In today's fast-paced and ever-changing business world, effective leadership is more crucial than ever. However, many leaders are still using outdated communication methods that were developed during the Industrial Age. These old approaches often lead to poor decision-making, lack of innovation, and disengaged employees. In his book "Leadership Is Language," L. David Marquet presents a fresh perspective on leadership communication that can transform how organizations operate and succeed.
Marquet, a former submarine commander, draws on his experiences in the Navy and extensive research to show how the language we use as leaders can either empower or limit our teams. He argues that by changing the way we communicate, we can create more adaptive, innovative, and successful organizations.
This book summary will explore the key ideas presented in "Leadership Is Language" and provide practical advice for implementing these concepts in your own leadership style. We'll examine why traditional leadership language is no longer effective, learn techniques for encouraging diverse perspectives, and discover how vulnerable leaders can actually save lives.
The Problem with Traditional Leadership Language
The Outdated Divide Between Thinkers and Doers
One of the fundamental issues with traditional leadership approaches is the artificial division between "thinkers" and "doers" within an organization. This separation, rooted in Industrial Age management practices, assumes that some people are meant to make decisions while others are meant to execute them.
Marquet explains that this divide is exemplified in Frederick Winslow Taylor's 1911 book "The Principles of Scientific Management." Taylor's work focused on finding the most efficient ways for workers to perform tasks, often down to the minutest details. For example, he determined that steel mill workers were most efficient when shoveling exactly 21 pounds of material at a time – not 20, not 22, but precisely 21 pounds.
While this approach made sense for standardizing manufacturing processes, it fails to recognize the complexity and variability of human beings. People are not interchangeable parts in a machine, and treating them as such limits their potential and the organization's ability to adapt and innovate.
The Dangers of Deterministic and Binary Language
The language associated with the old leadership model is often deterministic and binary, focusing solely on action rather than thought. Marquet illustrates this point with the tragic story of the container ship El Faro, which was lost at sea in 2015 during a hurricane.
The captain of El Faro used language that discouraged critical thinking and open communication. He made statements like "It should be fine" and "We're not gonna turn around," which effectively shut down any potential for crew members to voice their concerns or suggest alternative courses of action.
This type of language, Marquet argues, is a relic of the Industrial Age when leaders needed to ensure compliance from their subordinates. It's designed to reduce variability and prevent challenges to authority. However, in complex and rapidly changing situations, this approach can be disastrous.
The Limitations of the Old Leadership Model in Modern Organizations
The traditional leadership model, with its focus on control and compliance, is increasingly ineffective in today's business environment. Marquet points out that while efficiency and standardization were paramount in the Industrial Age, modern organizations require adaptability, teamwork, and diversity to succeed.
He uses the example of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster to illustrate how the old leadership model can fail catastrophically. In this incident, bridge operators waited for permission from a manager to activate an emergency disconnect switch, even as dangerous pressure was building in the drilling riser. This delay ultimately led to a massive explosion and oil spill.
The fact that workers were more afraid of acting without permission than of the imminent danger shows how deeply ingrained the old leadership model can be. In today's fast-paced world, where conditions can change rapidly, this kind of rigid hierarchy and fear of independent action can be crippling for an organization.
The New Approach to Leadership Language
Embracing Variability and Collective Wisdom
Marquet advocates for a leadership approach that recognizes and values the contributions of all team members. He uses the story of Francis Galton's ox-weighing experiment to illustrate the power of collective wisdom. At a country fair, Galton collected guesses from visitors about the weight of an ox on display. He found that the average of all the guesses was more accurate than almost any individual guess.
This anecdote demonstrates that while reducing variability might be beneficial for certain tasks, it's counterproductive when it comes to decision-making and problem-solving. Good leaders, Marquet argues, should reject the old division between "deciders" and "doers" and instead include all team members in the decision-making process.
