Chapter 4
Building Competence: From Following Orders to Making Decisions
As authority was delegated downward, technical knowledge became increasingly crucial for effective leadership at all levels. In a traditional top-down structure where sailors merely followed orders, deep understanding wasn't essential. However, when empowered to make decisions, intimate technical knowledge became absolutely vital. The stark reality emerged: attempting to exercise control without proper competence inevitably leads to chaos and potential disaster.
This critical lesson crystallized after a serious incident in the torpedo room where improper valve operation caused significant equipment malfunction. During the subsequent investigation, Marquet discovered troubling gaps in knowledge - crew members couldn't provide clear answers about basic systems, and understanding of fundamental procedures was alarmingly superficial. This mirrored his earlier failure on the USS Will Rogers, where he had pushed for delegated authority without first ensuring adequate technical competence among the crew.
The Santa Fe crew responded by adopting a powerful yet simple creed centered on two words: "We learn." This wasn't just a slogan - it became their daily operational philosophy. Rather than viewing training as a passive requirement to check boxes, they transformed every task into an active learning opportunity. The submarine effectively became a "learning and competence factory" where each sailor simultaneously served as both student and teacher, product and producer of knowledge.
One of their most effective competence-building mechanisms was "take deliberate action" - a structured approach to task execution. Before any operational action, sailors would pause, clearly verbalize their intended action, physically gesture toward the relevant equipment or control, and then execute only after a purposeful pause. This wasn't mere ceremony; it created a crucial cognitive break that allowed operators to catch potential errors before they occurred. The effectiveness of this approach was later validated when an inspector observed: "Your guys tried to make the same number of mistakes as everyone else. But the mistakes never happened because of deliberate action."
The team also revolutionized their approach to operational readiness by replacing traditional passive briefings with active certifications. Standard briefings had allowed crew members to simply show up and zone out, without meaningful engagement or preparation. In contrast, certifications became dynamic sessions where the person in charge actively verified readiness through targeted questioning. These leaders had both the responsibility and authority to postpone operations if the team demonstrated insufficient preparation. This fundamental shift forced crew members to study independently, truly understand their systems, and take genuine ownership of their responsibilities.
The transformation extended to daily operations, where technical discussions became more detailed and nuanced. Senior crew members were expected to mentor junior sailors not just in procedures, but in the underlying principles and engineering concepts. This created a culture where asking questions was encouraged and continuous learning was viewed as a mark of professionalism rather than a sign of weakness.
Chapter 5
Creating Clarity: Shared Purpose and Vision
The final pillar of Marquet's transformation was clarity - ensuring everyone throughout the organization understood what the organization was about. This became increasingly important as decision-making authority moved down the chain.
Rather than focusing on avoiding errors, Santa Fe shifted to achieving excellence. The traditional approach of tracking errors created a culture where avoiding mistakes became the prime focus, making the crew gun-shy. Success became merely the absence of failure, and as the crew joked, "Your reward is no punishment."
To build trust and care for his people, Marquet took concrete actions. When his engineer's wife was due to deliver their baby, he arranged for him to return home despite the unusual timing, explaining to their commander that their leader-leader structure had developed enough talent to handle his absence. The crew trusted him because they knew he was genuinely working for their benefit.
The submarine's rich legacy provided inspiration. While transiting the South China Sea, Lieutenant Dave Adams announced: "Attention to port. We are now passing the approximate location of where the USS Grayling was sunk in September 1943." This powerful moment connected them to the submarine force's history. They adopted several practices to strengthen this connection - posting notes in the Plan of the Day, reading Medal of Honor citations when qualifying new submariners, making announcements when passing sunken submarines, and visiting submarine museums.
The Santa Fe developed guiding principles that served as practical decision-making tools rather than wall decorations. These included initiative, innovation, intimate technical knowledge, courage, commitment, continuous improvement, integrity, empowerment, teamwork, openness, timeliness, and leadership at every level. To make these meaningful, they incorporated them into awards and evaluations, describing behaviors using the language of these principles.
Chapter 6
Immediate Results and Enduring Impact
The results of Santa Fe's transformation were nothing short of remarkable. Within just twelve months, the submarine achieved an unprecedented turnaround in performance metrics. Enlisted reenlistments soared from a mere 3 to 36 sailors, representing a twelve-fold increase. Officer retention, which had bottomed out at 0%, reached a perfect 100%. The submarine's tactical effectiveness, previously rated below average, climbed to excellent across all measured parameters. This dramatic improvement earned Santa Fe the prestigious Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy, awarded annually to the single unit demonstrating the greatest improvement in battle efficiency across the entire fleet.
