Just finished the best management book I ever read (thanks @Jeremie Diboine for recommending it): « Turn the ship around, » (by L. David Marquet, Penguin Business 2019). The true story of how a freshly promoted US Navy captain completely transformed the spirit and readiness of a nuclear submarine team, from well below average to best-in-class, by developing a « leader – leader » spirit instead of the classical Army-style « leader – follower » pyramid (for details of what and how, best read David Marquet’s book). 

Actually it is on par with a book by Roland Huntford. Not a management book per se, but a comparative account of Scott’s and Amundsen’s race to be the first man ever at the South Pole, between 1910 and 1911. Not only did Scott lose the race, he also died with four of his team members. Amundsen won, and the whole team sailed back safely to Norway. The major difference between both expeditions? Scott, a pure product of the British Navy, implemented a rigid « leader -follower » hierarchy (and was reluctant to learn from others). While Amundsen… ?

Well, during his first personal expedition, sailing the Gjoa in 1903, Amundsen discovered that he could run a « happy ship« . He writes in his diary: 

 » We have established a little republic on board Gjoa… After my own experience, I decided as far as possible to use a system of freedom on board – let everybody have the feeling of being independent within his own sphere. In that was, there arises – amongst sensible people – a spontaneous and voluntary discipline, which is worth far more than compulsion. Every man thereby has the consciousness of being a human being; he is treated as a rational being, not as a machine… The will to do work is many times greater and thereby the work itself. We were all working towards a common goal and gladly shared all work. » 

(From Scott and Amundsen, their race to the South Pole, Roland Huntford, Abacus, 2000)

Takeaway from these readings? An expedition, a team, a company, a business can be a Happy Ship. So let’s run a Happy Ship.

  • It doesn’t mean fun all the time, no difficulty, no hardship. It means everybody shares a common vision and understand what it takes to get there. 
  • It means every team member is treated with respect, equity, and given the opportunity to develop. 
  • It means confidence and trust. That goes with non-judgemental communication.
  • Last but not least, it means individual payoff and recognition.