Leadership development across sea and shore
Maritime is asking more of its leaders than ever. Decarbonisation, new technologies, hybrid roles and increased shore-based control are reshaping what leadership looks like in practice – at sea, ashore, and in the transition between the two.
What it takes to lead in modern maritime
[May 2026] This live panel discussion brought together senior practitioners from ship management, maritime education and organisational change to examine how leadership development must evolve. Listen to practical perspectives on the behaviours maritime now demands, the seafarer-to-shore transition that tests them, and how to design programmes that actually build these capabilities.
The session explored the changing skillsets required across sea and shore, psychological safety in hierarchical environments, why feedback culture remains so difficult, and what differentiates leadership programmes that drive real behaviour change from those that don’t.
Missed part of the session or want to revisit key moments? Click the photo to watch the webinar recording.
Video
Key themes covered:
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The sea-shore gap - Where it's a capability issue, where it's mindset, and where it's structural. And what that means for how you develop your people.
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Psychological safety at sea - Beyond the buzzword: what it realistically means in a hierarchical, high-risk environment, and what happens when it's missing.
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Why feedback is still hard - The behaviours and conditions that turn feedback from a compliance exercise into part of how the organisation actually operates.
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What separates programmes that work - Practical markers of leadership development that drives behaviour change versus the ones that look good on paper and stop there.
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Measuring leadership effectiveness - How to think about measurement in complex, high-risk operations beyond engagement scores and course completions.
Thanks to our speakers:
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Prasad Nayak of Anglo-Eastern Ship Management
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Heidi Heseltine of the Diversity Study Group
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James P. Spear of the State University of New York Maritime College
Moderator: Olav Vorup Jensen from Maersk Training
Built for the people shaping maritime leadership
Whether you set the strategy, run the programme, or are living the transition yourself – take the next step.