Wow, this week’s Below Deck Mediterranean was hard to watch. I can’t be the only one who felt that way, right? Watching a tearful Chef Kiko Lorran be chewed up and spit out was not only painful but frankly unfair and all kinds of unnecessary. I mean, last week ended with the Brazilian ray of sunshine being summarily fired by Captain Sandy Yawn. In front of the rest of the crew. In the middle of a charter. And then, he was expected to carry on and rise to the occasion for an entire day and a half after being told his food is terrible.
Tonight’s episode picks right back up in the middle of Sandy informing Kiko that he’ll be done once they reach the dock. And honestly, it isn’t any less frustrating to watch the second time around. In her confessional, the captain admits she likes Kiko. (If you don’t, you have a heart of stone.) But she insists that leading a crew isn’t about liking them, it’s about them doing their jobs correctly. But here’s the main issue with Sandy’s leadership style. Yes you have to find capable employees who can execute their responsibilities. But even more importantly, you have to create an environment as a leader where every person on your crew is primed to succeed and be their best selves. And that doesn’t equal micromanaging every single thing they do and constantly criticizing them as you look over their shoulder.
