Having learned important lessons from the Bay of Pigs invasion, President Kennedy approached the Cuban Missile Crisis differently. He had failed himself in deciding to pursue a plan conceived under the previous administration without a deeper understanding of the state of play and without challenging the planned approach with potential alternatives and adjustments to timing.
On its failure, Kennedy took accountability (see my previous post on Accountability on Day One). He placed no blame on the Eisenhower administration, nor the agencies involved. He also recognized that the disconnects in communication and assumptions of key stakeholders exposed failure points in a more robust and critical decision making process.
On determining strategy during the Cuban Missile Crisis, in addition to consciously seeking different perspectives on how to proceed, he internalized the gravity of a nuclear showdown for humanity. Decisions required open debate and direct communication. His objective was to avoid escalation and he sought more direct communication with Premier Khrushchev to appeal to their shared sense of accountability to future generations.
Kennedy noted that learning is essential to leadership. Learning requires taking accountability for your actions and reflecting on needed changes in approach. No one can escape mistakes and errors in judgement. It is what you choose to take from those actions that defines you as a leader.
We live in a time where accountability, self-reflection, critical thinking, learning, and humility should be expected from all our leaders.
I CARE 