Have you ever watched The Deadliest Catch? What a great show by Discovery Channel from which to learn some old-fashioned leadership lessons. If associates and leaders could change a couple of behaviors demonstrated by these inividuals while they work, corporate America would be very different indeed.
First, let's take a look at what these "associates" are expected to do while they work and think about what employees in corporate America would say if we expected them to perform this way. The fishermen or crabmen work 6 months long and many times put in 36 hours straight throwing gear and picking up gear filled with crabs in the Bering Sea, one of the most dangerous bodies of water in the world. They do this in cold, winter waters and in deadly storms with high waves crashing into them on the deck of the fishing boat. And, they get paid based on how many crabs they catch, which can be almost nothing of the captain charts the wrong course. One doesn't just become a crab fisherman, one has to earn it by serving as a "greenhorn" preparing bait and quickly jumping into the gear, hooking the bait and escaping the gear in a matter of seconds. They do this hundreds of times during the course of the day. Often, no one on the boat gets a warm meal for days on end. When equipment breaks, like the crane that lifts the gear off the stacks, a man has to be hoisted 3 stories into the air in high winds and ferocious seas to change a metal pulley. He has to be hoisted up to retrieve the broken pulley and then hoisted again to replace the old pulley with a working pulley. This has to be done quickly, because all fishing stops while this repair is taking place. Imagine the complaining that would occur if we expected even half of this amount of discomfort from our associates
Now let's take a look at the leadership. The cultural norm on the fishing boat is that the captain has the first, middle and final word on everything. There is no arguing with, or complaining to, the captain. What he says goes, period. And when the captain gets upset, look out, mate! Even brothers of the captain who work on the boat don't argue with the captain. The respect is something I haven't seen in corporate America in two and one-half decades. As a role model, the captain also works 36 hours without sleep. He is responsible for charting the course to find fish, not exceed the fishing limits and keep his fishermen safe in dangerous conditions. If the captain doesn't feel he's being heard, he goes down to the deck and oversees the work until everything gets back in order. He doesn't have to say a word. Everyone knows what they have to do and they do it. No one wants a bad fishing season. If they had a bad fishing season, it would all be for naught.I find their dedication, enthusiasm, work ethic and respect for authority refreshing. We could all benefit from emulating these men who sacrifice being away from their families for months at a time in harsh conditions, to provide well for the future. They look to pass their boats and businesses onto the family so they will have a relatively secure future.
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