Leadership is Language - L. David Marquet
CoLab Book Club - July 2024
Our July #CoLabBookClub pick was L. David Marquet's "Leadership is Language," a follow-up to his well known "Turn The Ship Around!" This book challenges traditional leadership models and highlights the key role of communication in empowering teams and fostering innovation. We gave it a “Must Read” status. Get a copy now!
Overview
"Leadership is Language" makes a compelling case for revamping our leadership communication strategies. Marquet explains how traditional command-and-control leadership can be replaced with more collaborative and empowering approaches. The book highlights how language shapes a workplace, promoting autonomy, initiative, and organisational success.
Our Key Takeaways
✔️ Empowerment through Enquiry - replace directives with questions to help encourage critical thinking and problem-solving in your team.
✔️ Red Work versus Blue Work - understand and balance these different types of work. Begin by assessing your own biases and consciously monitor the type of work being done.
✔️ Evolve your language - make small changes in phrasing and communication to encourage shifts in behaviour. This will take practice as there’s a lot to unlearn! Try phrases like “On a scale of 1 to 5 …” instead of “Any questions about …”
✔️ Complete, Not Continue - focus on bringing tasks to a decisive end rather than allowing them to drag on, which can help clear the way for new initiatives and reduce fatigue.
Who is it For?
This book is a must read for leaders of all levels and types who want to create a more innovative, engaged, and responsible team culture. It's particularly valuable for those in industries undergoing rapid change, where adaptive leadership is critical for success.
Thank you!
Thank you David Marquet for your fresh perspective on leadership and the transformative power of language. Thank you also Gareth Holebrook for nudging us towards the book with your recent Intent-based Leadership talks.
Cheers Allan Atkinson, Ceedee Doyle, Kat Debney, Kyla MacDonald, Peter Bink, Pete Tansey (host) and Toni Wilson for the interesting discussion.
#WorkplaceCulture #LeadershipIsLanguage #CoLabBookClub