Buy new:
-53% $14.53
to get FREE delivery Wednesday, November 13
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$14.53 with 53 percent savings
List Price: $31.00
The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
to get FREE delivery Wednesday, November 13. Order within 4 hrs 37 mins
Or Non members get FREE delivery Saturday, November 16 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
In Stock
$$14.53 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$14.53
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Returnable until Jan 31, 2025
Returnable until Jan 31, 2025
For the 2024 holiday season, eligible items purchased between November 1 and December 31, 2024 can be returned until January 31, 2025.
Read full return policy
Returns
Returnable until Jan 31, 2025
For the 2024 holiday season, eligible items purchased between November 1 and December 31, 2024 can be returned until January 31, 2025.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$8.29
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
Missing dust jacket. Missing dust jacket. See less
FREE delivery November 19 - 23 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery November 17 - 20
$$14.53 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$14.53
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

L. David Marquet
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders Hardcover – May 16, 2013

by L. David Marquet (Author), Stephen R. Covey (Foreword)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 9,301 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$14.53","priceAmount":14.53,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"14","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"53","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"RLosURp1V9leZyPqKK%2BhZ1vwUm7aHdYaRZJzAev1k5mhZ3NUjfFUZjuX1ChARTlQdXgGXt%2FyeDwLxH1ojFE86oEqWemX8OEEdweKMNi%2FE071dTqixdKuJ5mQByoD%2BP6oHRd%2FmYUmXzz9vHWiyuMJqQ%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$8.29","priceAmount":8.29,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"8","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"29","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"RLosURp1V9leZyPqKK%2BhZ1vwUm7aHdYa9TCFENvEnzaYAZzdy%2BTwxXfuNdzmFInrFmn7bsfuweIzioSYjhEXqSPsr943FtLUYTwpv4z4Au%2B9eNqPGgkuta2y2CG91NaYx2192Liw6MoSgYkXbemTUychyR1z7qtxYcRa4d4hkkdhZEQmqtoGCq01%2B%2BJP56VF","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

“One of the 12 best business books of all time…. Timeless principles of empowering leadership.” – USA Today

"The best how-to manual anywhere for managers on delegating, training, and driving flawless execution.” —FORTUNE

Marquet was a Naval Academy graduate and an experienced officer when selected for submarine command. Trained to give orders in the traditional model of “know all–tell all” leadership, he faced a new wrinkle when he was shifted to the Santa Fe, a nuclear-powered submarine. Facing the high-stress environment of a sub where there’s little margin for error, he was determined to reverse the trends he found on the Santa Fe: poor morale, poor performance, and the worst retention rate in the fleet.

Marquet ran into trouble when he unknowingly gave an impossible order, and his crew tried to follow it anyway. When he asked why, the answer was: “Because you told me to.” Marquet realized that while he had been trained for a different submarine, his crew had been trained to do what they were told—a deadly combination.

That’s when Marquet flipped the leadership model on its head and pushed for leadership at every level. Turn the Ship Around! reveals how the Santa Fe skyrocketed from worst to first in the fleet by challenging the U.S. Navy’s traditional leader-follower approach. Struggling against his own instincts to take control, he instead achieved the vastly more powerful model of giving control to his subordinates, and creating leaders.

Whether you need a major change of course or just a tweak of the rudder, you can apply Marquet’s methods to turn your own ship around.
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Portfolio
  4. Publication date
    May 16, 2013
  5. Dimensions
    5.7 x 1.09 x 8.52 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1591846404
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1591846406
  8. See all details
Next slide of product details
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders
This item: Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders
$14.53
Get it as soon as Saturday, Nov 16
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win (New Edition)
$16.20
Get it as soon as Saturday, Nov 16
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't
$16.29
Get it as soon as Saturday, Nov 16
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
spCSRF_Treatment
Choose items to buy together.
Popular Highlights in this book
What are popular highlights?
Previous page
  1. It didn’t matter how smart my plan was if the team couldn’t execute it!
    Highlighted by 3,749 Kindle readers
  2. One of the things that limits our learning is our belief that we already know something.
    Highlighted by 3,579 Kindle readers
  3. “Don’t move information to authority, move authority to the information.”
    Highlighted by 2,550 Kindle readers
Next page

Editorial Reviews

Review

"One of the top 12 business books of all time." —Motley Fool and USA Today, November 2014

