A rigid leader is usually unwilling to adapt to new information
Rigidity is whereby a leader is stiff and unyielding to different situations. A rigid leader is usually unwilling to adapt to new information or conditions or changing times. Mr. Modly address to the sailors about the Theodor Roosevelt shows that he is rigid. Mr. Modly has his set of beliefs that he firmly abides by and is not willing to consider the unique conditions that Captain Crozier faced aboard the ship. In his address, Mr. Modly states, “And I’m gonna tell you something, all of you. There is never a situation where you should consider the media a part of your chain of command” ( Package 2, p.2). Even though his sentiments may be well-meaning, it reveals that he is not very flexible. It is this inflexibility that prompted Mr. Modly to sack Captain Crozier without consideration for the unique circumstances that Captain Crozier was dealing with on the ship.
The other bad leadership trait shown by Mr. Modly is callousness. Callousness is whereby the leader is uncaring or unkind. A callous leader tends to ignore the needs, wants, and wishes of most members of the organization that they are in charge of. Mr. Modly does not show much concern for Captain Crozier, who was still a Navy officer when he says that Captain Crozier was either “naïve or stupid” (Package 2, p. 1). These words were unkind and shows that Mr. Modly did not care much for Captain Crozier, and yet as the Secretary, he was still mandated to take care of the Navy. It is this harsh language regarding Captain Crozier that makes the sailors apprehensive about his sentiments.
Mr. Modly’s speech aboard the Theodore Roosevelt displayed a lack of the virtue of self- control. Throughout the speech, Mr Modly speech shows signs that he is irate and angry and he struggles to hide it from the shipmates. During the speech, he even uses profanity-laden language. While discussing the issue of fear over the coronavirus, he says that “if this ship was in combat and there were hypersonic missiles coming at it, you’d be pretty BLEEP scared too.” The use of profanity at such an important address shows little self-control
Mr. Modly’s behavior also shows a lack of the virtue of compassion. Even though Mr. Modly shows a clear attachment to the Navy and benevolence towards the lives of the shipmates, his words show a lack of empathy. Compassion is a concern for the suffering of others. Mr. Modly, however, does not acknowledge that the shipmates were genuinely afraid of their lives. Even at such a time, his message for the shipmates is that they do their jobs. Mr. Modly does not take into account the emotions of the sailors as he speaks to them.
Mr. Modly’s behavior, however, shows the virtue of fidelity to the Navy. Mr Modly action and talk shows that he very faithful to the Navy and wants to support the members of the ship during the crisis. This is evidenced in the fact that he visited the ship during the crisis to see for himself the state of the ship and the sailors aboard it. Mr. Modly says that his mission as the Secretary is to ensure that the sailors are “healthy, get you clean, and get you back on this ship where you are supposed to be” (Package Two, p. 2). This shows that Mr. Modly has the best interests of the Navy at heart, and even though his decisions may have been unfair, he has a high fidelity towards the Navy.
C
I agree with Mr. Modly’s decision to resign. From a public relations perspective, Mr. Modly’s actions had cast a bad image for the Navy. His efforts toward Captain Crozier relayed the message that the Navy was not compassionate to its members. Given the situation of the crisis, the scandal was a distraction to everybody, and by resigning, Mr. Modly allowed the scandal to settle and realigned the focus of the Navy and the Press to the pressing issue of the coronavirus.