The Messy Middle: Finding Your Way Through the Hardest and Most Crucial Part of Any Bold Venture

by Scott Belsky

David Marquet, the former commander of the nuclear-powered submarine USS Santa Fe and author of Turn the Ship Around!, shared with our team at 99U his insights around delegation from his time in the military: The problem is that, in the heat of the moment of conversation, our leadership brains are wired to take control and give direction. It feels good. We get to solve problems, reduce uncertainty by giving instructions, and raise our level of status and authority. Unfortunately what feels good for us feels bad for our people. No one ever did anything awesome or great because they were told to. The degree to which we order people around suppresses any opportunity for greatness. Telling people what to do is the opposite of responsibility. . . . The danger is people are “doing” their jobs, not “thinking” them. Often these actions inadvertently have the effect of reducing the employee’s drive toward empowerment.