my #leadership development.
What is the moment that contributed the most to your #learning?