As plebes, you memorized a great example of trust. This Academy teaches trust and Admiral Dewey trusted each captain and crew to fight without need for his personal direction. A leader takes the initiative. I find inspiration in this regard in the deeds of Vice Admiral Jim Stockdale, a classmate of President Carter, who took command of his fellow Prisoners of War in Hanoi at the height of the Vietnam conflict. Admiral Stockdale initiated and led cohesive resistance to torture and abuse despite the daily uncertainty of his own fate.
Good judgment is also critical to good leadership.
Good judgment is not just evident in success, it can be most evident in defeat and disappointment. Twenty-seven hundred lives were saved by that one judgment call. A good leader needs to make tough decisions especially when things are going wrong. The next trait is at the heart of a leader's personality. A leader speaks with authority.