What my career in the Navy taught me about surviving high-pressure situations

When you’re in a submarine, if something goes wrong and the alarms start flashing red, staying cool, calm and collected is crucial. There’s no outside help – it’s just you and your shipmates alone in the deep, dark sea.

Everyone needs to quickly understand their role and having complete trust in one another is key to survival. In these high-stakes situations, there’s no margin for error. This principle is just as relevant in the business world too.

Stay calm in all weather conditions

Modern businesses can often experience difficult situations and challenging scenarios and leaders must constantly strike for the right balance in these highly pressured situations.

Whatever the scenario, it’s important for leaders to stay calm, consider all options available, and provide them to their team. Maintaining composure at a leadership level will enable employees to keep calm too and implement a resolution step by step. By cutting out all the noise, it will help them to address and resolve the problem more quickly and efficiently.

Provide clear, unified objectives

Having a clear set of goals, objectives, and what you are trying to achieve in your department or line of business is fundamental to making sure everyone in the team are aligned and working towards the same business outcomes. The lessons and skills I’ve learned from the Navy have influenced my leadership style, and by encouraging employees to focus on their strengths during high-impact critical situations, it will help them feel empowered, confident and prepared for all scenarios.

By the way of an example, organisations across industries – from healthcare to finance and manufacturing – rely heavily on technology for their mission-critical operations. By having a comprehensive contingency plan in place for any potential technology challenges and using unified observability, AIOps and application acceleration technologies, organisations can significantly minimise their impact, maintain continuity, and recover their most critical business operations and processes swiftly.

Create psychological safety for employees

On a Navy ship, in high pressured situation, it’s essential for every crew member to feel safe in voicing their concerns, sharing information, and offering solutions and ideas without fear of being criticized. This trust is built through rigorous training and a culture that promotes open, honest and direct communication.

Similarly, in business, fostering psychological safety is crucial. When employees feel confident, they can speak up without fear of criticism and they are more likely to collaborate effectively, share innovative ideas, and tackle problems proactively, with little or no guidance and supervision. This culture of trust enables teams to operate with agility and resilience, especially during high-pressured situations.

Leaders play a key role in this process. While it may be tempting to intervene immediately when problems arise, it’s important to step back and empower teams to find solutions independently.

By giving employees the space and trust to resolve issues, leaders not only build confidence but also foster a sense of ownership. When employees feel they have the autonomy to address challenges, they are more likely to remain calm and proactive, contributing to more effective and sustainable problem-solving.

Be adaptable when a business changes course

Whether in a submarine or the boardroom, adaptability is key. In the Navy, situations can change rapidly – weather conditions shift, equipment malfunctions or new information emerges. The ability to remain flexible and adjust course quickly is critical. It’s about focusing on solutions rather than getting caught up in the problem itself; weighing up your options is key.

The same is true in business. Market conditions, customer needs, and technology trends are constantly evolving, and organisations need to be ready to pivot when necessary. Leaders who keep their emotions in check and maintain a clear focus on actionable steps can guide their teams through uncertainty with confidence.

For instance, if a company faces a sudden market shift that requires changing its product strategy, an adaptable leader evaluates the new circumstances and makes swift, informed decisions. This might mean reallocating resources, upskilling team members, or exploring alternative approaches to meet the company’s goals.

By staying solution-focused and setting a clear direction, leaders can keep their teams motivated and aligned. This ensures the organisation remains resilient and responsive, no matter how the course ahead may change.