_We need to match our zeal for can do with can think._  David Marquet, _Leadership is Language_

In his **global bestseller**_Turn the Ship Around_ former U.S. Navy submarine captain David Marquet tells the story of how his crew rose from being the poorest performers in the fleet to top spot.

We interviewed David about his latest book _Leadership is Language_ in which he credits **communication** for the crew's transformation. Here are his key concepts:

*  _Changing our words changed our world._
  *  _We replaced a reactive language of_**_convince, coerce, comply and conform_**_with a proactive language of_**_intent and commitment to action._**
  *  _We replaced a language of_**_prove and perform_**_with a language of_**_improve and learn._**
  *  _We replaced a language of_**_invulnerability and certainty_**_with a language of_**_vulnerability and curiosity._**

In _Leadership is Language_ , Marquet also shares the tragic story of container ship El Faro, which sank off the Bahamas in a hurricane in 2015 with all 33 crew aboard. There were no survivors. Using spoken records retrieved from the wreck, Marquet believes outdated top-down language from the Industrial Age playbook may have contributed to the tragedy.

**Pay attention to share of voice**. If there are four people and each person says 25% of the words spoken, you have a perfectly balanced share of voice. One aspect of the El Faro tragedy is how unevenly the talking time was shared on the bridge.

* **Control the clock instead of obeying the clock** \(Make a pause in activity possible; name it, preplan it\)
  *  **Collaborate instead of coercing** \(Vote first, then discuss. Use a fist to show zero then fingers up to 5\) 
  * **Commitment rather than compliance** \(Commit to a short burst of activity for the purpose of learning something  What could we do first?\).
  *  **Complete defined goals instead of continuing work indefinitely** \(View work in discrete elements or every hour, every day will feel the same. Pause to celebrate.\). 
  * **Improve outcomes rather than prove ability** \(Reflect openly with your team how your actions might have been better. Encourage curiosity from everyone: How can we make it better?\)
  *  **Connect with people instead of conforming to your role** \(Cherish and value differing opinions. Flatten the power gradient We need to do this is better than I need you to do this.\)

6 new leadership plays for a new playbook:

- Variability is an ally

- Greater variability in possible actions means greater innovation, greater creativity more options.

Bluework = Thinking and Decision making.

- Variability is unhelpful

- Humans like getting stuff done.

To be effective we need to weave back and forth between thinking and doing. The problem is that the language we use is only about doing, not thinking.

Example: **_Are you sure its right to go?_** versus the cognitively taxing \(but better\) **How sure are you its right to go?**

There is a rhythmic dance between bluework and redwork, between thinking and doing, between embracing variability and reducing variability, between improving and proving.

The first question is Are we in redwork \(doing\) or bluework \(thinking\)?

If stuck in **bluework** \(analysis paralysis\) commit to doing a small, very small, piece of action that will move you into redwork. If stuck in **redwork** \(running in circles\) then control the clock, then take steps to collaborate and improve. Perhaps ask a what or how question of a team member.

Redwork = Doing, execution

**Running meetings:** Vote first then discuss. This stops the anchoring effect where attendees follow the leader. If youre running your meeting properly and divergent thinking still isnt happening, your responsibility as a leader is to go looking for it.

**Beware of Escalation of Commitment.** Once we commit to a small step, humans have a tendency to continue and commit in that direction. We stubbornly stick to it, even in the face of evidence that the course of action is failing. Build in pause and reflect stops.

* Create a safe space for people to speak up. 
  * When leaders admit they dont know, they allow the team to admit that they dont know. It also allows a team member to admit they do know. 
  * Trust people first because your trust in them will affect their behaviour.
  * Acknowledge power gradients exist in all relationships. Whether you see it or not, its there.

Try: _Your fresh eyes will be valuable on this. You are the only person who sees what you see._

Developing and executing **company strategy** should be couched as learning. Avoid a Heres our strategy statement from the CEO but Our hypothesis is that a strategy of ABC will result in XYZ and put an expiration date on it.

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