The endurance of these changes proved even more impressive than their initial impact. In the years following Marquet's departure, Santa Fe maintained its excellence, establishing new benchmarks for submarine performance. The vessel won the award for best chiefs' quarters for seven consecutive years - an unprecedented achievement in submarine force history. The Battle "E" award for most combat-effective submarine, which Santa Fe had never won in the previous decade, was secured three additional times in the following ten years, demonstrating sustained operational excellence.
The leader-leader structure created a remarkable leadership pipeline that transformed careers throughout the ranks. Both executive officers who served under Marquet went on to command their own submarines and achieved the rank of captain. All three department heads who were eligible for command positions became executive officers and eventually submarine commanders. The impact extended deep into the enlisted ranks, where numerous sailors advanced to senior positions such as chief of the boat. Many others pursued advanced degrees in engineering and business administration, taking their leadership skills into the corporate world.
A particularly telling demonstration of the approach's effectiveness occurred during a high-stakes simulated jam dive drill. As the submarine pitched downward at high speed toward the ocean floor, the crew's response illustrated the power of empowered decision-making. Without waiting for explicit orders, crew members initiated multiple critical actions simultaneously: engaging all back emergency propulsion, applying full rise on bow planes, and emergency blowing of forward ballast tanks. In a subtle but significant moment, the chief of the watch positioned his hand near the forward vent switch, using non-verbal communication to signal readiness to the officer of the deck, who then confirmed the correct sequence of actions. This practice of "anticipatory deliberate action" became a hallmark of Santa Fe's operations, allowing complex coordinated responses without the need for excessive verbal communication during high-pressure situations. This technique proved especially valuable in emergency scenarios where clear, quick action was essential but verbal orders might have added confusion or delay.
Chapter 7
Beyond Empowerment to Emancipation
Marquet ultimately concluded that empowerment alone is insufficient for true leadership transformation. While necessary to counteract the disempowerment of traditional top-down structures, it has two fundamental limitations: it's incomplete without competence and clarity, and it still operates within a leader-follower paradigm where the leader "grants" power to followers. This traditional empowerment model creates a subtle dependency, as people wait for permission or authority to be bestowed upon them rather than recognizing their inherent capability to act.
What organizations truly need is emancipation - recognizing the inherent genius, energy, and creativity in all people. Unlike empowerment, emancipation acknowledges that leaders don't bestow talents on others but merely remove barriers preventing their natural expression. A truly emancipated team no longer needs empowerment because they don't rely on leaders as their source of power. This shift fundamentally changes how people view their role and responsibilities, moving from asking "What should I do?" to declaring "This is what I see needs to be done."
The power of emancipation was dramatically demonstrated during Santa Fe's second deployment in the Strait of Hormuz. A small hydraulic oil leak threatened to cut their mission short - a situation that would typically force a return to port and mission abandonment. Ensign Armando Aviles, a new Naval Academy graduate unconstrained by traditional thinking, spotted a Navy fast-resupply ship and suggested asking them for oil - an unprecedented move that typically required formal requests 36 hours in advance. His willingness to challenge conventional procedures exemplified the mindset shift from waiting for orders to taking initiative.
The crew's response illustrated the full potential of emancipated thinking. Within minutes, the deck was alive with coordinated action, with crew members at all levels initiating necessary steps through "I intend to" statements: retrieving transfer equipment, preparing to surface, mustering boat handling parties, gathering outgoing mail, and preparing for oil transfer. Each team member understood not just their task but the broader mission context, allowing them to make informed decisions without constant supervision.
This spontaneous, complex operation demonstrated the power of the leader-leader approach in ways that exceeded Marquet's expectations. There was no way he could have directed each piece individually - the operation required dozens of synchronized decisions and actions happening simultaneously. The crew's autonomous response, built on technical competence and organizational clarity, allowed them to continue their mission rather than limping into port. This incident became a defining example of how emancipated teams can respond to challenges with greater speed, creativity, and effectiveness than traditionally managed ones.
The success of this operation validated Marquet's belief that true organizational excellence comes not from empowerment granted from above, but from unleashing the natural initiative, intelligence, and capability already present in every team member. When people are truly emancipated, they don't wait for permission to solve problems or improve processes - they simply act with the organization's best interests in mind.
Chapter 8
The Legacy: Leadership at Every Level
The leader-leader model consistently produces three transformative outcomes that traditional leadership approaches struggle to achieve: exceptional top performance, sustained excellence over time, and the systematic development of new leaders throughout the organization. The success of this model on a nuclear submarine - arguably one of the most technically complex and high-stakes environments imaginable - demonstrates its potential effectiveness in any organizational context.
