Turn the Ship Around!

L. David Marquet recounts his experience commanding the submarine USS Santa Fe and rethinking a command model built around constant instructions. The publisher presents his shift toward developing leadership throughout the crew. [1] The useful question for any team is whether people understand the purpose and have the competence to make responsible decisions.

Our editorial recommendation is to connect delegation with learning. Handing off a task is only the beginning. A person also needs clear expectations, relevant information, appropriate authority, and a way to raise concerns. The goal is a more capable team and a more dependable service.

A submarine command account is not a universal experiment proving that one approach works in every setting. Readers should adapt the principles to their responsibilities. Safety-critical work still requires qualifications, procedures, and clear accountability. Empowerment should never become a flattering word for leaving someone unsupported.

Best for: supervisors, team members preparing for leadership, and organizations overly dependent on one decision-maker.

Seven-day value and service blueprint

Select one routine, low-risk decision currently waiting for a supervisor. With agreement, define the desired result, limits, and conditions requiring escalation. Ask the responsible person to explain their intended action and reasoning before proceeding. Use a one-page guide and a brief review. Track delays, errors, and questions during the week. Ask the people receiving the service whether it became more reliable. Update the guide where confusion appears and preserve required approvals. Success means better judgment and fewer unnecessary bottlenecks, not simply fewer conversations.

Discuss: What would someone need before you could responsibly give them more control?

Source-based editorial review with original applications; full text not supplied. Stephen R. Covey supplies a foreword.