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COLUMN INSIGHTS treating each person with dignity and respect. have a problem. I have always felt that I should be train- • Empathetic – A good leader builds trust through ing those under me to take my job. It’s best for them and empathy. He/she can put himself in his deckhand’s shoes. the company and if I slip that much that they do take my • Charisma – A good leader is charismatic. When I position, then I deserved to lose it. So many good masters look back at the really good masters that I worked helped me get to where I am today and I owe it to those with they are all larger than life. They could coming up to help them be all that they can be.

captivate us. We knew they were the leader and they could motivate us. L B , P A

OOKING ACK AND LANNING HEAD

The industry has promoted too many people that were

The lack of leadership in small companies will be hard not good at their deck jobs. Rather than moving people to to overcome. Re? ning leadership skills will have to take the wheelhouse based on merit, they were brought up out place at the of? ce ? rst and that new way of doing business of necessity. It’s almost impossible to tell the guy on deck will have to be introduced and constantly reinforced with how to do something when you aren’t sure yourself. This the crews. Many small companies grow out of a captain’s leads to frustration. Too often, I see wheelhouse personnel thoughts that with a tug or towboat, he can do it better yelling at their crew and it’s because they can’t communi- than the place he is working for. But if you weren’t a leader cate what they want done. They don’t understand lead- on the boat, then you aren’t going to be one in the of? ce. ership and coaching. They are not earning respect. They

Go to your library or online and search for books on lead- slowly become hated by their crews. How will this captain ership. You’ll ? nd thousands. be able to lead the crew through Sub M if he can’t explain

I am fortunate enough to work with some great Masters how to tie the boat up?

and crews and one of them is Mark Pearson, who toils on If you own the towing vessels, take a long hard look at

Coeymans Marine Towing’s Daisy Mae. He knows what yourself and your organization and create the environ- he wants and knows how to do it. He is in charge and ment that allows leaders to thrive. If you are the captain, he backs it up with experience. Coeymans Marine Towing hone your leadership skills to become the Master. The list has just taken delivery of the Daisy Mae and he worked above is not all-encompassing, but it should serve you as a with his company and Rodriquez Shipyard to bring it all springboard to your future. together. He isn’t just the boat operator; he’s the plan- Embrace Sub M. It’s here to stay and it requires sound ner, decision-maker, task master and worker and that has leadership. Are you in it for the long haul?

earned the respect of his crew. He also knows how to com- municate with the of? ce to accomplish their shared goals.

Pat Folan is a partner in Tug & Barge Solutions and has

Unfortunately, I see the opposite too often. Far too many operated towing vessels from Maine to Corpus Christi, TX, including the Alabama Rivers, Lower Mississippi, Great Lakes of our wheelhouse personnel are in a position of leadership and Erie Canal. Tug & Barge Solutions exists to help companies but do not have the requisite training and/or skills to be and mariners adapt and then grow with Sub M. Reach him at successful. If you have a captain that is unwilling to train [email protected] the deckhands and mates to move up to master, then you

November 2017

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