Leadership on a Submarine: A New Approach

Introduction

• Traditional Leadership: The speaker was trained for one submarine, and his crew was trained to follow commands, a potentially dangerous combination.
• Problem Identification: The crew was aware of the issue that their captain was trained for a different submarine and they blindly followed orders.

Challenges Faced

• Training Mismatch: The captain was trained for a different submarine.
• Operational Deadlines: Needed to deploy the submarine in six months without adequate training.

Initial Solutions

• Brainstorming: The crew spent time discussing possible solutions.
• Realization: Recognized that smarter ordering by the captain was not feasible due to lack of time.

Decision to Change Leadership Style

• Vow to Avoid Giving Orders: The captain decided to refrain from giving orders except for launching weapons.
• Intent-Based Leadership: Shifted from giving orders to providing intent.

Implementation of Intent-Based Leadership

• Intent Over Instructions: Officers stated their intentions rather than asking for orders.
  • Example: "Captain, I intend to submerge the ship."
• Encouraged Ownership: Psychological ownership was transferred to those carrying out tasks.

Two Pillars of Successful Delegation

• Technical Competence: Ensured by the question, "Is it safe?"
• Organizational Clarity: Ensured by the question, "Is it the right thing to do?"

Impact and Success

• Crew Empowerment: Crew members became more proactive and thoughtful.
• Inspection Success: Achieved the highest inspection grade ever seen due to the empowered crew.
• Comparison to Other Submarines: Highlighted the difference between a traditional submarine (one leader) and this approach (135 thinking leaders).

Broader Implications

• Authority to Information: Authority should align with where the information is.
  • Example: Software engineers deciding on software shipping, salespeople closing deals.
• Creating Leaders: Shift from control and attracting followers to giving control and creating leaders.

Overcoming Challenges of Change

• Resistance to Change: Leaders are culturally programmed to take charge, making this transition difficult.
• Continuous Effort: Requires repeated attempts to change leadership style.

Conclusion

• Greatness Through Environment: Achieving greatness not through personal deeds but by creating an environment that fosters greatness in others.
• Call to Action: Encouragement to go forth and be great by fostering leadership in those around you.