Leading in Uncertainty: A Division Officer’s Perspective
Proceedings Magazine - January 2019 Vol.
145/1/1,391
By Lieutenant John D. Miller, U.S.
In the Navy, sailors typically know the long-term life-cycle of the ship or squadron, which affords them time to prepare for long family separations and execute successful deployments. Disruptions in the status quo generate a diverse range of human reactions and emotions. Sailors look to their chain of command to make sense of an uncertain future. To successfully meet this challenge and retain the warfighting readiness of the force, leaders must prepare for these interactions to bring both assets and operators to the future fight.
The Problem In Context
In August 2017, I reported to the USS Monterey (CG-61) in the midst of a scheduled, eight-month deployment. At this early juncture of the deployment and sustainment cycle, the ship retained a high level of leadership and watch-team continuity, and when paired with months of continuous operation, maintained a high level of material awareness and operational competency. In January 2018, the ship returned from deployment with her operational schedule clear of another deployment for several years. Over the next few months, we executed only a limited amount of underway training, including a shortened ten-day sustainment exercise and a trip to New York City Fleet Week. The ship then entered an emergent maintenance availability to resolve longstanding material issues.
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2019-01/leading-uncertainty-division-officer%E2%80%99s-perspective?fbclid=IwAR3Qg_4tugTTwSnXjxJue7xlH2_eE6KzA_5oLocPDznhJTXze6dhoa8IjDM
