As a submarine engineer, you carry a huge amount of responsibility for ensuring absolute safety, quality and operation to time critical demands – all these things are paramount and support continuous at-sea deterrent (CASD) and nuclear submarine tasking. A vessel must leave port on schedule, but your job is to make sure it does safely with full capability.
To achieve this, it’s vital you work as a team, pulling on each other's strengths and covering any weaknesses. You’re often away from port for long periods of time in a small tube, underwater and in inhospitable places, so there’s a high level of comradery that you’ll never experience anywhere else. Every submariner must qualify in all subordinate positions to their own and achieve the same basic standard of submarine operating knowledge, which means we all have a basis of understanding that drives professionalism and trust in one another to deliver and support each other.
That trust, support and recognition of each other are what I strive to bring to my teams within Rolls-Royce. If you work together collaboratively in this way, you can build trust and give colleagues the confidence to follow your lead.
I tend to consider my role as both a privilege and as simple – I’m here to create the space for the teams supporting our vital work and to do this to the best of their abilities – to excel. After all, in the vast majority of cases, they know their skillset area better than I do. As a leader, I try to be clear from the outset. I demand and challenge a lot but always strive to do this in a way that’s empathetic and supportive. If you provide them with the right tools, support and clarity of purpose, people can achieve exceptional things.