# Turn the Ship Around!  ## Metadata - Author: [[L. David Marquet]] - Full Title: Turn the Ship Around! - Category: #Source/books ## Highlights - As Albert Einstein said, “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” ([Location 159](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=159)) - Tags: [[favorite]] - You may be able to “buy” a person’s back with a paycheck, position, power, or fear, but a human being’s genius, passion, loyalty, and tenacious creativity are volunteered only. ([Location 161](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=161)) - ==Leadership is communicating to people their worth and potential so clearly that they are inspired to see it in themselves.== ([Location 164](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=164)) - leadership in the Navy, and in most organizations, is about controlling people. It divides the world into two groups of people: leaders and followers. ([Location 233](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=233)) - The problem with empowerment programs is that they contain an inherent contradiction between the message and the method. While the message is “empowerment,” the method—it takes me to empower you—fundamentally disempowers employees. That drowns out the message. ([Location 247](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=247)) - The leader-leader structure is fundamentally different from the leader-follower structure. ([Location 255](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=255)) - Note: How do you do leader leader in mbership org? If not empower, what? - Leader-leader structures are significantly more resilient, and they do not rely on the designated leader always being right. ([Location 260](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=260)) - The bridge is control, divesting control to others in your organization while keeping responsibility. Control, we discovered, only works with a competent workforce that understands the organization’s purpose. Hence, ==as control is divested, both technical competence and organizational clarity need to be strengthened==. ([Location 306](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=306)) - First, though I liked the idea of empowerment, I didn’t understand why empowerment was needed. It seemed to me that humans are born in a state of action and natural empowerment. ([Location 400](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=400)) - ==Empowerment programs appeared to be a reaction to the fact that we had actively disempowered people==. ([Location 402](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=402)) - I felt my power came from within, and attempts to empower me felt like manipulation. ([Location 404](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=404)) - competence could not rest solely with the leader. It had to run throughout the entire organization. ([Location 411](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=411)) - When an organization does worse immediately after the departure of a leader, what does this say about that person’s leadership? How does the organization view this situation? ([Location 503](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=503)) - What can we do to incentivize long-term thinking? ([Location 505](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=505)) - What must leaders overcome mentally and emotionally to give up control yet retain full responsibility? ([Location 568](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=568)) - What are the things you are hoping I don’t change? What are the things you secretly hope I do change? ([Location 602](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=602)) - The problem for Santa Fe wasn’t an absence of leadership. It was too much leadership of the wrong kind, the leader-follower kind. ([Location 783](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=783)) - In order to break this cycle, I’d need to radically change the daily motivation by shifting the focus from avoiding errors to achieving excellence. ([Location 836](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=836)) - Focusing on avoiding mistakes takes our focus away from becoming truly exceptional. ([Location 849](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=849)) - ACHIEVE EXCELLENCE, DON’T JUST AVOID ERRORS is a mechanism for CLARITY. ([Location 879](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=879)) - What is the primary motivation of the middle managers and rank and file (not what it says on the wall poster outside the boardroom)? ([Location 886](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=886)) - [[“Don’t move information to authority, move authority to the information.”]] ([Location 894](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=894)) - Yet this emphasis on following the procedure can have a stultifying effect. We take bright operators, train them extensively, and then tell them that the most important thing is to follow the procedure. ([Location 945](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=945)) - Later, I would call this “eyeball accountability.” It would mean being intimately involved—physically present in most cases—in the operations of the ship and in each activity. ([Location 969](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=969)) - When I’ve conducted this exercise, I usually find that the worries fall into two broad categories: issues of competence and issues of clarity. ==People are worried that the next level down won’t make good decisions, either because they lack the technical competence about the subject or because they don’t understand what the organization is trying to accomplish. Both of these can be resolved==. ([Location 1008](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1008)) - Note: On delegation - This isn’t an empowerment “program.” It’s changing the way the organization controls decisions in an enduring, personal way. ([Location 1013](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1013)) - My goal, professionally and personally, was to implement enduring mechanisms that would embed the goodness of the organization in the submarine’s people and practices and wouldn’t rely on my personality to make it happen. ([Location 1024](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1024)) - I called this [[the paradox of “caring but not caring”]]—that is, caring intimately about your subordinates and the organization but caring little about the organizational consequences to yourself. ([Location 1072](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1072)) - We called it the “three-name rule” and this is how it worked: When any member of the crew saw a visitor on our