Leadership Is Language
The Hidden Power of What You Say and What You Don't
Published on 6. February 2020
Book
Paperback/Softback
352 pages
978-0-241-37366-8 (ISBN)
Description
'Full of compelling advice on how to lead more effectively by choosing your words more wisely' ADAM GRANT | FINANCIAL TIMES Book of the Month
Your words matter more than you think. Most of us use the language we inherited from a time when workers worked with their hands and managers worked with their heads. Today, your people do much more than simply follow orders. They contribute to performance and solve problems, and it's time we updated our language to reflect that.
In Leadership Is Language, former US Navy captain L. David Marquet offers a radical playbook to empower your people and put your team on a path to continuous improvement. The framework will help you achieve the right balance between deliberation and action, and take bold risks without endangering your mission. Among other things, you'll learn:
- How to avoid the seven common sins of questioning, from binary questions (should we do A or B?) to self-affirming questions (B is the better option, right?)
- Why you should vote first, then discuss, when deciding on a plan with your team, rather than voting after discussion
- Why it's better to give your people information instead of instructions
As a submarine captain, Marquet used his counterintuitive model of leadership to turn the worst-performing submarine crew into the best-performing one in the fleet, a story he recounted in his bestselling book Turn the Ship Around! Now, in Leadership Is Language, he draws on a wide range of examples, from the 2017 Oscars Best Picture mishap to the tragic sinking of the SS El Faro, to show you exactly how the words you use (and don't use) impact how your people contribute.
Your words matter more than you think. Most of us use the language we inherited from a time when workers worked with their hands and managers worked with their heads. Today, your people do much more than simply follow orders. They contribute to performance and solve problems, and it's time we updated our language to reflect that.
In Leadership Is Language, former US Navy captain L. David Marquet offers a radical playbook to empower your people and put your team on a path to continuous improvement. The framework will help you achieve the right balance between deliberation and action, and take bold risks without endangering your mission. Among other things, you'll learn:
- How to avoid the seven common sins of questioning, from binary questions (should we do A or B?) to self-affirming questions (B is the better option, right?)
- Why you should vote first, then discuss, when deciding on a plan with your team, rather than voting after discussion
- Why it's better to give your people information instead of instructions
As a submarine captain, Marquet used his counterintuitive model of leadership to turn the worst-performing submarine crew into the best-performing one in the fleet, a story he recounted in his bestselling book Turn the Ship Around! Now, in Leadership Is Language, he draws on a wide range of examples, from the 2017 Oscars Best Picture mishap to the tragic sinking of the SS El Faro, to show you exactly how the words you use (and don't use) impact how your people contribute.
Reviews / Votes
Full of compelling advice on how to lead more effectively by choosing your words more wisely * Adam Grant, author of Originals and Give and Take, and host of the TED podcast WorkLife * A fascinating new paradigm for our modern leader that relies on a balance between thinking and doing, welcoming and minimizing variability, to get the most out of our teams and organizations * General (ret.) Stanley McChrystal, author of Team of Teams and Leaders * A refreshing, actionable framework that helps leaders navigate uncertainty and tackle thorny problems by bringing out the best in their people * Annie Duke, author of Thinking in Bets * In Turn The Ship Around, Marquet challenged us to change the way we lead; Now, in Leadership is Language, he challenges us to change the way we talk as leaders by dropping the archaic language of command and control and learning the language of creativity, collaboration, and commitment * Liz Wiseman, author of Multipliers * A truly unique take on leadership that re-engineers our language. Anchored in how teams actually talk, Marquet shows leaders how to leave the Industrial Age language behind us * Verne Harnish, founder of Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) and author of Scaling Up * Illustrates the powerful intersection of communication and leadership and offers simple steps to transform your thinking, your influence, and the lives in your span of care * Bob Chapman, CEO of Barry-Wehmiller and author of Everybody Matters * Drawing on a wide variety of examples from all kinds of organisation, David Marquet has written an impressive and engaging book which is not just thought-provoking, but offers simple, actionable ways of escaping the traps that our words lay for us * Stephen Bungay, author of The Art of Action * The definitive guide for those seeking to be real leaders in transformative times. David not only shows us how business and leadership has drastically changed and why the structures of yesterday are hindering our ability to business, but also how to reinvent our leadership style to meet the evolving demands of the new marketplace * Tamara Ghandour, creator of the Innovation Quotient Edge, host of Inside LaunchStreet & Author of Innovation is Everybody's Business. * This book is brilliant. Seriously * John Konrad, Author of Fire on the Horizon and founder of gCaptain * I have seen David in action using words to truly inspire and empower. This is a must-read for every leader! * George Kohlreiser, Author of Hostage at the Table, Care to Dare and Director of IMD's acclaimed High Performance Leadership Program *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Penguin Books Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Dimensions
Height: 232 mm
Width: 153 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
434 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-241-37366-8 (9780241373668)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
02/2020
1st Edition
Penguin Books Ltd
€14.99
Available for download
Person
L. David Marquet graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and commanded the nuclear-powered submarine USS Santa Fe. Since retiring from the Navy, he has worked with businesses globally as a leadership consultant and speaks about Intent-Based Leadership around the world. A highly sought-after speaker, his clients include Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, professional sports teams, business schools and governments. He is the bestselling author of Turn the Ship Around! and Leadership Is Language. His books have been translated into 15 languages.