I think you are correct. I also think that it was written for brand new lieutenants. Perhaps that is why we got rid of LTs as XOs and replaced them with 180As-but who are watching them
That quote really set the tone for some lousy professional working relationships and created a bad leadership climate and was undoubtedly the forbearer of the micromanagement that has always stiffled the military for years. Many young officers came into the military even in my day ( at least a couple of years after that quote) with attitudes that NCOs were not to be trusted and needed constant supervision. Unfortunately, although this is all in gest, there were still plenty of officers in my day that still felt this way.