RETHINKING LEADERSHIP; BEING CAPTAIN MEANS NEVER HAVING TO APOLOGIZE.Byline: JEREMY BAGOTT Latitude 34 Aboard The Gift, leadership is hardwired into the circuitry like the oil-pressure gauge. Jobs are delegated right down to who cleans the topsides and who wipes the trim when the Ventura family's 25-foot cruiser is at dock after an outing to Anacapa Island Anacapa Island is a small volcanic island located about 14 miles (23 km) off the coast of Ventura, California, in Ventura County. Anacapa is part of the Channel Islands archipelago (island chain), and is part of the Channel Islands National Park. or Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. . The genius of life aboard The Gift is the by-the-numbers approach. Bill Maxon, his wife, Dawn, and their sons, Devin, 13, and Chad, 9, have completed the U.S. Power Squadron's Boating Safety Course, and everyone logs time at the helm. But make no mistake, the power of the skipper, Bill Maxon, is absolute. ``That's the agreement,'' he said. ``You can't have 15 people deciding what to do next. There can only be one skipper.'' The power may be impressive, but there is a trade-off: The buck also stops with the skipper. At the end of the day, it's the captain who answers for the boat running aground a·ground adv. & adj. 1. Onto or on a shore, reef, or the bottom of a body of water: a ship that ran aground; a ship aground offshore. 2. on a well-marked sandbar sandbar or offshore bar Submerged or partly exposed ridge of sand or coarse sediment that is built by waves offshore from a beach. The swirling turbulence of waves breaking off a beach excavates a trough in the sandy bottom. because the helmsman was unfamiliar with the waters. So who is best to skipper and who is right for crew? Is skipperhood an inherent right of boat ownership? Should the captain and crew's roles ever be rotated? Must the seniormost sailor always be the skipper? These are the questions being posed in a kinder, gentler nautical atmosphere that is rethinking leadership. And the answers appear clear-cut. First off, the positions of skipper and crew should be assigned to those with the right disposition and abilities for the jobs. Seamanship sea·man·ship n. Skill in navigating or managing a boat or ship. seamanship Noun skill in navigating and operating a ship Noun 1. and experience will determine the best captain; being the boat's owner or of the male gender or the oldest person aboard is of little consideration. ``The skipper and the owner are often two different people,'' said Roy Garrabrant, rear commodore of the Coast Guard Auxiliary in San Pedro. ``But the skipper bears ultimate responsibility for the boat.'' But there's no need to look at the role of skipper and crew as one of boss and underling. Instead, look at the relationship as one between pitcher and catcher, conductor and musician, director and stage manager. ``Leaders are people who do the right thing; managers are people who do things right,'' said Warren Bennis Warren Gameliel Bennis (born March 8, 1925) is an American scholar, organizational consultant and author who is widely regarded as a pioneer of the contemporary field of leadership studies. , author of ``Why Leaders Can't Lead,'' a book that speaks to the pitfalls of leadership. The skipper may determine that growing winds require a mainsail to be reefed, but unless the managers (read: the crew) can reduce sail properly the job will not be done. Or worse, it will be done incorrectly or unsafely. ``If there is one absolute to being a good skipper, I would say it's that I never ask my crew to do anything I wouldn't do myself,'' said federally licensed ship's master Frank Ursitti, whose 60-foot Oxnard-based charter vessel, the Coral Sea Coral Sea, southwest arm of the Pacific Ocean, between Australia, New Guinea, and Vanuatu. The Great Barrier Reef lies along its western edge. During World War II it was the scene of a major U.S. , serves as an education and research platform. In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke" put differently , a good leader is someone willing to take a few lousy orders and perform a few unpleasant tasks himself. The corollary is that crew members must be counted upon to step up to a leadership role when the need arises. Garrabrant and Ursitti share the belief that when it's due, praise should not be handed out sparingly. ``It depends on the situation, but you have to recognize accomplishments,'' said Garrabrant. Beginning sailor Sharon Clark Sharon Clark (born Sharon Olivia Weber on 15 October 1943 in Seminole, Oklahoma) is an American model and actress. She is best known for being Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for its August 1970 issue. , a Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. bank executive who lectures on leadership, agreed. ``When you've thought on your own and done something right, you need to get the affirmation,'' she said. ``The leader also needs to be clear when something's done wrong. But the old style of leadership through fear has gone. Good leaders do it out of love and true conviction.'' With his military background, sailing neophyte ne·o·phyte n. 1. A recent convert to a belief; a proselyte. 2. A beginner or novice: a neophyte at politics. 3. a. Roman Catholic Church A newly ordained priest. Mike Williams Mike Williams may refer to:
An island off southern California in the northern Santa Barbara Islands. resulted in a potentially dangerous jibe in 25 knot winds. ``As I corrected the boat, the skipper came up from below, irate and yelling. I held the helm steady to allow him to calm down and stayed calm myself. If I would have gotten angry, it would have ruined the trip and it would've questioned his authority, something I knew I shouldn't be doing. For me, staying calm under fire is key to good leadership.'' The scenario brings up another question. Should a skipper ever apologize to his crew over a bad decision or for having lost his temper? ``When you apologize you come across as if you're second-guessing yourself, creating doubt,'' said Clark. ``Just a little bit of fear has been introduced. Even if you're scared witless wit·less adj. Lacking intelligence or wit; foolish. wit  less·ly adv.wit , you want to come across unshakable in what you're doing.'' When giant slabs of green water are breaking at the bow and a sail rips in 20-knot winds because you made a bad call, there's no time for self-reproach, only sound correction. Sometimes leadership means never having to say you're sorry. BUDDING SKIPPERS UNITE The first step toward becoming a qualified boat captain is learning basic seamanship and proper boat handling. The classes listed cover both skills for powerboat and sailboat enthusiasts; they are offered on an ongoing basis through the regional flotillas of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. More advanced courses also are offered by the auxiliary. (Program note: Sailors who participate in such courses often receive discounted rates for boat insurance.) Boating Skills and Seamanship: Courses are held in Room 201 of the Army Reserve Training Center, 5161 N. Sepulveda Blvd. in Sherman Oaks. Nominal fee for textbooks and materials. Information: Lois Conrado, (818) 999-6949. Basic Coastal Navigation Class: Night courses offered at Burton Chace Park, 13650 Mindanao Way in Marina del Rey Del Rey may refer to:
- Daily News CAPTION(S): 3 Photos, Box PHOTO (1--Color) Federally licensed ship's master Frank Ursitti, skipper of the Oxnard-based Coral Sea, would never ask his crew to do anything he wouldn't do himself. (2--Color) With his military background, Mike Williams, at the helm on a multiday charter to the Channel Islands, has seen the good and bad in leadership roles. (3--Color) Clockwise from top, Bill Maxon; Dawn Maxon; family friend Sean Matthews, 14; Devin Maxon, 13; and Chad Maxon, 9, all have delegated duties aboard the Maxons' 25-foot Searay cruiser. Jeremy Bagott/Daily News BOX: BUDDING SKIPPERS UNITE (see text) |
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