Episode 047: David Marquet – Turn The Ship Around! Going From Worst To First

This episode was absolutely packed full of action oriented takeaways to help us all improve in each of our environments. I love the strategy David has employed to empower and grow leaders… You’ll learn about his thought process on leadership in the Navy and in the civilian world as well.

David realized that the leader-follower environment meant his crew would do anything he said—even if it was wrong. That could be catastrophic. He decided to try Intent-Based Leadership again.

Captain Marquet began treating his crew as leaders, not followers, and giving control, not taking control. It wasn’t long before operations took a dramatic turn. Santa Fe went from “worst to first,” achieving the highest retention and operational standings in the Navy.

When Stephen R. Covey spent time aboard the Santa Fe, he referred to it as the most empowering organization he’d ever seen. He wrote about Captain Marquet’s leadership practices in his book, The 8th Habit.

Captain David Marquet retired from the Navy in 2009 and is now the author of Turn the Ship Around! A True Story of Turning Followers Into Leaders. Fortune magazine called the book the “best how-to manual anywhere for managers on delegating, training, and driving flawless execution.” Captain Marquet’s Intent-Based Leadership model is turning around all types of organizations—from big manufacturers to start-ups and sport teams to government.

He helps leaders build environments where people contribute and feel valued —where everyone is a leader.

Episode 047: David Marquet – Turn The Ship Around! Going From Worst To First

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The Learning Leader Show

“Do you want to be good or do you want to get better.” – David Marquet

Some Questions I Ask:

• What one common characteristic do all high achievers leaders share?
• Which rules are okay to break? How do you know?
• How do you ensure proper execution on what you train?
• What are the actions of a true learning leader?
• What are some ways to give decision making power to others?
• Why did you get rid of “To Do” Lists?

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• The power of having a growth mindset
• Why using the phrase “I intend…” is a key to success
• His book “Turn The Ship Around” was labeled by USA Today as one of the 12 best business books of all time
• Why you should get up and leave the room if the leader of the meeting won’t allow you to start without them and then they show up late
• Examples of learning leaders and how a true learning leader doesn’t take all the credit

“My first step was to stop telling everyone what to do.” – David Marquet

Continue Learning

• Read: "Turn The Ship Around"
• Go To: davidmarquet.com
• Follow David on Twitter: @ldavidmarquet

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector With Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks

Episode 002: How To Take Over And Set Bigger Goals With Chris Brogan

Episode 004: How Todd Wagner (and Mark Cuban) Sold Broadcast.com To Yahoo! For $5.7 Billion

Episode 010: Shane Snow – How To Accelerate Success Using Smart Cuts

Did you enjoy the podcast?

This was a jam packed episode full of great content. David Marquet is leader who is constantly learning in order to help us all live a better life. He also strives to constantly help others. Who do you know that needs to hear this? Send them to The Learning Leader Show!

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio From DavidMarquet.com

David was selected to captain the USS Olympia (SSN-717), a nuclear powered attack submarine. He studied for over a year to take command, understanding on a deep level every detail of how that submarine operated.

Unexpectedly, David was diverted to take command of the USS Santa Fe (SSN-763) when its captain quit. Santa Fe was the worst performing submarine in the fleet and a different type of submarine that he knew little about.

David realized that the leader-follower environment meant his crew would do anything he said—even if it was wrong. That could be catastrophic. He decided to try Intent-Based Leadership again.

Captain Marquet began treating his crew as leaders, not followers, and giving control, not taking control. It wasn’t long before operations took a dramatic turn. Santa Fe went from “worst to first,” achieving the highest retention and operational standings in the Navy.

When Stephen R. Covey spent time aboard the Santa Fe, he referred to it as the most empowering organization he’d ever seen. He wrote about Captain Marquet’s leadership practices in his book, The 8th Habit.

Captain Marquet retired from the Navy in 2009 and is now the author of Turn the Ship Around! A True Story of Turning Followers Into Leaders. Fortune magazine called the book the “best how-to manual anywhere for managers on delegating, training, and driving flawless execution.” Captain Marquet’s Intent-Based Leadership model is turning around all types of organizations—from big manufacturers to start-ups and sport teams to government.

He helps leaders build environments where people contribute and feel valued —where everyone is a leader.