Captain Marquet served in the U.S. submarine force for 28 years. After being assigned to command the nuclear powered submarine USS Santa Fe – then ranked last in retention and operational standing – he realized the traditional leadership approach of “take control, give orders,” wouldn’t work.
He “turned his ship around” by treating the crew as leaders, not followers, and giving control, not taking control. This approach took the Santa Fe from “worst to first,” achieving the highest retention and operational standings in the US Navy.
Captain Marquet later named this leadership practice Intent-Based Leadership.
Captain Marquet is the author of Turn the Ship Around! A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders and Leadership Is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say - and What You Don't.
In 2021, we founded Intent-Based Leadership International to bring the principles and practices of Intent-Based Leadership to organizations across the world. It's a leadership movement - and it's working!
Meet Our Team
Peter Russian
Chief Executive Officer
Massachusetts, USA
Nicola Russian
Chief Operating Officer
Massachusetts, USA
L. David Marquet
Keynote Speaker
Florida, USA
Chuck Dunphy
Business Director
Florida, USA
Martha Leishman
Director, IBL Specialist
Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Andy Worshek
Keynote Speaker
Wyoming, USA
Ally MacDonald
IBL Specialist
Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Matt Lynch
Associate Consultant
Hertfordshire, UK
Michelle Schultz
Associate Consultant
New York, USA
Thiri Holebrook
Associate Consultant
Paraparaumu, NZ
Gareth Holebrook
Associate Consultant
Paraparaumu, NZ
Stevie McQuillan
Associate Consultant
Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Intent-Based Leadership International (IBLI) is a leadership consulting organization that supports teams and organizations in applying the principles of Intent-Based Leadership, a model developed by former U.S. Navy submarine captain David Marquet.
Our work centers on the idea that leadership is not about giving orders—it’s about creating an environment where people are trusted to think and act for themselves. The Intent-Based Leadership approach focuses on three key conditions: clarity, competence, and control. When these are present, individuals at every level can make better decisions and take greater ownership of their work.
IBLI is the only organization certified to deliver training and consulting in the Intent-Based Leadership™ method. We offer leadership consulting, workshops, coaching, and online learning to help organizations build cultures of trust, accountability, and engagement.
We work with clients around the world in industries such as financial services, healthcare, technology, and manufacturing. Our programs are designed not just to train leaders, but to build internal capacity—equipping teams with the tools and language to sustain change over time.
Many organizations that adopt Intent-Based Leadership are seeking to move away from traditional command-and-control models. By shifting focus from controlling people to improving the environment in which decisions are made, teams become more adaptive, collaborative, and resilient.
Our team includes certified consultants and experienced leadership coaches who are deeply familiar with the work of David Marquet and committed to helping organizations apply his approach in practical, measurable ways.
