In Turn the Ship Around!, former U.S. Navy Captain David Marquet explained the empowering leadership strategy he developed with great success while commanding the nuclear submarine USS Santa Fe. That book generated passionate word-of-mouth, was named one of USA Today's 12 best business books of all time, and made Marquet a globally recognized leadership expert. His "Intent-Based Leadership" system has helped countless teams take responsibility and solve problems -- without waiting to be told what to do.
His new book expands on those ideas, with a fresh approach to workplace communication. Few leaders realize how easy it is to say things that inhibit creative solutions and escalate stress. In both high-pressure situations and routine scenarios, in every meeting and email, the wrong words will disempower and demoralize our colleagues. On the other hand, small changes in our language can lead to dramatic improvements in how our teams perform.
For instance, Marquet reveals why...
* Asking "Are you sure?" leads to less information and worse decisions than asking "How sure are you?"
* Using a few key phrases during stressful, unfamiliar situations can help everyone keep cool heads.
* Sometimes the most valuable thing a leader can say is...nothing.