That made sense at the time. In traditional manufacturing industries, after all, standardization was key. Even today, it often makes sense for companies to reduce variability. To mass-produce cars, for example, factories have to build millions of identical parts in rapid succession. To keep customers happy, McDonald’s has to ensure that its burgers come out the same every time. To build an enduring great organization, requires disciplined people, disciplined thought, disciplined action, to produce superior results, and make a distinctive impact in the world. I do feel the “playbook” approach with defined plays is a bit overly-contrived for me, personally, but it didn’t really distract from the message of the book. In the traditional approach to management, people are divided into two categories – deciders and doers. As leaders, our responsibility is to design the organization so that individuals can be the best versions of themselves."

Leadership Is Language Book - David Marquet

Another standout aspect of the book is its exploration of the role of questions in leadership communication. Marquet argues that asking the right questions can lead to better problem-solving, increased employee engagement, and a stronger sense of ownership. He introduces the concept of "intent-based leadership" and provides practical techniques for engaging employees in meaningful dialogue and decision-making.The words were false comfort designed to keep people on task, conforming to their roles, and continuing course. Are the questions you ask your people making them comply or providing them with the energy to drive discretionary effort? We’ll explore the Seven Sins of questioning next blog. The captain and crew of El Faro were doomed because they’d also been programmed to run certain plays, behave in certain ways, and use certain language. They were trapped by an outdated playbook and unable to see a different way of doing things. Even if they could envision an alternative approach, it would have been extremely difficult to break out of patterns they’d been following their entire careers. We see the angst in the words of the officers as they try—and fail—to break these hardwired patterns. In the old model, leadership was coercive. It was about getting people to comply with decisions they had no part in conceiving. Today, many leaders see the benefit of including everyone in decision-making processes, but are often ill-equipped to execute that play. Examples: participants to invidually and anonymously write down guesses before having group discussions (VS all suggestions being measured against and not far off from first proposed answer); another approach is to encourage asking good questions: "what am I missing?"; actively inviting dissent rather than subtly encouraging consensus.

Leadership Language How to Develop an Effective Leadership Language

Based on what you are telling me, it sounds like you need four to six hours in the next two weeks. I can commit to three hours next week, and three the week after that. The rest of my time is already committed to other projects, and after that, I have full-time commitments to other projects, so if your project carries over, you will have to find another set designer. How well does that work for you?" That way, if Andy does commit, it will be on his terms, not his colleague's. Balance redwork and bluework. More bluework might be necessary at the beginning of the project; whereas more extended periods of redwork are acceptable toward the end. Vote first, then discuss – to increase variability, which enables innovation and better decision- making. Psychological safety refers to how safe individuals feel to share their thoughts and feelings without judgment. This “vote first, then discuss” approach requires individuals to feel safe enough to dissent. The redwork-bluework operating system requires individuals at all levels of an organization to be thinkers and doers. Leaders can influence the system in three ways:Commit actions, not beliefs – because not everyone needs to agree with the decision, but everyone must support it through their actions (p. 145). The chapter is about the power of our programmed language. It’s rooted in the Industrial Age playbook. It’s the same language you may be using now during COVID19, when your business depends on you using a whole new playbook and language. El Faro is worth discussing because we have records of the actual words spoken and the actual actions taken by the captain and crew. Marquet uses the transcript to provide an unparalleled glimpse into the language a team used when faced with life-and-death decisions.