Character has not changed. From the advent of the Navy in 1775 to the mass popularization of social media in the early 2000s, leadership and character have been demonstrated through orders passed at morning quarters, conversations exchanged on the deckplates, and maritime proficiency in the pilothouse. Connectivity, however, offers sailors new ways to perceive and assess the character of their leaders. Social media posting, video sharing, blogging, and dating app use all fuel the image a leader projects.1 While traditional naval routines and responsibilities still exist in the modern Navy, junior and senior officers alike—faced with the increasing societal pressure to post, like, and swipe—must carefully navigate the ever-changing digital landscape to showcase the solid character that underpins sound leadership.
From Quarters to Queries
“Auxiliary Division, attention to quarters!” ordered Machinist Mate First Class Reid, the division’s leading petty officer (LPO). “At ease. Good morning A-Gang!” said Lieutenant (j.g.) Smith.
“As you all know, I am starting the turnover process and am transferring to the Spruance in December. Please give a warm welcome to your new division officer, Ensign Taylor.”
On the surface, the morning quarters depicted above are the same as they would have been 20 years ago. Simply put, the division stands in formation and awaits the arrival of the auxiliary officer (AUXO) and chief. The prospective AUXO, who recently checked on board, is then introduced to his or her new division.2 If the encounters were truly the same, however, Ensign Taylor would be making his first impression in person during this exchange. The difference is that unlike a division in the year 2000, a 2021 division typically establishes a solid first impression of new leaders before they even step on board. Sailors will query the internet for a new leader’s information long before his or her first appearance at morning quarters. As a matter of fact, in the example above, the division knows more about Ensign Taylor than they could have gathered from an entire sea tour before social media.
Despite strict privacy settings across his various social media accounts, it is possible Ensign Taylor and one of his sailors had a mutual Facebook friend, which was enough for the division to learn about their new division officer’s political views, favorite hangout spots, relationship history, social interests, and trip to New Orleans last March to celebrate Mardi Gras.
Normalizing Accessibility
The accessibility of an officer’s information through social media can change the leadership dynamic and, in some cases, even call the officer’s character into question. To begin understanding how connectivity challenges character, shifting societal norms should be taken into consideration.
Even just a few years ago, access to Ensign Taylor’s personal information would have seemed far-fetched. Junior officers today, however, should not be surprised that they have made their first impression well before meeting their sailors face-to-face. Although privacy settings have become more advanced—and arguably more secure—in recent years, societal norms have placed increased emphasis on the importance of connecting with new people. Accumulating likes and participating in the numerous facets of social platforms such as stories, mentions, and groups is the norm. This expectation of openness is at odds with privacy. In turn, an officer’s personal affairs—details that otherwise would not have been shared with subordinates—are exposed.
On a fundamental level, human nature dictates that we seek acceptance from the group, value stability, and empathize best with those to whom we relate the most.3 Similarly, the way sailors interact while on board has remained fairly unchanged over the years, especially when wireless access to personal devices is limited at sea. The principles of human interaction remain constant through social platforms to a certain extent, though in forms that are difficult to recognize. An equivalent of “swiping right” on a dating app, for example, might be giving someone of interest a compliment in person. Posting is in some ways akin to looking through old photos with friends on the couch. People generally behave in accordance with socially acceptable practices, whether in a virtual or in-person setting.4 The biggest change presented by connectivity is the accessibility of information itself.
Not surprisingly, information spreads quickly on ships. From the original frigates to the floating cities called aircraft carriers, word spreads quicker on board vessels than in most civilian workplaces and social circles. Information travels even quicker online, moving from coast to coast in mere fractions of a second.5 Combining the two means of information transport is as thorough as following an all-hands call with a 1MC announcement to put out the same message; sailors will get the point one way or another (or both). The primary issue is that gossip is generally passed in greater frequency than other topics, and, whether true or exaggerated, can lead to questions regarding an individual’s character.6 If nothing gossip-worthy is observed in person, a second opportunity exists in cyberspace to catch such occurrences. Thus, the challenge for leaders becomes maintaining consistency of character both on board and online.
How Connectivity and Character Collide
Officers are constantly reminded that “perception is reality.”7 Furthermore, character is widely accepted as a prerequisite for effective leadership.8 Leaders must ask themselves, Are conventional ideals about the preservation of character enough in the modern Navy during an era of connectivity? Even if leaders stick to their guns and do what is right when no one is looking, and stay true to themselves in the face of temptation and opposition, does upstanding character itself guarantee credibility when stacked against the reputation risks of connectivity? Perhaps one could just disconnect entirely.
clear their social media “friendship” expectation to their subordinates to eliminate
any gray areas. Credit: Shutterstock
Unfortunately, social media is so embedded in today’s culture that the absence of a social presence can raise eyebrows. As a result, military leaders cannot be expected to avoid participation altogether. At the same time, and despite the adage “Don’t post anything you wouldn’t want your mother to see,” there are countless examples of societally acceptable posts that could still lead to assumptions regarding character. A seemingly innocent post with a few friends standing on the streets of New Orleans during Mardi Gras is one example. What happened after the photo was taken? Is this officer a heavy drinker? What kinds of people does he associate with? Even the mere existence of a dating profile can lead to endless questions and judgments. The question we as military leaders must ask then becomes, Are we simply in a lose-lose situation?