"#1 Must-Read Business Book of 2012" —Fortune Magazine

"The best how-to manual anywhere for managers on delegating, training and driving flawless execution." —Fortune Magazine

"I don't know of a finer model of this kind of empowering leadership than Captain Marquet. And in the pages that follow you will find a model for your pathway." —Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

"To say I'm a fan of David Marquet would be an understatement... I'm a fully fledged groupie. He is the kind of leader who comes around only once a generation. He is the kind of leader who doesn't just know how to lead, he knows how to build leaders. His ideas and lessons are invaluable to anyone who wants to build an organization that will outlive them. —Simon Sinek, optimist and author of Start with Why

"How do we release the intellect and initiative of each member of the organization toward a common purpose? Here's the answer: With fascinating storytelling and a deep understanding of what motivates and inspires. David Marquet provides leaders in the military, business, and education a powerful vehicle that will delight, provoke, and encourage them to act." —Michael P. Peters, president of the St. John's College, Santa Fe

"I owe a lot to Captain David Marquet ... not only for turning the Santa Fe around during some REALLY bad times but I learned many lessons on leadership from him that have been invaluable in my post-Navy life. I preach the three legs (control, competence, clarity) of Leader-Leader everyday to empower my people and move the decisions to where the information lives... I used these principles to turn around the GE Dallas Generator Repair Department, which was in crisis when I arrived in 2010 and now is the best Generator Repair Department in the GE Network... Now I am tasked with turning around the Dallas Steam Turbine Repair Department..."
—Adam McAnally, Steam Turbine Cell Leader at the GE Dallas Service Center and former crewmember, USS Santa Fe

"This terrific read actually provides new and valuable insights into how to lead. And nothing important gets done without leadership. Captain Marquet takes you through his life of learning how to lead, and presents you with a winning formula: not leader-follower, but leader-leader. It's about leading by getting others to take responsibility--and like it. It works for business, politics, and life." —Leslie H. Gelb, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, a member of several business boards, and a former columnist for The New York Times

"It's the Hunt for Red October meets Harvard Business School. Turn the Ship Around! is the consummate book on leadership for the Information Age--where unleashing knowledge workers' intellectual capital is pivotal in optimizing organizational performance: from maximizing market share and minimizing customer churn to improving margins. Capt. Marquet's thesis is a complete paradigm shift in leadership philosophy. This new approach to leadership is applicable in all industries and across all corporate functions. If you're an Organizational Behavior or Leadership expert or enthusiast this book can have a substantial impact on you and your organization s ability to meet its goals." —Joe DeBono, Founder and President of MBA Corps and Merrill Lynch Wealth Manager

"David Marquet's message in Turn the Ship Around! inspires the empowerment of engaged people and leadership at all levels. He encourages leaders to release energy, intellect, and passion in everyone around them. Turn the Ship Around! challenges the paradigm of the hierarchical organization by revealing the process to tear down pyramids, create a flat organization, and to develop leaders, not followers." —Dale R. Wilson, Sr., business management professional, and editor/blogger at Command Performance Leadership (commandperformanceleadership.wordpress.com)

"This is the story of Captain David Marquet's unprecedented experiment in the most rigid of environments on the Santa Fe, a U.S. Navy nuclear-powered submarine. He had the courage to operate counter-culture, reengineering the very definition of leadership accepted by the U.S. Navy for as long as it has existed. He took huge risk to do this. The outcome was revolutionary - within a few short months, the crew of the Santa Fe went from worst to first. In today's information age, Human Capital is our most precious resource. It is the 21stCentury weapon of choice. Captain David Marquet's experiment in leadership has far greater application to the entire business world. This is thought leadership." —Charlie Kim, Founder & CEO of Next Jump, Inc.

"Leaders and managers face an increasingly complex world, where precise execution, teamwork and enabling of talent are competitive advantages. David Marquet provides a blue print, along with real-life examples and implementation mechanisms. Anyone who is charged with leading and making a difference needs to read this." —John Cooper, President and CEO, Invesco Distributors

"David Marquet's book discusses 'successful motivation' that provided his people the energy to overcome difficult obstacles. The values that he imbued in his folks provided a 'burst of energy' that positively energized them by satisfying their needs for achievement, providing appropriate recognition, providing a sense of belonging, developing self-esteem, permitting a feeling of control, and permitting an ability to live up to appropriate standards. This type of leadership energizes the work force and allows senior management to 'paint the future and light a path that takes the entire team to it.' This is a must read for all who desire good moral influence on the work force!" —Vice Admiral Al Konetzni, (USN, ret.) Former Pacific Fleet submarine commander.