The practices pioneered aboard the USS Santa Fe have created lasting ripples throughout the U.S. Navy's submarine force. "Deliberate action," which involves physically pointing at instruments while verbalizing actions, has been formalized as "point and shoot" in nuclear power training programs. The "I intend to..." protocol has been widely adopted as a standard communication practice, fundamentally changing how orders are given and received. The principle of "Don't brief, certify" has influenced military language and culture, though its full implementation remains a work in progress in some areas.
At its foundation, the leader-leader model revolves around a radical redistribution of control and decision-making authority. Employees are given genuine control over their work domains, supported by two essential pillars: technical competence and crystal-clear organizational clarity. This approach often stands in direct opposition to conventional leadership wisdom in several key ways: it favors distributed leadership over centralized control, emphasizes giving control rather than maintaining it, minimizes direct orders, encourages questioning and dialogue even when orders are necessary, requires certification of understanding rather than passive briefings, transforms formal meetings into interactive conversations, prioritizes human development over technological solutions, and demands long-term thinking over quick fixes.
Organizations seeking to implement the leader-leader model must follow a systematic approach. First, they must precisely identify where excellence is created within their operations. Then, they must carefully map out what specific decisions frontline employees need to make to achieve and maintain that excellence. Finally, they must ensure these employees possess four critical elements: detailed technical knowledge of their domain, clear understanding of organizational goals and context, genuine authority to make decisions, and explicit responsibility for outcomes.
The most challenging aspect of this transformation lies in self-control - specifically, leaders must consistently resist the deeply ingrained impulse to take control and cultivate followers. This requires constant vigilance and often goes against years of conditioning and traditional management training. As Marquet emphasizes, the real question isn't about readiness to begin this transformation - it's about having the determination and commitment to sustain the long-term thinking and consistent behavior required to truly unleash the intellectual and creative potential within your organization.
The model's success extends beyond military applications, with numerous civilian organizations adopting these principles to transform their cultures and achieve breakthrough performance. From healthcare systems to manufacturing facilities, organizations that have embraced leader-leader principles have reported increased engagement, improved decision-making at all levels, and stronger overall performance metrics.
Chapter 9
Leadership Mechanisms for Organizational Transformation
The beauty of Marquet's approach lies in its practicality. Rather than abstract leadership philosophy, he developed concrete mechanisms that any organization can adapt, tested and proven in high-stakes environments:
For control: Organizations must systematically identify and rewrite the genetic code of control embedded in policies, procedures, and daily practices. This means examining everything from approval processes to communication protocols. Rather than waiting for mindsets to evolve naturally, leaders should institute new practices that force different behaviors. The "I intend to..." language protocol, for instance, requires team members to state their intentions rather than ask for permission, immediately shifting responsibility and decision-making authority. Leaders must actively resist their natural tendency to provide solutions, even when they know the answer, as this builds dependency and undermines growth. Traditional top-down monitoring systems, like excessive reporting requirements or micromanagement practices, should be eliminated in favor of peer accountability systems. Organizations should normalize thinking aloud during decision-making processes, sharing uncertainties and context that build collective understanding. External evaluations and inspections should be reframed as valuable learning opportunities rather than threats.
For competence: Organizations must systematically address potential errors at the human-machine interface through robust training and system design. This includes creating detailed checklists, implementing redundancy where critical, and ensuring clear communication protocols. Learning should become embedded in daily operations through regular skill-building sessions, knowledge-sharing forums, and practical exercises. Instead of passive briefings, implement certification processes that require demonstrated mastery of critical skills and knowledge. Change initiatives require persistent, consistent communication through multiple channels - from formal presentations to informal conversations, written materials, and practical demonstrations. When assigning tasks, leaders should specify desired outcomes while leaving methods flexible, allowing teams to leverage their expertise and creativity in execution.
For clarity: Excellence should be the standard, not merely the absence of errors. This requires setting ambitious goals and celebrating progress toward them. Leaders must demonstrate genuine care for their people through actions - investing in their development, considering their well-being in decisions, and supporting their career growth. Organizations should actively connect current work to their historical legacy and future vision, helping people understand their role in a larger purpose. Guiding principles should be specific enough to inform daily decisions, not just wall decorations. Recognition for desired behaviors should be immediate and specific, reinforcing the connection between actions and outcomes. Long-term planning and mentoring programs should focus on developing future leaders at all levels. Organizations should actively encourage questioning and challenge conventional wisdom, building resilience through diverse perspectives and critical thinking.
These mechanisms transformed a nuclear submarine from worst to first, demonstrating their power in even the most hierarchical environments. The journey to leader-leader requires courage to challenge deeply ingrained leadership assumptions, patience to consistently reinforce new behaviors despite setbacks, and unwavering faith in people's inherent capacity for leadership at every level. Success comes through systematic application of these mechanisms, not through sporadic or partial implementation.