boat (and we were specifically thinking about the following week, when Commodore Kenny and his staff were coming down for the inspection), he was to greet the visitor using three names—the visitor’s name, his own name, and the ship’s name. For example, “Good morning, Commodore Kenny, my name is Petty Officer Jones, welcome aboard Santa Fe.” ([Location 1096](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1096)) - Here is a short list of “empowered phrases” that active doers use: I intend to … I plan on … I will … We will ([Location 1316](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1316)) - What causes us to take control when we should be giving control? ([Location 1346](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1346)) - ==As the level of control is divested, it becomes more and more important that the team be aligned with the goal of the organization==. ([Location 1377](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1377)) - When you follow the leader-leader model, you must take time to let others react to the situation as well. You have to create a space for open decision by the entire team, even if that space is only a few minutes, or a few seconds, long. ([Location 1434](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1434)) - ==If the decision needs to be made urgently, make it, then have the team “red-team” the decision and evaluate it. If the decision needs to be made reasonably soon, ask for team input, even briefly, then make the decision. If the decision can be delayed, then force the team to provide inputs. Do not force the team to come to consensus; that results in whitewashing differences and dissenting votes. Cherish the dissension. If everyone thinks like you, you don’t need the==m. ([Location 1445](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1445)) - Fundamentally, this tickler process sends the following message: we will keep track and monitor you and your job performance. We will enforce (somehow) the proper performance of your job. This erodes a more powerful message: you are responsible for your job. ([Location 1471](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1471)) - ELIMINATING TOP-DOWN MONITORING SYSTEMS is a mechanism for CONTROL. ([Location 1501](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1501)) - Don’t preach and hope for ownership; implement mechanisms that actually give ownership. ([Location 1508](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1508)) - ==What you want to avoid are the systems whereby senior personnel are determining what junior personnel should be doing.== ([Location 1511](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1511)) - We called this “thinking out loud.” We worked hard on this issue of communication. It was for everyone. I would think out loud when I’d say, in general, here’s where we need to be, and here’s why. ([Location 1573](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1573)) - THINK OUT LOUD is a mechanism for CONTROL because when I heard what my watch officers were thinking, it made it much easier for me to keep my mouth shut and let them execute their plans. ([Location 1595](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1595)) - When I, as the captain, would “think out loud,” I was in essence imparting important context and experience to my subordinates. I was also modeling that lack of certainty is strength and certainty is arrogance. ([Location 1614](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1614)) - We called this idea of being open and inviting outside criticism “Embrace the inspectors.” ([Location 1659](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1659)) - Whenever an inspection team was on board, I would hear crew members saying things like, “I’ve been having a problem with this. What have you seen other ships do to solve it?” Most inspection teams found this attitude remarkable. ([Location 1677](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1677)) - the mechanisms we employed to strengthen technical competence. They are: ==Take deliberate action. We learn (everywhere, all the time). Don’t brief, certify==. Continually and consistently repeat the message. Specify goals, not methods. ([Location 1693](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1693)) - This was something I would wrestle with my entire command tour—balancing the courage to hold people accountable for their actions with my compassion for their honest efforts. ([Location 1706](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1706)) - This meant that prior to any action, the operator paused and vocalized and gestured toward what he was about to do, and only after taking a deliberate pause would he execute the action. ([Location 1751](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1751)) - If your business doesn’t have an obvious interface with nature and is more service or intellectual, take deliberate action still applies, but in a slightly different way. It applies at the moment someone signs a form, authorizes an action, or enters a keystroke. ([Location 1783](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1783)) - Note: Can apply across the business - Eventually we would expand deliberate action to administrative paperwork. When documents were signed carelessly, we injected the concept of deliberate action into the act (mostly for officers) of signing papers and authorizing events. ([Location 1801](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1801)) - I learned the hard way that ==,==. ([Location 1816](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1816)) - as authority is delegated, technical knowledge at all levels takes on a greater importance. There is an extra burden for technical competence. ([Location 1835](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1835)) - USS Santa Fe Creed ([Location 1861](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1861)) - Note: Create a USSU creed - The purpose of training is to increase technical competence. The result of increased technical competence is the ability to delegate increased decision making to the employees. Increased decision making among your employees will naturally result in greater engagement, motivation, and initiative. ([Location 1899](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1899)) - We found that when people know they will be asked questions they study their responsibilities ahead of time. This increases the intellectual involvement of the crew significantly. ([Location 1992](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=1992)) - An effective survey question to ask your employees is how many minutes a week they spend learning on their own, not mandated, not