Turn the Ship Around by L. David Marquet

A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders

Overview

Turn the Ship Around! is L. David Marquet’s true story of transforming the USS Santa Fe, one of the worst-performing submarines in the US Navy, into one of the best.

When Marquet took command, he inherited a culture built entirely on obedience. The captain gave orders, the crew followed them. Decisions flowed downward; accountability never flowed up.

But when Marquet realised that the traditional command-and-control model was stifling initiative and creating dependency, he did something radical — he stopped giving orders.

Instead, he handed control to his crew. He replaced the leader–follower model with a leader–leader one. The result? A high-performing, confident, and self-sufficient team who thought and acted like leaders at every level.

The Problem with “Leader–Follower”

Marquet’s early experience as a submarine officer taught him that the “captain knows best” model produces compliance, not competence.

When only one person thinks and everyone else simply executes, two things happen:

The organisation moves slowly.
People lose confidence in their own judgement.

He saw this firsthand aboard the Santa Fe. Sailors waited for direction, even for basic tasks. Mistakes went unchallenged because “the captain said so.” The ship wasn’t just underperforming — it was underthinking.

The Turning Point

Soon after taking command, Marquet made a critical mistake: he gave an order that couldn’t be executed — and the crew obeyed it anyway.

That moment revealed the flaw in the system: obedience had replaced ownership.

Instead of doubling down on control, Marquet decided to build a team that could think for itself. His mission was simple:

“Don’t move information to authority — move authority to information.”

In other words, give decision-making power to the people closest to the work.

The “Leader–Leader” Model

Marquet’s leader–leader philosophy rests on two pillars: control and competence.

Give Control

Push decision-making down the chain of command.
Let crew members say, “I intend to…” instead of waiting for permission.
Shift from giving orders to granting ownership.

Build Competence

Freedom without skill is chaos.
Train relentlessly. Ensure everyone understands not just what to do, but why.
Clarity and competence enable safe delegation.

This balance of empowerment and responsibility turned passive sailors into proactive problem-solvers.

Key Practices and Ideas

1. “I Intend To…”

Instead of asking for permission (“Can I…?”), sailors began using “I intend to…” statements:

“Captain, I intend to submerge the ship to 400 feet.”

The captain could still intervene if necessary, but the shift forced crew members to think through decisions — and own them.
It moved them from obedience to ownership.

2. Clarity Before Control

Marquet emphasised that leaders must provide clarity of purpose before granting control.
When everyone understands the why, they can make better decisions without waiting for approval.

It’s not about letting go completely — it’s about setting direction, then trusting your people to navigate.

3. Certainty Kills Learning

Traditional leadership seeks certainty. Marquet argues that uncertainty is where learning happens.
He encouraged officers to think aloud, test assumptions, and question standard practice.

This curiosity-led culture built resilience and adaptability — essential qualities for any high-performing team.

4. Competence Multiplies Confidence

By building competence, Marquet built confidence.
As crew members mastered their roles, they gained the courage to act.
The result? A self-correcting, self-improving team.

5. Small Shifts, Big Impact

Marquet’s transformation didn’t happen overnight.
It came from dozens of small changes:

Replacing orders with questions.
Swapping compliance checks for coaching conversations.
Asking, “What do you think we should do?” instead of “Do this.”

Over time, these micro-shifts rewired the culture.

Results

Under Marquet’s leader–leader approach, the Santa Fe became one of the most successful submarines in the US Navy.
Crew retention and promotion rates skyrocketed.
The ship won awards for performance, safety, and operational excellence.

Even more impressive, these results lasted long after Marquet left.
The system sustained itself — proof that thinking teams don’t depend on one charismatic leader; they depend on shared ownership.

Key Lessons for Leaders

Stop giving orders. Start inviting ownership.
Push authority to where the information lives. Trust those closest to the action.
Create clarity and competence. Freedom only works when people know the purpose.
Replace permission with intention. Encourage “I intend to…” thinking.
Make thinking the norm. Reward curiosity, not compliance.

Why It Matters Today

Turn the Ship Around! isn’t just a Navy story — it’s a leadership manual for any environment where quick thinking and accountability matter.

In business, education, healthcare, or tech, the lesson is the same:

When you treat people as followers, they wait.
When you treat them as leaders, they act.

Marquet’s book shows that transforming culture doesn’t start with systems — it starts with trust.