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Leadership In Crimson Tide

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Leadership is necessary to aid in the success of organizations. Effective leaders have subordinates who are motivated, committed, and high-performing. Every leader has their own personal leadership style which determines how they lead and how they manage. In the movie Crimson Tide, it is clear that the Executive Officer (EX. O.) and Captain have differing leadership styles. This is made apparent through several instances including the fire in the galley, a fight between a supervisor and his subordinate as a result of low morale, and the handling of the decision on whether to launch nuclear missiles. Both the EX. O. and the captain have expert power. The EX. O.'s expert power comes from knowledge obtained through schooling and training where as the Captain's expert power comes from direct in field experience. The military has a bureaucratic control implemented and an emphasis on chain of command. These observations have an effect on how many issues are handled on the ship. One of the first issues in the film was a fire that happened in the galley. The EX.O. ran to the fire and after the fire was safely extinguished, the Captain thought it was the perfect time to initiate a missiles launch drill. Both the EX. O and captained had a difference in opinions on how the drill was handled. The conclusion of …show more content…

O. is more of a relationship-oriented leader and is more inclined to motivate subordinates by exhibiting supportive behaviors than the captain. When a fight occurred between a supervisor and a subordinate, the EX.O. made a personal connection regarding the trivial issue of the best Silver Surfer while at the same time correcting the supervisor's behavior. This situation helps lead to a more favorable leader-member relation for the EX.O. When talking to the Captain after the fight occurred, the EX.O. mentioned the men on the ship may need a boost in morale. The Captain then proceeded to deliver a message that the EX.O. did not consider motivating or

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