The challenges connectivity poses to the modern naval officer are in their infancy, yet so prone to rapid change that few naval leadership publications, courses, or seminars have been able to thoroughly articulate the issues while pinpointing best practices and solutions. “Be responsible on social media,” “Use common sense,” and “Don’t break OPSEC” are frequently stated in Navy-wide PowerPoint presentations; however, this advice fails to substantively address the character and leadership hurdles posed by new technology.9
In most cases—despite the challenges introduced by increased connectivity—upstanding character will shine through and work hand-in-hand with great leadership. One cannot discount the possibility, however, that connectivity could tip the scale to the detriment of a leader. To mitigate this possibility, connectivity requires the same good order and discipline that has been instrumental to past mission successes.
Success must start with today’s naval officers obligating themselves to take connectivity seriously and working to minimize the risks associated with connectivity while strengthening their character and others’ perceptions of it. To do so, leaders must gain technical proficiency, promote a clear understanding among subordinates, and maintain consistency on and offline.
Naval officers have a vested interest in understanding how social media works on a technical and practical level. A common misconception regarding social media is that by not having a social presence, individuals can avoid wasted time, lost energy, and risks to their reputations. If leaders are unable to understand and use social media responsibly, however, they will not be able to lead the majority of their sailors as effectively.10 Social network technical acumen and experience are essential to advise sailors of the pitfalls, information breaches, and best practices in a way that resonates and is practical. Just as commanding officers use their own understanding of the nuances of ship driving to train future officers of the deck, they also should be able to show through example and action how to responsibly use social media. All officers need to learn how to demonstrate the strength of their character in a virtual setting.
Coexisting with Connectivity
Social accounts were made to be social—to facilitate sharing and connecting, social platforms link phone numbers to accounts. The result is that an individual in someone’s phone contacts will likely appear under “suggested friends” in social media applications. In the Navy, sailors and officers are encouraged to have each other’s phone numbers for contact purposes and in case of emergency. With social media linked to cellular devices, there is a high likelihood senior officers and subordinates will stumble on each other’s profiles. While both parties likely have seen the other’s profile, mentioning this occurrence would be strange in person. Good leaders must address this elephant in the room.
To avoid ambiguity, the best practice for new division officers is to present their personal policy regarding social media upfront. Surprisingly, this conversation rarely takes place in the Navy today at the divisional level. Officers must acknowledge their own use of social media, draw the senior-subordinate line for friend requests and “follows,” and set the expectation for their division or department to represent themselves smartly. In doing so, they can address any gray areas, whether on board or online. The officers are not prohibiting social media use or setting an unrealistic expectation for their divisions, but rather are addressing gray areas and articulating clear behavioral guidelines.
People are naturally curious, and sailors are no exception. The likelihood that at least one sailor within a division will research a new division officer before his or her arrival is incredibly high. Despite advanced privacy settings, tech-savvy individuals on social media can learn a lot about new additions to the command with a few clicks and keystrokes. Therefore leaders should ensure a heightened level of consistency between what they would be willing to openly discuss on board and the content they post online.
If an officer regularly goes to nightclubs yet avoids discussing these weekend outings with subordinates, he or she may want to avoid posting about it online too. On the other hand, an officer with an affinity for fishing might post the “catch of the day” online and later discuss the best fishing spots with subordinates. Unlike the first example, the second officer displays consistency between his or her personality on board and activity online.
Connectivity and social media use will continue to change with shifting societal norms. Naval leaders can succeed online by understanding the intricacies of social media, clearly articulating their stance to subordinates, and maintaining consistency between life on board and online. These practices will minimize the risk that connectivity will work against them and maximize the opportunity for their character to shine through in both ship spaces and cyberspace.
1. Hannah Schacter, “Love Me Tinder: A Psychological Perspective on Swiping,” Psychology In Action, 16 April 2015.
2. LT William L. Brackin, USN, “Appendix I of Naval Orientation,” Naval Glossary (NAVEDTRA, July 1991).
3. Nigel Nicholson, “How Hardwired Is Human Behavior?” Harvard Business Review, 1 August 2014.
4. Dar Meshi et al., “The Emerging Neuroscience of Social Media,” Trends in Cognitive Sciences 19, no. 12 (2015): 771–82.
5. Jeff Hecht, “The Bandwidth Bottleneck that Is Throttling the Internet,” Nature 536 (2016): 139–42.
6. Freda-Marie Hartung et al., “Better Than Its Reputation? Gossip and the Reasons Why We and Individuals With ‘Dark’ Personalities Talk About Others,” Frontiers in Psychology 29 (May 2019).
7. Christof Koch, “Looks Can Deceive: Why Perception and Reality Don’t Always Match Up,” Scientific American 1 (July 2010).
8. ADM James M. Loy, USCG (Ret.), and Dr. Ira Martin, “Developing Leaders of Character,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings 143, no. 8 (August 2017).
9. Staff Writer, “Navy New OPSEC Policy,” Military.com, 26 December 2016.
10. Gary L. Boykin and Valerie J. Rice, “Exploring the Use of Technology among U.S. Military Service Members and Veterans,” Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting 59, no. 1 (2015): 869–73