"The legacy of a Commanding Officer, or the leader of any organization, is how well the organization performs after he/she departs and the subsequent motivation, success and institutional contribution of those next generation leaders trained and developed. Read Turn the Ship Around! and you will learn how to build an enduring high performer, where people can't wait to get to work." —Admiral Thomas B. Fargo (USN, ret.) Former Commander U.S. Pacific Command Chairman, Huntington Ingalls Industries

"What I learned from and with David Marquet is that developing a bottom-up, Leader-Leader culture produces highly empowered people and highly effective teams. It worked on a nuclear submarine and it worked in the mountains of Afghanistan. That said, cultivating a Leader-Leader culture is much easier said than done because you must overturn almost everything people grow up thinking and learning about leadership." —Captain (sel) Dave Adams, USN, Former Weapons Officer, USS Santa Fe, Khost Province PRT commander, Commanding Officer, USS Santa Fe

"Captain Marquet's compelling leadership journey inspires each of us to imagine a world where every human being is intellectually engaged and fully committed to solving our toughest challenges. If it can be done on a nuclear submarine, it can be done everywhere. Turn the Ship Around! delivers a brilliant message." —Liz Wiseman, Author of Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter

About the Author

L. David Marquet, a top graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, commanded the nuclear-powered, fast-attack submarine USS Santa Fe from 1999 to 2001. Since retiring from the Navy he has worked with businesses nationwide as a leadership consultant.  He gives presentations around the world and has also written a companion workbook called Turn Your Ship Around.  He lives in Florida with his wife, Jane.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Portfolio; 1st edition (May 16, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1591846404
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1591846406
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.7 x 1.09 x 8.52 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 9,301 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
L. David Marquet

L. David Marquet

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Wall Street Journal bestselling author L. David Marquet imagines a work place where everyone engages and contributes their full intellectual capacity, a place where people are healthier and happier because they have more control over their work–a place where everyone is a leader.

A 1981 U.S. Naval Academy graduate, Captain Marquet served in the U.S. submarine force for 28 years. After being assigned to command the nuclear powered submarine USS Santa Fe, then ranked last in retention and operational standing, he realized the traditional leadership approach of “take control, give orders,” wouldn’t work. He “turned the ship around” by treating the crew as leaders, not followers, and giving control, not taking control. This approach took the Santa Fe from “worst to first,” achieving the highest retention and operational standings in the navy.

After David’s departure from the ship, the Santa Fe continued to win awards and promoted a disproportionate number of officers and enlisted men to positions of increased responsibility, including ten subsequent submarine captains. Further, having been on the ship, Stephen R. Covey said it was the most empowering organization he’d ever seen and wrote about Captain Marquet’s leadership practices in his book, The 8th Habit.

Captain Marquet is the author of Leadership is Language, Turn the Ship Around! and companion workbook,The Turn the Ship Around Workbook. Fortune magazine called the book the “best how-to manual anywhere for managers on delegating, training, and driving flawless execution.”

Captain Marquet retired from the Navy in 2009, and delivers the powerful Intent-Based Leadership message: that leadership is not for the select few at the top. In highly effective organizations, there are leaders at every level. David speaks to those who want to create empowering work environments that release the passion, initiative, and intellect of each person. His bold and highly effective framework is summarized as “give control, create leaders.”

He lives in Florida, is an enthusiastic novice trail runner, and a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Website - www.davidmarquet.com

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
9,301 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book outstanding, easy to read, and well-written. They appreciate the important points, lessons to be learned, and valuable advice. Readers also mention the book provides many ideas and examples on how to become a better leader. They mention it has clear summaries of actionable items at the end of each chapter. Additionally, customers say the concepts are easy to understand and the techniques used and explained are incredible.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
ReadabilityLeadership bookIdeasEase of implementationEffectiveness
393 customers mention "Readability"377 positive16 negative

Customers find the book outstanding, easy to read, and useful. They say it's well-written, concise, and interesting. Readers also mention the book is powerful, with lessons they are eager to apply in their work. They describe the narrative as engaging.

