Lessons in Leadership

UNITED STATES

06.01.2020

Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Sophie Pinkham 

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69)   

On the morning of May 31, flight deck jerseys of all colors decorated the Five Star classroom aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). Sprinkled among the blue, red and bright yellow shirts stood colleagues, fellow shipmates and Ike’s chain of command to witness a rare promotion. Chief Warrant Officer 5 Wilfrid Bossous said he felt the same way on this day as he felt every other time he promoted: humbled.
During his 28-year career in the Navy, Bossous obtained a wealth of knowledge about leadership to pass on to the next generation.
“As a blue shirt, and when I was a first class petty officer, I really did not care about the next person,” said Bossous. “Going up [in rank] it’s dog-eat-dog, it’s all about you trying to get to the next level.”
One of the biggest lessons he learned was to care about people.
As a chief, Bossous was standing a mid-watch when his second class asked him if he was okay to talk to because normally he goes in the opposite direction of Bossous when he sees him in the passageways. Bossous believes that’s when he started caring more about how a Sailor is doing: how their family is, if they’re on track for their next promotion and what their goals are.
“That got me to think about the entire picture of a Sailor,” said Bossous. “Imagine you need the help of a chief, and the first person you saw was me, and because of my mean, unapproachable face you turn around.”
Bossous works out of his office right off of crash’s shack, and is in charge of all air department’s training, to include crash and salvage’s, cultivating a close working relationship with crash’s members.
Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Krystal Lance was temporarily assigned to work in the wardroom when Bossous found out she was going to be a member of the crash and salvage team. He stopped her in the middle of cleaning to introduce himself and ask why she wanted to join the crash team.
“He told me not to tell him what I think he wanted to hear,” said Lance. “He’s the type of person who wants to hear what you really feel and what you’re really thinking, so I told him it was for the adrenaline.”
Bossous then explained to Lance that the job is hard, but very honorable. Every time he came to the wardroom after that he always made sure Lance was doing okay and that she was working hard. He made sure she kept up with everything going on on the flight deck, and if there was general quarters, he expected her to be there.
Lance explained that Bossous has high expectations for all his Sailors, but his high expectations were because he saw their potential and wanted them to be the best version of themselves.
Learning to care about the Sailors around him is a lesson Bossous said he wishes he learned much earlier in his career, because he believes if he takes care of his Sailors, that his Sailors will take care of him.
“Every promotion after first class petty officer is because of the sweat off Sailors’ backs,” said Bossous. “You make chief because a Sailor did their job to get us to that level. We get commissioned because a Sailor did their job and made us look good and got us commissioned.”
Bossous takes care of his Sailors, and in return they’re concerned with how he’s doing as well.
“He’s always wondering why we’re always asking him if he’s okay,” said Lance. “It’s just because he does the same for us. He does take care of us, and we’ll take care of him no matter what he needs, we’re there for him.”
Bossous’ preferred style of leadership is what he calls “servant leadership.”
“You have to be willing to see the good in people,” said Bossous. “You have to be able to inspire, which is still servanthood— to be able to see what [Sailors] don’t see in themselves.”
More junior Sailors might have a hard time believing in their own potential, but a leader or a mentor should be able to help a Sailor visualize the lengths their potential can take them, Bossous said. He always asks Lance what she wants to do with her career.
“I want to be a boatswain, and he gave me everything I would ever need to become a boatswain because he sees the potential [in me],” said Lance. “He says he doesn’t waste his time on people, and he says that working here he knows he’s not wasting his time when he’s talking to somebody and encouraging somebody to do more in their career or personal life.”
Bossous encouraged leaders to look deeper than rank or status of a Sailor, but to see who they really are.
“It’s not age, rank, origin, or complexion,” said Bossous. “What matters is can you do your job? That is the only thing that a leader needs answered from a Sailor. Can you do your job?”
Bossous explained that the uniform a Sailor wears or how long a Sailor has been in the Navy isn’t indicative of how much of a leader they are.
“I want you to wear the uniform, I don’t want the uniform to wear you,” stated Bossous. “You are the same person out of your mother’s womb as you’re going to be 6 ft under. So be that person, and be the best version of that person that you can be.”
As a junior Sailor pinned the CWO5 rank onto Bossous’ freshly pressed khaki collar, it was a symbolic moment that the junior Sailors he’s led and supported helped him achieve the uncommon rank of CWO5 in return.
The words “leadership starts with you” painted on crash and salvage’s door is an empowering reminder that anyone of any rank can lead.
“It doesn’t matter what your rank is, every day you have opportunities to learn from something, someone or a situation,” said Bossous. “Do you give them something that they aspire to follow? That’s how I characterize leadership.”

• Date Taken: 06.01.2020
• Date Posted: 12.31.2020 17:28
• Story ID: 386316
• Location: US