Turn the Ship Around!

The book that made Marquet’s name and established intent-based leadership as a widely adopted model. He tells the story of taking command of the USS Santa Fe, discovering that the crew was trained to follow orders rather than think, and systematically pushing authority downward until every sailor operated as a leader responsible for their own decisions.

Why Start Here

Turn the Ship Around is both Marquet’s most important book and his most compelling. The narrative structure, built around a real submarine crew in high-stakes situations, keeps the lessons grounded in experience rather than theory. Later works like Leadership Is Language and the workbook build on concepts introduced here, so starting anywhere else means missing the foundation.

What to Expect

A 272-page narrative that reads like a well-paced memoir. Each chapter covers a specific period or challenge during Marquet’s command of the Santa Fe, with the leadership principle clearly articulated. The tone is honest and self-aware. Marquet does not shy away from describing his own mistakes, which makes the successes more credible. Practical questions at the end of each chapter help you apply the ideas to your own context.