directed. Typically it’s a small number. An organizational measure of improving health would be to increase that number. If you want engaged teams, don’t brief, certify! ([Location 2010](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2010)) - This wasn’t taken well, but I needed to get the point across, and I was tired of trying to explain things in a noncoercive way. They would just have to experience it. ([Location 2116](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2116)) - CONTINUALLY AND CONSISTENTLY REPEAT THE MESSAGE is a mechanism for COMPETENCE. ([Location 2132](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2132)) - SPECIFYING GOALS, NOT METHODS is a mechanism for COMPETENCE. ([Location 2251](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2251)) - SPECIFYING GOALS also served as a mechanism for CLARITY by focusing on achieving excellence rather than avoiding errors. ([Location 2255](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2255)) - This is called clarity, and it is the second supporting leg—along with competence—that is needed in order to distribute control. ([Location 2268](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2268)) - the mechanisms we devised to implement leader-leader practices by stressing clarity. The mechanisms described are these: Achieve excellence, don’t just avoid errors (this was introduced in chapter 7). Build trust and take care of your people. Use your legacy for inspiration. Use guiding principles for decision criteria. Use immediate recognition to reinforce desired behaviors. Begin with the end in mind. Encourage a questioning attitude over blind obedience. ([Location 2273](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2273)) - Taking care of your people does not mean protecting them from the consequences of their own behavior. That’s the path to irresponsibility. What it does mean is giving them every available tool and advantage to achieve their aims in life, beyond the specifics of the job. ([Location 2415](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2415)) - If I were a crew member and faced with deciding between two different courses of action, would these principles provide me with the right criteria against which to select the appropriate course of action? The guiding principles needed to do just that: provide guidance on decisions. ([Location 2505](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2505)) - Guiding principles have to accurately represent the principles of the real organization, not the imagined organization. ([Location 2544](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2544)) - USE GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR DECISION CRITERIA is a mechanism for CLARITY. ([Location 2550](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2550)) - have awards that are abundant, with no limit. They pit your team against the world—either external competitors or nature. I like to call these man-versus-nature as opposed to man-versus-man awards. ([Location 2586](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2586)) - Simply providing data to the teams on their relative performance results in a natural desire to improve. This has been called “gamification.” ([Location 2602](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2602)) - one key supervisor a day, rotating among the XO, COB, Weps, Nav, Eng, and Suppo, would have an hour-long mentoring session with me. The rule for the mentoring meeting was that we could talk only about long-term issues, and primarily people issues. ([Location 2635](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2635)) - Go through the evaluations and look for statements that express achievement. In every case, ask “How would we know?” and ensure that you have measuring systems in place. ([Location 2674](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2674)) - BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND is an important mechanism for ORGANIZATIONAL CLARITY. ([Location 2682](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2682)) - ENCOURAGE A QUESTIONING ATTITUDE OVER BLIND OBEDIENCE is a mechanism for CLARITY. ([Location 2770](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2770)) - Instead of focusing on intimate review of the work, I focused on intimate review of the people. ([Location 2837](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2837)) - The core of the leader-leader model is giving employees control over what they work on and how they work. It means letting them make meaningful decisions. The two enabling pillars are competence and clarity. ([Location 2868](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2868)) - Mechanism: Don’t Empower, Emancipate Empowerment is a necessary step because we’ve been accustomed to disempowerment. Empowerment is needed to undo all those top-down, do-what-you’re-told, be-a-team-player messages that result from our leader-follower model. But empowerment isn’t enough in a couple of ways. ([Location 2955](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2955)) - Empowerment does not work without the attributes of competence and clarity. ([Location 2958](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2958)) - What we need is release, or emancipation. ([Location 2962](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2962)) - With emancipation we are recognizing the inherent genius, energy, and creativity in all people, and allowing those talents to emerge. ([Location 2963](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2963)) - Emancipation results when teams have been given decision-making control and have the additional characteristics of competence and clarity. You know you have an emancipated team when you no longer need to empower them. Indeed, you no longer have the ability to empower them because they are not relying on you as their source of power. ([Location 2965](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=2965)) - On the Web site, I offer several tools for building a leader-leader structure, including the seven-step process for effective self-assessment that we developed on board Santa Fe. ([Location 3005](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=3005)) - Global Certified Implementation Partners Our global certified implementation partners can help you implement an Intent-Based Leadership approach in your organization through bespoke training, workshops, [[Coaching]], expert support and advice designed specifically around your needs and context. In the UK Re:markable (+44) 131 625 0155 [email protected] https://www.thisisremarkable.com/ ([Location 3200](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B015QQ10HE&location=3200))