So Captain Owen Honors of the USS Enterprise (seriously, Hollywood couldn’t do better with these names!) has found himself in hot water over some ridiculous video’s he shot back in 2006. Cap’n Honors torpedoed his 25 year naval career when video’s featured crude humour, foul language and sexual innuendo surfaced last week. The videos were shown as a “morale boosting” effort to the 5000 or so officers on board the Enterprise. Honors has been relieved of his command for showing “lack of judgment” (do you think?!). What’s not clear is why video’s that were shot 4 years ago are only now causing his head to roll.
Since shooting the initial videos, Honors was promoted from second in command on the Enterprise (when the video’s were shown) through several key posts until his most recent position of top dog of the Enterprise. Captain Honors “XO Movie Nights” were well-known within and outside of the navy, and yet his superiors did nothing about it… except apparently promote him.
Honors would probably still be sitting pretty if the video’s hadn’t been leaked, but now that they have it left me to wonder: what’s the responsibility of those in senior leadership positions around this situation? If you are aware that someone is exercising poor judgment by shooting Jackass style idiotic video’s… shouldn’t you, as their boss, do something about it?
Personally, something stinks about this situation. I’m not saying Honors shouldn’t be relieved of his duties. I don’t care what your “cultural norms” are in your workplace… there’s never room for derogatory or demeaning remarks. However, in my opinion, Cap’n Honors head isn’t the only one that should be rolling on this issue.
As a leader, if you have direct reports that are pulling stupid stunts like this, it’s your responsibility to put an end to it immediately… not four years down the road… and not after multiple promotions. Ridiculous. Another lesson for the “how not to do it” files.
Happy leading.
