Atmosphere at Second Hand

Finally, I always go to sea as a sailor, because of the wholesome exercise and pure air of the fore-castle deck. For as in this world, head winds are far more prevalent than winds from astern (that is, if you never violate the Pythagorean maxim), so for the most part the Commodore on the quarter-deck gets his atmosphere at second hand from the sailors on the forecastle. He thinks he breathes it first; but not so. In much the same way do the commonalty lead their leaders in many other things, at the same time that the leaders little suspect it. M.D.

I work as a manager, which many people see as a sucker's job. I can't say they're wrong. As a manager, your life is not your own.You are prey to the vicissitudes of fickle clients, temperamental workers, sociopath executives, bumbling vendors, and cutthroat competitors. Now, call yourself a "leader" (or, better yet, get someone else to call you one), and your pedigree improves by several levels on the instant. Alas, that distinction is mostly a conceit, as are the titles that often come with it (director, VP, SVP, COO, CEO). Whatever the epaulets they bear, leaders must keep in mind they tend to get their "atmosphere at second hand," as Melville says of the Commodore. Yes, sometimes they're the first to learn and decide critical things, but they're also sometimes the last to know, getting wind of them second or third hand (or however many hands you have on deck.)

The word "scuttlebutt" is still used in countless offices throughout the world, but most don't realize the term was invented on sailing ships. That is, potable water was stored in a cask, also called a butt, on deck for the crew. They put a hole in the cask so people could more easily draw water from it. You probably already know that "to scuttle" something means to "cut a hole into," usually for the purpose of sinking a boat or ship. The crew would spend idle moments around the scuttled butt having a drink, chatting, regaling and gossiping about others.  So, even today rumor-mongers spread scuttlebutt around the office. In my experience, these stories are sometimes true, often false, and most often some sort of unholy trinity of truth, error and spiteful or wishful conjecture.

But we digress. The point is that the captain often finds out things well after the sailors on the forecastle know. The wise leader does not "little suspect" this, as Melville says. He or she knows this fact right down to the toes and tries to get the best atmosphere he or she can. An occasional jaunt to the forecastle can't hurt. Let's call this Leadership Lesson 1 from The Whale.