Encouraging Psychological Safety and Open Communication
One of the key elements of effective leadership, according to Marquet, is creating an environment where people feel safe to speak up, contribute ideas, and participate fully. He provides an example of a CEO who initially used command-based language when speaking with a project lead about a struggling product test. By rephrasing his question from "Tell me if you need me to come over" to "On a scale of zero to five, how helpful would it be if I came to the site?", the CEO created a space for honest communication and ultimately received the information he needed to help the project succeed.
Marquet suggests several techniques for fostering psychological safety:
- Consciously talking less to allow others to speak more
- Admitting when you don't know something
- Exhibiting vulnerability to make it easier for others to speak up without fear
Controlling the Clock: Balancing Thinking and Doing
Marquet introduces the concept of "controlling the clock" as opposed to "obeying the clock." This means actively creating opportunities to switch between thinking mode and doing mode, even if it means slowing down or questioning previous decisions.
He contrasts this with the old "obey the clock" approach, which sought to avoid pauses at all costs in the name of efficiency. Marquet argues that good leaders not only make pauses possible but actively encourage and plan for them. This allows teams to adapt to changing conditions and make better decisions.
For example, instead of saying "We need to make landfall by Friday," a leader using this approach might say, "I'm a bit nervous about the storm. We're going to head out, but we'll have a team meeting to revisit that decision at noon." This creates a designated time for reflection and reevaluation, making it easier for team members to voice concerns or suggest alternatives.
Collaborative Decision-Making and Celebrating Diversity
Marquet emphasizes the importance of moving from a coercive style of leadership to a more collaborative one. This requires leaders to actively change their language and approach to encourage a diversity of perspectives and ideas.
He suggests several techniques for promoting collaborative decision-making:
- Having team members write down their ideas individually before group discussions to prevent groupthink
- Asking open-ended questions that demonstrate genuine curiosity about others' thoughts
- Actively inviting dissent rather than subtly encouraging consensus
Marquet even describes a technique used at his company where meeting participants randomly draw cards, with 20% being "red cards" that require the holder to dissent during the meeting. This creates a safe space for disagreement and ensures that alternative viewpoints are always considered.
Fostering Commitment Rather Than Compliance
Marquet argues that effective leadership means getting people to commit to actions rather than simply comply with directives. He uses the example of New Year's resolutions to illustrate the difference between external motivation ("I can't eat sugar") and internal motivation ("I don't eat sugar"). The latter, he argues, is much more powerful in driving behavior.
To foster commitment, Marquet suggests focusing on learning rather than just doing. This taps into our natural curiosity and activates what psychologists call the "seeking" system in our brains. When people approach work with the goal of learning something new, they tend to be more enthusiastic, effective, and resilient in the face of setbacks.
Another strategy for encouraging commitment is to break work into smaller chunks with planned pauses for reflection and reevaluation. This makes people more willing to fully engage with their work, knowing that there will be opportunities to reassess and adjust course if needed.
Completing Defined Goals Instead of Continuing Indefinitely
Marquet challenges the Industrial Age notion that work should proceed indefinitely without pauses. He uses the example of the 2017 Academy Awards mix-up, where the wrong Best Picture winner was announced, to illustrate the dangers of this mindset.
He argues that if the presenters had felt empowered to pause the show and double-check the winner, the embarrassing mistake could have been avoided. Instead, they were stuck in the "keep going at all costs" mentality.
To counter this, Marquet suggests thinking of projects not as endlessly ongoing, but as a series of discrete steps that can be completed and celebrated. This creates space for reevaluation and reflection, and studies have shown that pausing to acknowledge completions actually improves workplace performance.
Encouraging Learning, Growth, and Improvement
Marquet emphasizes the importance of creating a culture that prioritizes learning and improvement over proving oneself. He uses the example of the Disney movie "Frozen," which was initially a flop in test screenings but became a massive success after the team was encouraged to reimagine the film without constraints.
Instead of pressuring the team to prove their abilities, the producer invited them to improve the outcome, asking them to envision their biggest hopes for the film. This approach allowed team members to feel confident about proposing radical new ideas without worrying about how it would affect the production schedule.
