
L. David Marquet
A true story of how distributed leadership turned a struggling submarine crew into top performers.
The USS Santa Fe went from worst to first in the fleet under Marquet’s command.
Section 1
9 Sections
Let us begin our journey beneath the surface, where the hum of machinery is matched only by the quiet tension of tradition. Imagine a place where every decision must pass through a single voice, where the weight of command is absolute, and where the crew’s creative energy is left untapped. This was the world of the leader-follower model—a world that had served its purpose in the age of oars and sails, but now, in the era of nuclear submarines and knowledge work, it began to show its cracks.
Yet, as with all great stories, the spark of change began with a question. Why must it be this way? Why should leadership be reserved for the few, while the many simply follow? The realization dawned that perhaps, just perhaps, the model itself was the problem. This questioning, quiet at first, grew louder, echoing through the steel corridors and into the hearts of the crew.
It was in these moments of self-reflection that the seeds of transformation were planted. The first step was not a grand gesture, but a subtle shift—a willingness to challenge tradition and imagine a better way. The crew began to see that leadership was not a position, but a choice.
As we leave the confines of old thinking, let us move forward to explore how these questions turned into action, and how a new model of leadership began to take shape within the tight quarters of a submarine—and beyond.
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