Although it is difficult to separate fact from speculation right now, the evidence would appear to suggest that, after the Costa Concordia ran aground, its captain, Francesco Schettino, did not react well.
First of all, he seemed to go into denial, before apparently falling to pieces, abandoning ship before his passengers and having to be ordered back on board by the coastguard.
While all of the facts of the case have yet to emerge, this is a tragic story for everyone concerned.
But it appears to be almost beyond belief that a highly qualified and experienced mariner could ‘fall to pieces’ in the crisis that ensued when the ship hit the rocks on Giglio Island. Although he may indeed have panicked, as a report in The Guardian suggested, surely we might have expected more from someone of his seniority and with his level of responsibility?
In reality, however, how easy is it really to predict how someone will respond under extreme pressure? And what can HR leaders do to support those responsible when an organisation is in crisis?
Compare the Costa Concordia story with that of Captain Chesley Sullenberger, a pilot whose plane hit a flock of birds after taking off from La Guardia airport last year. Within two minutes, he decided to bring the aircraft down to land on the Hudson River, saving all 155 crew and passengers in the process.
Pilot personalities
So what factors might have contributed to the very different ways in which the two men apparently reacted?
Interestingly, airlines test pilots very rigorously before they hire them to establish what personality type they are. They look at each individual’s ability to manage anxiety, how conformist they are and whether they have leadership, assertiveness and team-working skills.
On the one hand, they require their employees to be robust and able to cope with high levels of stress. On the other, they do not want them to be mavericks or ‘out-there’, big personalities, but prefer them to conform to more rigid behavioural patterns.
Counter-intuitively, military pilots often fail these tests because they are too ‘creative’ and individualistic in their decision-making – a very different profile from that required in passenger aviation.
Critically, however, successful airline candidates also have to show that they would be able to challenge the authority of a senior captain, accept criticism themselves and, ultimately, work co-operatively as part of a team.
Compare this with what information we have about Captain Schettino. We know that he did not take the Costa Concordia on its normal route due to a decision to hold a ‘wave-past’ for people on the island of Giglio – although he now says that his employer told him to do so.
Narcissistic tendencies
There are reports that he was drinking and socialising that fateful night and that he appeared to leave the ship before a full evacuation took place. Schettino also allegedly lied to the coastguard about the situation on the damaged ship initially, before being ordered back on board to co-ordinate the passenger evacuation.
What is intriguing about the situation is that, while many passengers seemed to adore him, there were some apparently telling quotes from colleagues, albeit after the event. These included: “He may have the odd little character problem, although nothing has ever been reported formally” and “He was seen as being a little hard on his colleagues. He liked to be in the limelight.”
At a guess, we might assume that Schettino has demonstrated some of the traits of a narcissistic personality – he has been described as being larger than life, charismatic and “a swashbuckler with an excess of charm”. But narcissistic personalities can also be prone to impulsive behaviour, trying out new things and performing for an audience in order to draw attention to themselves.
In fact, in an interview last year, Schettino reportedly told a Czech journalist: “I enjoy moments when something unpredictable happens; when you can diverge a bit from standard procedures.”
So it could be that his personality simply made him the wrong person to be in charge when the ship hit the rocks – which, while a highly unusual event, was one that had life-and-death consequences.
This scenario raises the question of what the process had been for promoting him to the rank of ship’s captain and what mechanisms were in place for assessing his suitability for the role? Also what procedures were there to enable colleagues to bring any issues over his leadership style or ability to the attention of his employers before tragedy struck?
Reining in trouble
A common problem, of course, is that, unlike airline pilots, too many people move into leadership positions by working their way up through the organisation. But the higher up they go, the less they tend to be scrutinised in any detail, let alone assessed for leadership skills specific to their role.
And it is a truism that the more senior people become, the less they focus on detail, the less development and training they receive and the less people are willing to provide them with honest feedback.
So what can be done about this troublesome situation? All of us know one or two narcissists in leadership positions, whose charismatic personalities bring vim and verve to the environment but, when left to run unchecked, can generate problems.
Research suggests that HR directors should deal with narcissistic leaders by:
- Providing them with a trusted sidekick to offset their negative traits and communicate more effectively, especially in a crisis
- Reducing their power by restricting their role or sharing decision-making with other individuals or groups
- Implementing 360 degree feedback mechanisms in order to obtain regular anonymous feedback – information gained in crisis rehearsals and following crisis situations can be used to monitor and re-examine the behaviour of those in critical leadership positions.
- Offering in-house counselling or coaching to provide them with an opportunity to understand their own behaviour and possibly change it – maybe before being permanently removed from the organisation.
So the lesson here is that, although it may not be possible to predict what leaders will do in a crisis, it is possible to keep a check on them – even those at the top of the ladder – to ensure that they are best placed to cope with whatever life and work throws at them.
Jo Ayoubi, founder and director of 360 degree software and services provider, Track Surveys.
