Damn the Torpedoes!: Applying the Navy's Leadership Principles to Business

Within the first sixty seconds of his induction to the U.S. Naval Academy, Midshipman Fraser was posed with a question to which he answered, I don t know. This quickly proved to be an unacceptable answer in the Navy, regardless of the question. While doing the requisite push-ups that followed, he learned that there were only four ways to respond to a question or an order: No excuse, sir, I ll find out, sir, Yes/no sir, and Aye-aye, sir. From these four responses Fraser learned the four key concepts to being an effective leader afloat or ashore: accountability, thinking ahead, ethics, and motivation.

"Damn the Torpedoes " offers concrete advice for leading in the work place giving step-by-step recommendations to encourage readers into adopting this different way of approaching leadership. Providing a fresh and unconventional perspective, Captain Fraser gives personal and historic examples about the leadership traits of ship captains and suggests how leaders in any organization may adapt them to make their careers and businesses successful.
According to Fraser, these four key leadership concepts are the basic principles necessary to prevent organizational chaos best summed up by a "Wall Street Journal" editorial on leadership at sea and ashore: When men lose confidence and trust in those who lead, order disintegrates into chaos and purposeful ships into uncontrollable derelicts. "