nuclear leadership james o. ellis, jr. admiral, usn (ret) annenberg distinguished visiting fellow...

Nuclear Leadership Nuclear Leadership

James O. Ellis, Jr.Admiral, USN (Ret)

Annenberg Distinguished Visiting FellowThe Hoover Institution, Stanford University

President and CEO, INPO (Ret)[email protected]

August 26, 2014


Annenberg Distinguished Visiting FellowThe Hoover Institution, Stanford University


August 26, 2014

mailto:[email protected]


Nuclear Leadership Nuclear Leadership

• Creating A Culture for the Future: A Leaders Role

• Leadership in Crisis: Resilience and Responsibility

• Leadership Lessons: Observations of a Fellow Traveler

• Creating A Culture for the Future: A Leaders Role

• Leadership in Crisis: Resilience and Responsibility

• Leadership Lessons: Observations of a Fellow Traveler

Creating a Culture for the Future: A Leader’s Role


• Defining Culture: practices, values, shared experience and leadership

• Assessing Culture: a bit of a mystery but not a puzzle; resides “in the hearts and in the soul”

• Industry (and NRC) definition: “An organizations values and behaviors – modeled by its leaders and internalized by its members – that serve to make nuclear safety the overriding priority.”

• There may be many different cultures within a single large organization; the nuclear safety culture is a subset of the corporate culture.

• A good corporate culture does not guarantee a solid nuclear safety culture but it IS a requirement!

• Defining Culture: practices, values, shared experience and leadership

• Assessing Culture: a bit of a mystery but not a puzzle; resides “in the hearts and in the soul”

• Industry (and NRC) definition: “An organizations values and behaviors – modeled by its leaders and internalized by its members – that serve to make nuclear safety the overriding priority.”

• There may be many different cultures within a single large organization; the nuclear safety culture is a subset of the corporate culture.

• A good corporate culture does not guarantee a solid nuclear safety culture but it IS a requirement!



• How does one shape an organizational culture? Through six “embedding mechanisms” according to Dr. Schein 1. What do you systematically pay attention to? 2. How do you respond in time of crisis? (more later!) 3. What signals are sent, unintentionally or not during the budgeting process? 4. How does what you say compare to what you do? 5. What behaviors do you reward and punish? 6. Who do you recruit, promote and fire; what does that say about the organization’s values?

• How does one shape an organizational culture? Through six “embedding mechanisms” according to Dr. Schein 1. What do you systematically pay attention to? 2. How do you respond in time of crisis? (more later!) 3. What signals are sent, unintentionally or not during the budgeting process? 4. How does what you say compare to what you do? 5. What behaviors do you reward and punish? 6. Who do you recruit, promote and fire; what does that say about the organization’s values?



• Is the culture “Just”?

• How do we shape a culture and to what end? - Organizational: no carbon copies; must enable, motivate and inspire - Industry: bedrock foundation must be an unwavering commitment to nuclear safety

• What, after all, IS our role? - What only the LEADER can do - Setting of standards and expectations: THIS is who we are! - Like it or not, you are an elite and the price of greatness is responsibility.

• Is the culture “Just”?

• How do we shape a culture and to what end? - Organizational: no carbon copies; must enable, motivate and inspire - Industry: bedrock foundation must be an unwavering commitment to nuclear safety

• What, after all, IS our role? - What only the LEADER can do - Setting of standards and expectations: THIS is who we are! - Like it or not, you are an elite and the price of greatness is responsibility.

Leadership In Time of Crisis:Resilience and ResponsibilityLeadership In Time of Crisis:Resilience and Responsibility

• Here, too, you have an essential role and a number of specific responsibilities:

- Manage anxiety, don’t create it. - Always be brutally honest…and confident in a good outcome. - Be a closer; get things DONE! - Do not confuse management with leadership (more on this later!)

• Here, too, you have an essential role and a number of specific responsibilities:

- Manage anxiety, don’t create it. - Always be brutally honest…and confident in a good outcome. - Be a closer; get things DONE! - Do not confuse management with leadership (more on this later!)

Nuclear LeadershipNuclear Leadership



August 26, 2014



August 26, 2014



Leadership Lessons:Leadership Lessons:

“Observations of a Fellow Traveler”

“Observations of a Fellow Traveler”

LeadershipLeadership

•7 Observations7 Observations

•7 Characteristics7 Characteristics

•7 Observations7 Observations

•7 Characteristics7 Characteristics

Leadership ObservationsLeadership Observations

• Leadership is not management• It’s a (full) contact sport (and you are

already in the game!)• There is no single style• It’s always situational• It’s either good or bad • You never stop learning• You can lead by serving

• Leadership is not management• It’s a (full) contact sport (and you are

already in the game!)• There is no single style• It’s always situational• It’s either good or bad • You never stop learning• You can lead by serving

“The Seven C’s”“The Seven C’s”


• CommitmentCommitment


• CommitmentCommitment• CompetenceCompetence


• CommitmentCommitment• CompetenceCompetence• CredibilityCredibility


• CommitmentCommitment• CompetenceCompetence• CredibilityCredibility• CommunicationCommunication


• CommitmentCommitment• CompetenceCompetence• CredibilityCredibility• CommunicationCommunication• CompassionCompassion


• CommitmentCommitment• CompetenceCompetence• CredibilityCredibility• CommunicationCommunication• CompassionCompassion• CourageCourage


• CommitmentCommitment• CompetenceCompetence• CredibilityCredibility• CommunicationCommunication• CompassionCompassion• CourageCourage• CloserCloser

Date of Presentation INLEP Module 1 19

How am I doing?How am I doing?

How will I really know?How will I really know?

“Out of intense complexities, intense simplicities emerge.”

Sir Winston Churchill

“There are simple answers. There are just no easy answers.”

Ronald Reagan


“Do the right thing and do it now.”

Jim Ellis

When all else fails:


THANK YOU!

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Nuclear LeadershipNuclear Leadership



August 26, 2014



August 26, 2014



nuclear leadership james o. ellis, jr. admiral, usn (ret) annenberg distinguished visiting fellow...

Documents

organizational culture

solid nuclear safety

good corporate culture

leaders role leadership

nuclear leadership james

organizations values

fellow traveler slide

visiting fellow