"...I am so happy with this purchase. It is well written and super interesting." Read more

"...He provides real-world examples that play out in a concise and interesting narrative that makes you think about how to become a better leader in..." Read more

"...written brilliantly not just as a how to manual but also as an easy flowing read that stays with the reader long after...." Read more

"...Outstanding read for anyone in a leadership position." Read more

345 customers mention "Leadership book"345 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and drives home some important points and ideas. They appreciate the valuable advice, thought-provoking content, and interesting perspectives. Readers also say it gives a sense of motivation and inspiration to better understand the organizational behemoth.

"...I am so happy with this purchase. It is well written and super interesting." Read more

"...book are probably not submarine skippers, there are some very helpful rhetorical questions at the end of each chapter on how to apply Mr. Marquet's..." Read more

"...It gives a sense of motivation and inspiration to better understand the organizational behemoth we operate within...." Read more

"...I selected it on the basis of being the most interesting and potentially useful book I found after doing an advanced search in Amazon, sorting by "..." Read more

55 customers mention "Ideas"55 positive0 negative

Customers find the ideas in the book great and interesting. They say it provides clear summaries of actionable items at the end of each chapter. Readers also appreciate the clear concepts and the great usage of real context. Additionally, they mention the book is an easy read and well-organized for notes on key ideas.

"...on my team members and I attest to the effectiveness which has brought creativity, engagement, and individual responsibility...." Read more

"...It provides several very good examples of how to accomplish driving your reports to become leaders without the constraints of a top down leadership..." Read more

"There are a ton of good ideas in this book...." Read more

"...This book will give you an idea of how you can achieve this. Good by itself...." Read more

44 customers mention "Ease of implementation"41 positive3 negative

Customers find the book easy to implement. They say it has practical steps to follow, and the concepts are easy to understand. Readers also appreciate the techniques used and explained. They mention the tactics are easily implementable and based on sound theoretical principles.

"...This is certainly an interesting and page-turning book. And I am (still) strongly tempted to implement some ideas from it in my own organization...." Read more

"...It is well written and the concepts are easy to understand. Most leadership books focus on fundamental principles...." Read more

"...to follow his leadership theory with relevant anecdotes, an incredibly simple model (Control, Competence, Clarity) and a dose of humility...." Read more

"...methods that were prevalent when he took command are incredibly simple AND powerful...." Read more

28 customers mention "Effectiveness"24 positive4 negative

Customers find the results amazing and the principles demonstrated in the book actually work. They say it's simple to understand, efficient, and effective. Readers also appreciate the solid evidence of the positive effects of the changes.

"...When it works, they boost performance with creativity, drive and innovation. But of course, they sometimes don’t...." Read more

"...author gives a simple outline of management that isn't theoretical - it works...." Read more

"...For those who like measurement, he provides solid evidence of the positive effects of his changes and how those improvements have lasted long after..." Read more

"...Improved outcomes, increased numbers of leadership advancements among the ranks and excellent performance which continues beyond Captain Marquet's..." Read more

Must read for any manager
5 out of 5 stars
Must read for any manager
Great advice for empowering your teams so that you no longer need to make EVERY decision, just the life-and-death ones.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book!
Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2024
Verified Purchase
This was the chosen book for my book club at work. I am so happy with this purchase. It is well written and super interesting.
Helpful
 Report
Paul A. Salvette
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great No-Frills Book on Leadership
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2012
Verified Purchase
Many books on leadership are, in a word, dull. They are either personality-driven mumbo jumbo with a lot of buzz words or boring Mckinsey-type reports with a mounds of useless statistics that don't apply to your situation. I finished Mr. Marquet's book in just under a week and it was a page-turner along with providing some very useful and insightful information. He provides real-world examples that play out in a concise and interesting narrative that makes you think about how to become a better leader in your business, professional field, or career. Since most people reading the book are probably not submarine skippers, there are some very helpful rhetorical questions at the end of each chapter on how to apply Mr. Marquet's best practices to your own situation. The low price for the Kindle edition was nice as well.

