Same day, three moments. At 0900 you are teaching a new junior how to set a Wedgwood cover. At 1400 you are planning the turnaround with your second and third. At 1830 the smoke alarm sounds in the guest laundry. If you use the same leadership style in all three, you will be wrong twice.
Style is a choice, not a personality
Leadership style is situational: the right style depends on the task, the time available, the competence of the crew and the level of risk. A HOD who is only ever directive breeds passive crew who stop thinking. A HOD who is only ever participative freezes in an emergency.
| Style | What it looks like | Fits when | Fails when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Directive / authoritative | Clear orders, no debate | Emergency, high risk, low time, low competence | Used routinely; kills initiative and reporting |
| Coaching | Questions, demonstration, feedback | Training, developing a junior, correcting a skill | Time is short or the risk is immediate |
| Participative / democratic | Team input before a decision | Planning, rota design, problem-solving, standards | The decision is not actually open to input |
| Delegative | Task and outcome handed over | Competent, trusted crew, routine work | The person lacks the skill or the authority |
| Transformational | Vision, meaning, high standards | Long season, morale, culture-building | Detail and safety-critical control are needed |
Reading the situation
Two questions decide the style:
- How much time and risk? High risk plus low time equals directive. Nobody votes on a fire.
- How competent and committed is the person? A skilled, motivated stew needs delegation and gets demotivated by close direction. A new junior needs direction and demonstration, not "use your judgement".
The same crew member may need different styles for different tasks: delegative for turndowns, directive for chemical handling.
Announcing the switch
Crew tolerate a sudden change of style if they understand it. Say it: "In a drill, I will give short orders and I will not explain — question me afterwards, not during." Then, in the debrief, genuinely invite the questions. A style change without explanation reads as a mood swing.
Beware the default under stress
Under fatigue and pressure, most people collapse back to their default style — usually directive, sometimes avoidant. Notice it in yourself. Directive leadership on day fourteen of a charter, applied to an exhausted crew doing routine cabin work, produces resentment and silence, and silence is what hides the next error.
Onboard Notes
- In a real emergency, the Master and the SMS command structure take precedence over any style discussion. Your job is calm, clear, directive execution of your muster duties.
- Do not confuse being directive with being aggressive. Volume is not authority.
- If you ask for input, use it or explain why you did not. Fake consultation is worse than none, and crew only fall for it once.