Why a Nuclear Submarine Captain is My Leadership North Star.
Military history has shaped my thinking about leadership for most of my life. From my first exposure to JROTC in high school, I have been fascinated by how people lead under extreme pressure. Although I never served in the military and instead chose to pursue a college education, the lessons embedded in these stories stayed with me. Accounts of leadership in the most hostile conditions offer clear and powerful examples of how teams succeed or fail in business. Tales of heroism, cowardice, innovation, and incompetence all point to the same truth: leadership is often the difference between success and failure, and it may be the most difficult responsibility someone can have. Unfortunately, we have plenty of poor examples of leadership in the public square, but it is good to see some inspiring examples, and one is L. David Marquet and the story of the USS Santa Fe. I want to devote more time to Marquet and his intentional leadership style because it is inspirational.
When you see a picture of Captain Marquet, he does not look like someone who commanded a nuclear submarine. Instead, he resembles the person who manages the company network. He is not a character out of central casting. Instead, he is a quite professional who worked his way up the chain of command from the United States Naval Academy to the command of a nuclear attack submarine.
What was supposed to be a dream job commanding the USS Olympia became an emergency assignment to the USS Santa Fe after its previous commander abruptly quit. To the outside world, it was a submarine; to those who served aboard, it was a 'boat'—and a troubled one at that. Santa Fe ranked last in every performance metric. Both enlisted sailors and officers saw their careers stall upon arrival, and a string of commanders had struggled just to keep the vessel sea-worthy. For an ambitious officer, the assignment felt less like an opportunity and more like a punishment.
Over his tenure commanding the Santa Fe, the crew and captain helped turn the ship around. The submarine was regularly deployed, passed inspections, and eventually, Navy SEAL teams relied on it for special operations missions. The boat went from worst to first in the Pacific fleet and became an incubator for talent. Some might attribute this to a forceful personality, but the reality is that Marquet realized that he might be the problem.
Nuclear submarines are the ultimate engines of destruction. Worth about two billion dollars, they contain torpedoes, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles with both conventional and nuclear warheads. The firepower on one of these vessels can eclipse the power of many individual nations' navies. If the President of the United States wanted to end a civilization, a nuclear-armed submarine could fulfill that grim duty.
This kind of power is complex to operate and requires 150 people working in unity. It takes a commander over a year to understand how to operate a nuclear submarine. Marquet had to take command of the Santa Fe in 90 days. It felt like an impossible task. Unlike many leaders who would suck it up and do the best they could. Marquet realized that he had to do something different. He had to depend on the judgment and leadership of the people under his command. It was a significant paradigm shift from how naval officers are trained. Soon, the Santa Fe became a laboratory for new leadership principles.
Typically, in the military, a commander gives an order, and those under his command execute it. Marquet turned that model on its side, saying what he intended to do, and the people under his leadership would figure out how to make those intentions a reality. Instead of giving orders, he would ask questions and solicit answers from the people junior to him. He allowed people to take ownership of their areas and gave them the flexibility to fulfill their responsibilities without micromanagement or unnecessary pressure. It was so successful that junior enlisted people learned to change oil filters when they were out of sonar range of possible enemy ships.
It wasn't smooth sailing, but over time, morale on the ship improved, and the Santa Fe's combat effectiveness increased. Training and development programs helped sailors earn promotions, and as the reputation of the Santa Fe i9mproved it received more difficult missions. What makes Marquet's story so compelling is that it explains, warts and all, what it takes to transform an organization. It requires time, focus, and attention to detail. The most important factor is trust. Trusting people to do the right thing and to take initiative when instructions are unclear.
I deeply respect Captain Marquet, and I hope to meet him in person someday. He is not from central casting, but he is one of those leaders who can transform an organization. I would like to think I am a kindred spirit.
Until next time.
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