Leadership @ sea: Essential non-technical skills

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to suggest a taxonomy of the non-technical skills that are relevant for maritime leadership. The empirical basis is approximately fifty interviews with crewmembers on three different tankers. The theories of high reliability organizations (HROs) and of transformational leadership, in addition to similar work completed for the aviation industry provided input. The suggested taxonomy involves five categories: authority, cooperation, mindfulness, decision-making and communication. The categories are described using different elements. The categories and elements need further validation, and there is a need to explore how such skills can be strengthened and tested in a maritime setting.