L. David Marquet

Outlines a model of leadership designed to overcome poor morale, low performance, and high turnover while building engaged, healthy teams.

A True Story of Turning Followers Into Leaders

Turn the Ship Around!

'David Marquet is the kind of leader who comes around only once in a generation ... his ideas and lessons are invaluable' Simon Sinek, author of Start With Why Captain David Marquet was used to giving orders. In the high-stress environment of the USS Santa Fe, a nuclear-powered submarine, it was crucial his men did their job well. But the ship was dogged by poor morale, poor performance and the worst retention in the fleet. One day, Marquet unknowingly gave an impossible order, and his crew tried to follow it anyway. He realized he was leading in a culture of followers, and they were all in danger unless they fundamentally changed the way they did things. Marquet took matters into his own hands and pushed for leadership at every level. Before long, his crew became fully engaged and the Santa Fe skyrocketed from worst t first in the fleet. No matter your business or position, you can apply Marquet's approach to create a workplace where everyone takes responsibility for their actions, people are healthier and happier - and everyone is a leader.

A True Story of Building Leaders by Breaking the Rules

Turn The Ship Around!

Really solid book on the fundamentals of leader-leader leadership models based on the excellent implementation of it but the author on a US nuclear submarine. 

A must read for anyone interested in distributed leadership models.

Liam Richardson

Really solid book on the fundamentals of leader-leader leadership models based on the excellent implementation of it but the author on a US nuclear submarine. 

A must read for anyone interested in distributed leadership models.

Steve Parks

Well written, with interesting stories - but what seems revolutionary in the navy is fairly basic stuff in modern entrepreneurial companies

Tuago

Many lessons on how to empower your teams to do great work. And you get to learn about submarines too!

Real stories, divided into sections, with practical insights into why certain actions were performed. 

Compelling. 

Real stories, divided into sections, with practical insights into why certain actions were performed. 

Top Highlights: 180 - 213

Bradford Fults

Pretty great exposition of leadership challenges and novel solutions with an ever-present positivity and wit. Definitely recommended to all leaders of people and process.

Pam Sartain

inspiring and interesting look at changing from leader-follower to leader-leader

Grady Scott Weston

Great description of practical ways to increase empowerment and develop leadership.

James Thorburn

João Maia

Brian Alderman

Guillaume Breton

“One of the 12 best business books of all time…. Timeless principles of empowering leadership.” – USA Today "The best how-to manual anywhere for managers on delegating, training, and driving flawless execution.” —FORTUNE Since Turn the Ship Around! was published in 2013, hundreds of thousands of readers have been inspired by former Navy captain David Marquet’s true story. Many have applied his insights to their own organizations, creating workplaces where everyone takes responsibility for his or her actions, where followers grow to become leaders, and where happier teams drive dramatically better results. Marquet was a Naval Academy graduate and an experienced officer when selected for submarine command. Trained to give orders in the traditional model of “know all–tell all” leadership, he faced a new wrinkle when he was shifted to the Santa Fe, a nuclear-powered submarine. Facing the high-stress environment of a sub where there’s little margin for error, he was determined to reverse the trends he found on the Santa Fe: poor morale, poor performance, and the worst retention rate in the fleet. Almost immediately, Marquet ran into trouble when he unknowingly gave an impossible order, and his crew tried to follow it anyway. When he asked why, the answer was: “Because you told me to.” Marquet realized that while he had been trained for a different submarine, his crew had been trained to do what they were told—a deadly combination. That’s when Marquet flipped the leadership model on its head and pushed for leadership at every level. Turn the Ship Around! reveals how the Santa Fe skyrocketed from worst to first in the fleet by challenging the U.S. Navy’s traditional leader-follower approach. Struggling against his own instincts to take control, he instead achieved the vastly more powerful model of giving control to his subordinates, and creating leaders. Before long, each member of Marquet’s crew became a leader and assumed responsibility for everything he did, from clerical tasks to crucial combat decisions. The crew became completely engaged, contributing their full intellectual capacity every day. The Santa Fe set records for performance, morale, and retention. And over the next decade, a highly disproportionate number of the officers of the Santa Fe were selected to become submarine commanders. Whether you need a major change of course or just a tweak of the rudder, you can apply Marquet’s methods to turn your own ship around.

Turn the Ship Around! A True Story of Turning Followers Into Leaders

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