Stephen H Baum Leadership

Once in awhile, an article in the press catches my eye that shows in some world other than business my leadership hypotheses have broad application:

So many companies are missing the boat by having far too few female executives in senior positions.

Consider Lt. Cdr. Sarah West, the first woman in 500 years of Royal Navy history to command a frontline warship.

She is the first woman to command a frontline warship in the Royal Navy’s 500-year history. She commands the HMS Portland, a 5,000-ton Type 23 frigate that is prepared for ‘total warfare’.And she is only 39 years old!

From various UK publications (The Daily Mail, The Guardian et al):

Her appointment is a remarkable achievement because women were not even allowed to go to sea with the Navy until 1990.
Since then, they have only taken charge of small ‘non-fighting’ ships. Lt Cdr West herself has captained four minehunters – including her current ship Pembroke – which only carry weapons for self-defence.

However, the ten-year-old Portland carries surface-to-surface missiles for tackling ships, surface-to-air missiles for shooting down aircraft and a helicopter for hunting and destroying submarines. It also carries a 4.5in gun, Stingray anti-submarine torpedoes and is bristling with radar and sonar devices to guide its weapons and help with navigation. Lt Cdr West will be in charge of a crew of about 180, of which about 10 per cent are Wrens. Senior defence sources dismissed suggestions that the Navy had caved in to political correctness by appointing a woman to captain such a powerful ship. Instead, they said, she had seen off fierce competition from male officers to win the role on merit due to her ‘leadership, confidence, moral courage, sound judgment and excellent people skills.

Article in the Guardian in UK. with photo

Lt. Cdr. Sarah West First Woman to Command Front Line Warship

Article in The Daily Mail with better photo

More on Sarah West, Lt. Cdr, Royal Navy