The Principle of Authority: Tough love leaders are authoritative mentors, not authoritarian dictators.
Not long before Tom Flanagan graduated from college and received his commission as a naval officer, he met Admiral Hyman G. Rickover—the “father” of the Submarine Nuclear Navy. Tom stood in the top 25 of his class of nearly 900, so Rickover tried to recruit him for submarine duty. Tom had his sights set on being a Navy SEAL, so he declined. Rickover upped the ante by guaranteeing Tom a Navy‐paid opportunity to earn a master's degree in engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Tom took the deal, got his degree, and reported for submarine duty aboard the USS Whale (SSN 638). The CO of the sub assigned Tom to the communications division, which consisted of six petty officers and a master chief.
“I was the guy in charge of communications, but I must admit that I was new at communicating orders and managing a division,” said Tom. “I had just come from MIT and I had been given authority, but I hadn't yet earned it. I knew that I would never earn it if I didn't learn how to connect with my team and speak their language. Fortunately for me, the ...
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