“Turn the Ship Around! A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders”

“Turn the Ship Around! A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders”
by L. David Marquet (2013)

I just finished listening to the audio book “Turn the Ship Around! A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders” by L. David Marquet (2013). In it, Captain David Marquet writes of his experience developing a “leader-leader” style of leadership. A style where leadership and responsibility is encouraged and promoted as far down the hierarchy as possible.

It’s a wonderful story of his captancy on the USS Santa Fe in the late 1990’s and how he took a crew with one of the worst performance records in the United States Navy and turned it around by empowering his officers, the Chiefs and the senior petty officers to become leaders and not continue as followers.

The four principles are to give control, provide the tools to allow your team to improve their competency, state your goals clearly, and have the courage to trust your team.

I very much enjoyed the book. Much of the ideas introduced resonate with me. I especially liked the practice that developed of the officers stating what they intend to do. Not really asking for permission, just thinking out loud their thinking and plans to execute.

If you are looking to be a better leader then you might consider this book in your education.