By Vice Adm. Cutler Dawson, USN (Ret)

As the commanding officer of the guided missile cruiser USS Princeton, I knew that our upcoming missile exercise was going to be the critical proof that our ship was once again ready for battle.

It was spring 1992 and the Princeton had been out of operation for more than a year after suffering devastating damage from two Iraqi mine strikes in the first Gulf War. We were tasked with engaging four very capable and expensive aerial targets off the coast of southern California. Each one of these targets cost $500,000.

From my command console in the combat information center (CIC) on board the ship, I gave the order, “Batteries release. You’re cleared to fire on the incoming target.” But nothing happened. Instead of that familiar swoosh! of a missile exiting the tube, I heard the roar of the missed target as it passed over the ship.

[RELATED: Transition and Career Resources From MOAA]

I quickly called a meeting of the CIC team. As I walked to the wardroom, I thought about how anxious everyone would be about our failure to engage a very expensive target and what kind of tone I should adopt. I believed it was important for me to set a relaxed, confident tone so that we could discover what went wrong. I entered the room, and everyone stood up at attention and avoided my gaze. I told them to sit down. I looked around and saw a lot of chagrined faces. Some even looked scared.

There was a lot of nervous energy bouncing around, and you could hear a pin drop. I smiled and said calmly, “Okay. We have to figure out what happened because, if not, we can’t fix it. We have three more targets to engage today and we need to get the problem fixed ASAP.”

Way in the back of the room, one hand slowly floated up. A very young fire control technician cleared his throat and poked his head between two other faces. He said, “Captain, I had my fire switch in the wrong position. I had it in the ‘off’ position.” To which I said, “Thank you. You will be ready next time, right?” He said, “Absolutely, sir.” “Okay, then,” I replied, “let’s get back to work.”

Our next three attempts were direct hits on the target. My message to the crew was clear: no reprisals for honest mistakes. It is what it is. We can’t fix the problem unless we talk openly about it. We can’t fix the problem unless we create a safe harbor for the crew to tell us the truth.

I could have gotten angry and that young sailor could have remained silent. I could have punished him by taking him to Captain’s Mast. I could have become defensive with my chain of command and pointed fingers. I did none of the above. I had created what I call a “safe harbor” for my crew, an opportunity for any one of them to admit an honest mistake with no repercussions. And I insisted on respecting my crew, in good times and bad. That is much more important than scapegoating. And it produced the answers that I needed in order to fix the problem and prove that Princeton had returned to full combat capability.

Vice Adm. Cutler Dawson, USN (Ret), served for 14 years as the president and CEO of Navy Federal Credit Union. (Courtesy photo)

The most important job of any leader is a laser focus on your employees, especially in times of crisis. Some military leaders put their own careers first. Some CEOs do the same. I have always made my crew my number-one priority. My philosophy as a Navy leader was simple: take good care of your people and they will want to do a good job. What that produces for leaders in times of crisis is a “bank” of good will. Your crew will trust you to do the right thing by them and they will take care of the mission at hand — even in tough times.

Years later when I was the CEO of Navy Federal Credit Union, the largest credit union in the world with assets of more than $100 billion, my philosophy was the same: take good care of your employees and they will take good care of your customers.

Caring cannot be hyped, faked, or spun. It needs to be proven in leadership’s everyday actions. Take care of your people, ensure they are proud of the work that they are doing, and you will have a great place to work.

The key to sharpening your leadership skills during an unprecedented time like this — one of major disruptions and extreme uncertainty — is to make your employees and their wellbeing your highest priority and create a safe harbor for honest and open two-way communications.

They, in turn, will focus on the targets that count. In times of crisis, you can bring out the best in your employees. But you do this by focusing on them.

About the author and coauthor:

Vice Adm. Cutler Dawson, USN (Ret), and Taylor Baldwin Kiland are the coauthors of From the Sea to the C-Suite: Lessons Learned from the Bridge to the Corner Office. After his 34-year career in the Navy, Dawson served for 14 years as the president and CEO of Navy Federal Credit Union. He and his wife, Debbie, live in Alexandria, Va. He is a MOAA Life Member.

Ms. Kiland has written, edited, or ghostwritten 18 books, including two about our nation’s Vietnam POWs. A former naval officer, the third generation in her family to serve, she lives in Alexandria, Va., with her husband and their daughter. She is a MOAA Premium Member.