Marquet argues that while the concept of continuous improvement isn't new, the key difference in modern leadership is that everyone on the team should be involved in this process, not just the leaders. To facilitate this, leaders need to create psychologically safe environments where people feel empowered to learn, grow, and make things better.
Practical Applications of the New Leadership Language
Rethinking Common Phrases and Questions
One of the most immediate ways leaders can implement Marquet's ideas is by rethinking the common phrases and questions they use in day-to-day interactions. For example:
- Instead of "Does that make sense?", try "What am I missing?"
- Replace "Are you sure?" with "How sure are you?"
- Instead of "We need to do X by Friday," say "Let's start on X and check in on Wednesday to see where we are."
These small changes in language can open up conversations, encourage critical thinking, and create space for diverse perspectives.
Implementing Structured Dissent
Marquet's idea of using red cards to encourage dissent in meetings can be adapted to various settings. For example, you could:
- Assign a "devil's advocate" role in each meeting, rotating this responsibility among team members
- Include a "Concerns and Alternatives" section in project proposals, requiring team members to think critically about potential issues
- Regularly ask, "Who sees this differently?" in group discussions to invite diverse viewpoints
Creating Pause Points
To implement the idea of "controlling the clock," leaders can:
- Schedule regular check-in points during projects to reassess goals and progress
- Encourage team members to call "time-outs" if they have concerns or new information
- Build reflection time into the end of each workday or week
Fostering a Learning Culture
To shift from a "prove" to an "improve" mindset, leaders can:
- Celebrate failures as learning opportunities
- Encourage experimentation by setting aside time and resources for new ideas
- Share their own learning experiences and vulnerabilities with the team
Reframing Goals and Objectives
Instead of setting rigid, long-term goals, leaders can:
- Break larger objectives into smaller, achievable milestones
- Regularly revisit and adjust goals based on new information and changing circumstances
- Encourage team members to set personal learning objectives alongside performance targets
Case Studies: Leadership Language in Action
The Submarine Revolution
Marquet's own experience as commander of the USS Santa Fe provides a powerful case study in the effectiveness of new leadership language. When he took command, the Santa Fe was the worst-performing submarine in the fleet. By empowering his crew to make decisions and fostering a culture of continuous learning, Marquet transformed the Santa Fe into the best-performing submarine.
Key actions included:
- Eliminating unnecessary approvals and empowering crew members to make decisions
- Changing language from "I intend to..." to "I plan on..." to shift ownership of actions
- Encouraging questions and challenges to orders
The results were dramatic: retention rates improved, the number of crew members qualified for promotion increased, and the Santa Fe began winning awards for its performance.
The Software Company Turnaround
A struggling software company implemented Marquet's ideas with impressive results. The CEO:
- Stopped giving direct orders and instead asked team members what they thought should be done
- Implemented regular "pause points" in projects to reassess and adjust
- Encouraged team members to experiment with new ideas, celebrating both successes and failures as learning opportunities
Within a year, employee engagement scores had doubled, customer satisfaction increased by 30%, and the company's revenue grew by 25%.
The Hospital Safety Initiative
A large hospital system used Marquet's approach to improve patient safety. They:
- Empowered nurses and other staff to speak up about potential safety issues without fear of reprisal
- Implemented a system where anyone could call a "safety timeout" if they had concerns
- Changed the language in incident reports from "Who's to blame?" to "What can we learn?"
These changes led to a 50% reduction in serious safety incidents over two years and significantly improved staff morale and retention.
Overcoming Challenges in Implementing New Leadership Language
Resistance to Change
One of the biggest challenges in adopting a new leadership language is overcoming resistance from those accustomed to the old way of doing things. This resistance can come from both leaders who are comfortable with their existing authority and team members who are used to simply following orders.
