405: Develop Leaders Before You Leave, with David Marquet

11 snips

Apr 22, 2019

David Marquet, former commander of the U.S.S. Santa Fe and author of 'Turn the Ship Around,' shares his transformative leadership insights. He discusses the importance of cultivating future leaders and emphasizes that true leadership is about empowering teams rather than merely achieving results. Marquet highlights the benefits of a leader-leader model over micromanagement and stresses the significance of language in leadership. Additionally, he explores effective mentoring methods and the role of inquiry in fostering a psychologically safe environment.

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INSIGHT

Achievement vs. Leadership

Focus on building leadership capacity, not just accomplishment.
Accomplishment is the current production, while leadership builds future production capacity.

INSIGHT

Leader-Follower Model

The leader-follower model creates two classes of people, hindering growth.
Labeling people as "followers" implies they need managing, which can be a flawed assumption.

ANECDOTE

Will Rogers Experience

David's attempt to empower his team on the USS Will Rogers failed.
He lacked the framework of technical competence and clarity of purpose, resulting in a mess.

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Leadership Is Language

The Hidden Power of What You Say and What You Don't

L. David Marquet

In 'Leadership Is Language,' L. David Marquet provides a radical playbook for empowering teams by focusing on the power of language in leadership. Drawing from his experience as a nuclear submarine captain, Marquet outlines practical strategies and real-life examples to enhance communication skills, foster collaboration, autonomy, and high performance. The book emphasizes the importance of language in shaping organizational culture and employee engagement, introducing concepts such as 'intent-based leadership' and the role of questions in effective communication. Marquet offers six key 'plays' for leaders, including controlling the clock, collaborating rather than coercing, committing rather than complying, and connecting rather than conforming, to create a more empowering and collaborative work environment.

Turn The Ship Around!

L. David Marquet

In 'Turn the Ship Around!', Captain L. David Marquet recounts his experience as the commander of the USS Santa Fe, a nuclear-powered submarine. Initially trained in the traditional 'know all–tell all' leadership model, Marquet faced significant challenges when he took command of the Santa Fe, which was then one of the worst-performing submarines in the fleet. He realized that the traditional leader-follower approach was ineffective and decided to implement a leader-leader model, where every crew member was empowered to take responsibility and make decisions. This approach led to a dramatic improvement in morale, performance, and retention, transforming the Santa Fe into one of the best submarines in the fleet. The book provides practical insights and strategies for implementing this leadership model in various organizational settings.

Start with Why

How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

Simon Sinek

In 'Start with Why', Simon Sinek introduces the concept of 'The Golden Circle', which consists of 'Why', 'How', and 'What'. He argues that successful leaders and organizations start with their purpose or 'Why', which inspires loyalty and trust. Sinek uses examples such as Apple, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Wright Brothers to illustrate how this approach can lead to significant influence and success. The book emphasizes the importance of leadership and purpose in inspiring others and achieving long-term success.