Ten seconds

I've mentioned Admiral Arleigh Burke a few times in the past (see my posts, "You know what to do..." and "We rely upon your ability...you know what to do").  Admiral Burke had a distinguished career in the United States Navy, retiring in 1961 after nearly 40 years on active duty.  He served as the Chief of Naval Operations under both Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy, and an Aegis-guided missile destroyer DDG-51 (USS Arleigh Burke) was , commissioned in his honor in 1991only the fourth time a US Navy vessel was named after a living person.  

Admiral Burke famously once said, "The difference between a good officer and a poor one is about ten seconds."  He first uttered those profound words shortly after taking over command of Destroyer Squadron 23 (the "Little Beavers") in October 1943, while fighting in the Pacific Theater of World War II.  He came to the conclusion of his "10 second rule" while studying the Battle of Tassafaronga, a battle that took place on November 30, 1942 between the U.S. Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy during the Guadalcanal Campaign.  A U.S. Navy force of five cruisers and four destroyers under the command of Rear Admiral Carleton H. Wright intercepted eight Japanese destroyers attempting to deliver food to their military forces on the island of Guadalcanal.  However, the tactical advantage due to the element of surprise was quickly lost when the U.S. destroyers were forced to wait for four minutes after radar contact for permission to launch their torpedoes from the commanding officer.  After obtaining permission to fire, the U.S. destroyers did sink one Japanese destroyer, but the delay caused most of the torpedoes to miss and the muzzle flashes exposed their position.  The element of surprise was lost.  The Japanese destroyers, commanded by Rear Admiral Raizō Tanaka, quickly launched their Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes, sinking one US cruiser and heavily damaging three others. The Japanese forces escaped undamaged, but they were unable to complete their supply mission.  The battle is often considered one of the worst defeats in the history of the U.S. Navy (behind only the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Salvo Island, which also occurred during the Guadalcanal Campaign).

The Japanese "Long Lance" torpedo could (and did) outperform any weapon that the U.S. Navy had in their possession.  They were faster, deadlier, and had a longer range than the U.S. Navy's own Mark XV torpedo.  However, the U.S. Navy's radar systems were more advanced, giving them the ability to detect enemy ships at a range of just over 15 miles.  But this would only be an advantage if the front-line commanders were empowered to act without having to obtain permission from their superior officers (as was the case in the Battle of Tassafaronga).  Admiral Burke fully believed in and embraced the concept of mission command, a concept that is similar to that of the High Reliability Organization (HRO) concept of deference to expertise.  I have posted about mission command a number of times in the past (see, most recently, "Autonomy and Alignment", "Do not command more than necessary..." and "Improvise, Overcome, and Adapt").  Admiral Burke told his superior officer at the time, Rear Admiral Aaron Merrill, "I want you to have enough faith to let me get going on doctrine the moment I make enemy contact, and without first getting permission from you."  Admiral Merrill gave his consent, and Admiral Burke trained his team to the "10 second" standard.  The rest, they say is history.

While leaders today likely aren't in the position of having to fight in combat, the "10 second rule" and the concept of "mission command" are just as applicable to leadership in today's VUCA world.  Not every decision has to be made under critical time constraints, but many decisions do have to be made quickly.  I do think that Admiral Burke's "10 second rule" is an important leadership skill and is essential to high performance.  And just as Admiral Burke said, the difference between good leaders and great leaders is about 10 seconds!