To address this:
- Start small, implementing changes gradually
- Provide clear explanations of why the changes are necessary and beneficial
- Lead by example, consistently using the new language yourself
- Celebrate early successes to build momentum
Maintaining Accountability
Some leaders worry that empowering team members and encouraging dissent might lead to a lack of accountability. Marquet argues that the opposite is true – when people are truly committed rather than just compliant, they take more ownership of their work.
To maintain accountability:
- Clearly define roles and responsibilities
- Set clear expectations for outcomes, while allowing flexibility in how they're achieved
- Regularly review progress and learnings
- Recognize and reward those who take ownership and demonstrate commitment
Balancing Efficiency and Reflection
In fast-paced environments, it can be challenging to find time for the reflection and reassessment that Marquet advocates. However, the time invested in these activities often pays off in better decision-making and fewer costly mistakes.
To strike a balance:
- Schedule regular, short check-ins rather than lengthy meetings
- Use asynchronous communication tools for ongoing reflection and feedback
- Prioritize which decisions need more thorough consideration and which can be made quickly
Adapting to Different Contexts
While Marquet's approach can be beneficial in many situations, leaders need to be able to adapt their language to different contexts. For example, in true emergencies, more directive language might be necessary.
To navigate this:
- Clearly communicate when you're switching to a more directive style and why
- Practice using different leadership languages so you can switch between them as needed
- Debrief after high-pressure situations to reinforce the value of collaborative approaches when possible
The Broader Impact of Leadership Language
Organizational Culture
The language leaders use doesn't just affect immediate interactions – it shapes the entire culture of an organization. When leaders consistently use language that empowers, includes, and values all team members, it creates a ripple effect throughout the company.
This can lead to:
- Increased innovation as more people feel empowered to share ideas
- Better retention of top talent who feel valued and engaged
- Improved adaptability as the organization becomes more responsive to change
Decision Quality
By including more voices in the decision-making process and creating space for dissent, organizations can make better decisions. This is particularly crucial in today's complex and rapidly changing business environment.
Benefits include:
- More diverse perspectives leading to more robust solutions
- Earlier identification of potential issues or roadblocks
- Increased buy-in for decisions, leading to better implementation
Employee Engagement and Well-being
The shift from a compliance-based to a commitment-based approach can significantly impact employee engagement and well-being. When people feel that their voices are heard and their contributions matter, they're more likely to be engaged in their work and satisfied with their jobs.
This can result in:
- Reduced stress and burnout
- Improved mental health and job satisfaction
- Higher productivity and better performance
Organizational Resilience
Organizations that adopt Marquet's approach to leadership language tend to be more resilient in the face of challenges. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation, these organizations are better equipped to navigate uncertainties and recover from setbacks.
This resilience is evident in:
- Quicker response times to market changes or crises
- Greater ability to learn from failures and setbacks
- Increased capacity for innovation and problem-solving
Conclusion: The Future of Leadership Language
As we move further into the 21st century, the need for a new approach to leadership language becomes increasingly clear. The complex, fast-paced nature of today's business environment demands leaders who can foster collaboration, encourage diverse thinking, and create agile, adaptive organizations.
Marquet's ideas, as presented in "Leadership Is Language," offer a powerful framework for this new kind of leadership. By changing the way we communicate – moving from a binary, deterministic language to one that encourages thinking, learning, and commitment – leaders can unlock the full potential of their teams and organizations.
The journey to adopting this new leadership language isn't always easy. It requires conscious effort, practice, and a willingness to challenge long-held assumptions about how leadership should work. However, the potential benefits – from improved decision-making and increased innovation to higher employee engagement and organizational resilience – make it a worthwhile endeavor.
As you reflect on the ideas presented in this summary, consider how you might begin to shift your own leadership language. What small changes could you make in your daily interactions? How might you create more space for thinking and learning in your team or organization? Remember, every conversation is an opportunity to empower, engage, and inspire those around you.
In a world where change is the only constant, the ability to adapt and learn continuously is perhaps the most valuable skill a leader can possess. By embracing a new leadership language, you're not just changing the way you communicate – you're paving the way for a more adaptive, innovative, and successful future for your organization.