That’s why “Turn the Ship Around” suggests that you think outside the box! Instead of a “leader-follower” approach, develop a “leader-leader” strategy. In short, train trailblazers – not devotees.

It starts with an uncomfortable thing: giving away some of your power. And there are two important ways in which you can do this: giving your employees greater responsibilities and allowing them to make decisions on their own. We’ve already learned a thing or two about leadership from some the past greats, such as Lincoln and Washington. And we went over the 21 laws of leadership. When we encourage our people to push the envelope on what has been done or achieved, there is a likelihood that they will stumble, fall and make some mistakes. From 1999-2001, Captain L. David Marquet served as Captain of the USS Santa Fe, a nuclear submarine stationed in Pearl Harbor. At the beginning of his tenure, Santa Fe was one of the worst subs in the fleet. His book Turn the Ship Around! is the phenomenal story of how the ship turned from poor to excellent during his tenure and beyond through his leadership. If you haven’t read it, I hope this article inspires you to do so. I will summarize it and then briefly relate the book’s principles to Scrum. Leader-Follower vs. Leader-Leader In David’s book he talks about developing a “Leader / Leader” model instead. This structure requires each individual to think like a leader.To be honest - I have never had a strong interest in military-oriented reading material, fiction or non-fiction. Aside from my interest in pre 20th century piracy on the high seas (more of social class/mobility angle here) - I haven't really read any books about life on boats or submarines.

Leaders knew so much and the workers so little. Leaders wanted to be missed after leaving the premises. One of my favorite all-time leadership books is in fact titled Turn the Ship Aroundby L. David Marquet. Competence could not rest solely with the leader. It had to run throughout the entire organization.”Scrum Teams are cross-functional, meaning the members have all the skills necessary to create value each Sprint. They are also self-managing, meaning they internally decide who does what, when, and how.” -Scrum Guide 2020 This has been the basis of our thinking about leadership for hundreds of years because it has worked. It’s responsible for successes ranging from the construction of the pyramids in ancient Egypt to the factories of the Industrial Revolution.

The 20 th century was the century of workers. The 21 st is the century of leaders. The Leader-Leader Philosophy Is the Future 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.) Over time, Marquet and his officers came up with 20 “mechanisms” (Navy terminology for methods practices) to transform Santa Fe from a leader-follower to a leader-leader organization. The mechanisms focused on three key areas: You see, today’s leaders are not much different than the ones who managed the building of the pyramids or the Industrial Revolution. In fact, a pharaoh might do just as good as a company CEO today. The problem is that this good is not good enough. Be inspired by your organization’s legacy. Create a sense of mission by connecting present efforts with the past accomplishments.For now, we’ll go straight into a short overview of the Leader-Leader approach. Turn the Ship Around with The Leader-Leader Approach USE YOUR LEGACY FOR INSPIRATION is a mechanism for CLARITY." Note achievements and legacy - these are helpful for guiding the team.