Mr. Marquet describes the leadership style he utilized to turn the USS Santa Fe from the joke on the water front to a great boat. In full disclosure, I was a submarine junior officer in Pearl Harbor when Mr. Marquet was the Commodore. Submarine culture is not conducive to innovation or being a risk taker. This is due to the obscene amount of oversight and micromanagement from external organizations as well as senior officers and chiefs being severely punished for the slightest mistake. It doesn't help that the operational requirements are so hectic that you usually just think about getting through the day rather than having some long-term strategy. Mr. Marquet took a huge risk in implementing his leadership style, and the proof is in the improvement of the boat's tactical capabilities, operational readiness, and most importantly morale of the crew (not an easy task as submarines are not the greatest working environments). The advice of stepping back and completely reorienting your organization's culture is important for senior-level leadership. Furthermore, it is comforting that Mr. Marquet advocates a culture of respect toward subordinates and listening to constructive criticism at a time when so many managers are interested in adopting the belittling and humiliating leadership traits of the late Steve Jobs.

I recommend Mr. Marquet's book to any executive-level or mid-level manager who would like to think seriously about the steps they need to employ to improve their organization by working cooperatively with their people and empowering them. 5 Stars!
9 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Pejman Dadras
4.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant read AND a how to manual
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2024
Verified Purchase
The leader-leader method of leadership is by no means a new idea, in fact it has been used in ancient world to great effect to concur empires, by some. But this modern version written brilliantly not just as a how to manual but also as an easy flowing read that stays with the reader long after.

I highly recommend this book not only to those who are new to leadership, but especially to those who aren't new to it and think they're good at it. Because if you use the traditional leadership methods, it's nothing good compared to this.

I just wish the author had not intentionally mis-stated the name of the Persian Gulf as the arabian gulf. This is a political hackery to not use the correct name not only in use since thousands of years ago but also the geographic society and united nations have always recognized the correct name of that body of water as Persian Gulf. It sadly and greatly lowers the author's own intellectual level. Otherwise he has achieved a masterpiece of work on the subject of leadership which should be required reading for all leadership positions.
Helpful
 Report
Jason
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book on leadership and cultivating leaders
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2024
Verified Purchase
Ultimately good leadership is what will move organizations in the right direction. This book addresses the pitfalls f what is perceived to be good leadership. It demonstrates how cultivating leaders is the model of good leadership and discusses how to get there.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Craig
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read if you lead.
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2024
Verified Purchase
I listened to this book on Audible first - liked it so well and had so many notes to make - I had to get a physical copy.

Outstanding read for anyone in a leadership position.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Albert Soto
5.0 out of 5 stars Upside down leadership: A Review of “Turn the Ship Around” by L. David Marquet
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2014
Verified Purchase
One of the words that are used in leadership in civic leadership, corporate leadership, non-profit leadership, and the military is the use of the term ‘empowerment.’ The use of this word is inspiring and it has great meaning to people but the truth is very few leaders and organizations really do not know how to correctly share power with others. To empower people requires the discipline for the leader not to over-perform as to take matters into one’s own hands and to complete tasks themselves or the leader to simply give directional commands to people in order to complete a specific task. Most often, what occurs in organizations is that we empower ‘followers’ which creates a dependency on people for not having to think for themselves as well as not having to take on any real ownership of what the mission and goals of a particular organization is leaving the desire for excellence to be regulated to a few leaders who are brokering all the power. What this creates are organizational cultures that cannot realize the best of the intelligence, talent, and skills from their greatest resource which is their people. In this top-down culture leadership is not understood to be an emotional phenomenon not simply a cognitive process by which transformation of the individual begins in the interior life of an individual person as one is given the opportunity to take risks and explore the credibility of one’s on authority as part of a team.

Therefore, the author takes the reader on his journey of becoming the captain of the nuclear powered attack submarine U.S.S. Santa Fe. The author begins to discuss his own emerging philosophy borne out of his reflection that he no longer desires to lead from the top down but instead desires to lead leader to leader. It is in the context of becoming a leader of a low performing ship with men who were used to a top-down culture that dehumanized their ability to contribute to the betterment of the operation of the vessel by thinking and taking responsibility for more than just their own assigned task but to see how they contributed to the overall mission of the ship. The understanding concerning this new paradigm of leadership is more of an enabling art as it related to releasing human talent and potential. In the words of the author, David Marquet,”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. The world’s greatest problems will be solved by passionate, unleashed “volunteers.”[1] This writer appreciates what Dana Theus in her review of this book presents a functional definition of empowerment by writing,” By definition, we’re sending our troops inside their soul, where we have no control. The essence of empowerment is that you hand over control and see what they can do with it. When it works, they boost performance with creativity, drive and innovation. But of course, they sometimes don’t.

