Admiral Hyman George Rickover (1900-1986) served more than 60 years of active military duty in the U.S. Navy – longer than anyone in our history. He is known as the Father of the Nuclear Navy. For 34 years, he led the organization that developed the pressurized water reactor technology that propels our nuclear Navy and provides about 14 percent of U.S. electricity (boiling water reactors provide an additional 6 percent, approximately).
Admiral Rickover’s approach to the never-ending leadership challenges was to create an organization composed of professionals. As a leader, he only had to “manage” the standards used in decision-making by the individuals rather than each decision. Rickover shaped the culture of his organization, the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, by fostering excellence, professionalism, and conservative decision-making.
But what is conservative decision-making?