As inspired by L. David Marquet’s book Turn the Ship Around.

Problem: In traditional top-down management, only a few people make decisions, which can slow down adaptability and innovation.

Solution: Encourage everyone to act as a leader by giving decision-making power to all team members, making the organization faster and more resilient.

Everyone has the potential to lead. Organizations perform best when every individual is encouraged to act with the mindset and responsibility of a leader. Instead of a hierarchical structure where commands flow from the top down, this model emphasizes a distributed leadership where team members at every level are empowered to make decisions.

Tools:

• The traditional model of “control and command” is replaced with a structure that allows decision-making authority to flow to the level where the most information resides.
• Those who are closest to the problem or task have the autonomy to decide, which promotes efficiency and innovation and reduces delays caused by a bottleneck at the top.
• It also means that they are allowed to make bad decisions, as long as they are responsible for the consequences.
• By giving control and authority to each team member, individuals feel a greater sense of ownership over their work. This creates a culture of accountability, as each person is invested in the outcomes of their decisions and the broader goals of the team.
• Instead of asking for permission or waiting for orders, team members inform leaders of their intentions. For example, rather than asking, “Should I take this action?” they say, “I intend to take this action.”
• Technical competence ensures that individuals make informed decisions, while clarity of purpose aligns everyone’s efforts toward common goals, reducing the need for direct supervision.
• Leaders are not just at the top; they are cultivated at all levels. By nurturing leadership qualities in every role, organizations become more resilient and adaptive, as every team member is capable of stepping up when needed.