Leading this way is impossible for control freaks and nerve-wracking for everyone else, because we may end up presiding over a performance nosedive, lost profit or angry customers. True empowerment that which leads to inpowered success, is not bunk, but it is a risk.”[2]

None of us are as smart as all of us!

David Marquet’s definition of leadership is interwoven throughout the book: “Leadership is communicating to people their worth and potential so clearly that they are inspired to see it in themselves.” [3] It is with this definition that you the reader can begin to see the writings of Robert Greenleaf’s Servant Leadership Theory on steroids. Ultimately a leader is more concerned for the success of those that leader serves than even their own success. In order to embrace this perspective as more than a trendy approach for a leader to disguise their mechanisms for control the author presents how a leader must begin to deconstruct a culture of control and then build mechanisms on two pillars which are competence and clarity. A leader who is going to begin a leader to leader culture must begin with the conviction that genius resides in the people that they serve with and decision-making at its best requires that genius to be heard.

Me Pastor- You Sheep

I highly recommend ecclesiastical leaders to read this book because most of the mistakes of leadership in the church come from archaic notions of leadership that are simply untrue. We are living in the middle of one of the most profound shifts in human history, where the primary work of mankind is moving from the Industrial Age of “control” to the Knowledge Worker Age of “release.” What a think this book can do for Pastors in the local church is a functional matrix by which the theological conviction of the “Priesthood of all Believers” can possibly find expression. Protestants for years have been critical of other Christian traditions identifying them as being theologically institutional giving birth to hierarchical systems which create top-down priestly elite. Thus, people must be dependent on these leaders for their ability to contribute and grow. What I have experienced is that Protestants have created their own hierarchies with very controlling environments just different language. If ecclesiastical leadership are convinced that each person is “God’s workmanship” (Ephesians 2:10) than I agree with the author, David Marquet, that our goal should not simply be “empowerment” but instead “emancipation.” With emancipation we are recognizing the inherent genius, energy, and creativity in all people, and allowing those talents to emerge. It is with this understanding of emancipation that one comes to the sobering awareness, “That a leader realizes that they do not create the talents in people nor do they empower them to use their talents. But a leader understands that they do have the power to prevent the talents of the people they lead to come out.” The awareness that I as a leader can limit the giftedness and talents of others being expressed is enough for me to recommend that you read this book.

[1] L. David Marquet, Turn the Ship Around, p xxi.

[2] Dana Theus on October 22nd, 2012, [...]

[3] L. David Marquet, Turn the Ship Around, p xxii.
9 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Cliente de Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read!
Reviewed in Mexico on October 16, 2024
Verified Purchase
Excellent read for those organizations aiming to transform themselves in today's World. For me complements very well others authors e. g. Humanocracy and Reinventing Organizations.
Report
Fabio Paiva
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is necessary
Reviewed in Brazil on September 14, 2024
Verified Purchase
This book is necessary
For those who consider themselves very experienced, this book provides important to hints and structure to improve your idea or vision
You help me a lot, and I thank David Marqet for sharing all his experience and knowledge.
Report
MARION CHASE
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for business
Reviewed in Canada on September 7, 2024
Verified Purchase
Well written and the lessons never fail!
Report
Filipe Rodrigues
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirador
Reviewed in Spain on October 27, 2024
Verified Purchase
Excelente relato de resiliência
Report
Nicolas
5.0 out of 5 stars Fesselnder Erlebnisbericht
Reviewed in Germany on October 4, 2024
Verified Purchase
Change, Transformation und Leadership, Themen, die mich im Alltag immer begleiten, aber die Literatur ist dazu meist theoretisch und in der Praxis nur schwer umzusetzen. "Turn the ship around" ist aufgrund der nuklearen Ausstattung nicht unbedingt näher an meinem Alltag, aber es zeigt, dass die Prinzipien überall funktionieren können. Lässt sich gut lesen, die paar Seiten (~ 200) sind in wenigen Stunden verschlungen. Gut geschrieben und für mich absolut spannend. Dazu tatsächlich im Alltag umgesetzt, ich mag Erfahrungsberichte und dieser war fesselnd und lehrreich.
Report