Our Deck Plate Leader of the week Chief Petty Officer Christopher Lynch, a marine sciences technician from U.S. Coast Guard Sector Mobile!
Chief Lynch always acts in accordance with honor, respect, and devotion to duty. He continually works to better the people he works with and consistently grows partnerships through federal, state, and local agencies. He continually goes above and beyond for each function he performs to improve the Coast Guard as a whole, which was evident in his response to the motor vessel Transgulf where he created a 24 hour on-scene watch to prevent 15,000 gallons of diesel from discharging into Mobile Bay.
Lynch participates in all Chief Mess functions and goes above and beyond to mentor, develop, and assist junior personnel. He conducts weekly training with members to improve their base level knowledge. He looks for “C”-schools that will be applicable for members’ improved knowledge, and provides the mentality for members to crawl, walk, and run. This leadership tactics ensures his people get their basis of understanding and continue to grow their breadth of knowledge to take on and handle more complex situations.
“A good Chief is one who leads from the front. Someone who will always be a mentor to those around him or her. A leader will truly do the right thing when there is no one around. A good Chief will take the time to listen to those around them and genuinely cares about the individual. Someone who is not steadfast in their ways but willing to try new ideas. A good Chief always looks out for the people around them making sure they are learning and sharpening skills. In addition, a good Chief is always there to help their people with any and all issues when no one else will. A good Chief holds self and others accountable for their mistakes and praises them for their accomplishments. The Chief’s subordinates get the praise for jobs well done and the good Chief accepts subordinate’s failures as their own.”
Advice for junior members?
“You need to personally take control of your career. I didn’t get to where I am by standing by. As a junior member, I had some horrible supervisors. So as I advanced, I ensured that those individuals shaped me for the better. I took the bad examples and have used them to ensure my people are never treated poorly and always have a voice. So, don’t let anyone tell you that ‘it’ cannot be done. Do not accept the norm as the best way forward. Use the skills, knowledge and experience of your life to come up with solutions. When you’re asked for ideas, give ideas. Some may not work but others may be the solution we have been looking for. Stay within policy and advance in your rating. Do not be stagnate in your profession. Learn new skills and be an expert in every task you are given.”