Direct action can compete with command responsibility

The Altmark incident gives the leadership discussion a concrete naval example. The official account has Philip Vian staying aboard his own ship until the boarding action was over, which preserved his command position. Reports that he went aboard earlier are plausible because there was only one British ship involved, his bridge team could hold position, rescued prisoners needed managing, and Norwegian authorities might arrive. The risk was that a bullet could remove the person responsible for the whole operation. As command responsibility grows, physical prowess matters less than the sustained mental work of reading, planning, and solving problems. Even a capable leader can be drawn off by a feint or overextend, so recovery from a failed move matters as much as the initial decision.