It All Began on the Santa Fe with David Marquet
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 Global Team
Peter Russian
Chief Executive Officer
IBL Certified Specialist
Massachusetts, USA
Nicola Russian
Chief Operating Officer
Finance Director
IBL Certified Specialist
Applied IBL Coach
Massachusetts, USA
Surend Dayal
Chairman
Honorary Professor, Australian National University
Barrister, NSW, AU
L. David Marquet
Author of Turn the Ship Around
Founder of Intent-Based Leadership
Retired Captain of the USS Santa Fe
Chuck Dunphy
IBL Ambassador
Former Officer on USS Santa Fe
Sales and Contracts Director
Keynote Speaker
Intro to IBL Facilitator
Florida, USA
Andy Worshek
Martha Leishman
Associate IBL Certified Specialist
Project Director
Coach for Client's IBLI licensed Facilitators and Field Coaches
Ally MacDonald
Associate IBL Certified Specialist
Online Learning Manager
Coach for Client's IBLI licensed Facilitators and Field Coaches
Matt Lynch
Associate IBL Consultant
IBL Certified Specialist
Research Analyst and Design Lead IBLI 3D and Barometer
Coach for Client's IBLI licensed Facilitators and Field Coaches
Michelle Schultz
Associate IBL Consultant
IBL Certified Specialist
Coach for Client's IBLI licensed Facilitators and Field Coaches
Stevie McQuillan
Associate IBL Certified Specialist
Coach for Client's IBLI licensed Facilitators and Field Coaches
Thiri Holebrook
Associate IBL Certified Specialist
Amy Mills
Finance Manager
Florida, USA
Sandy Wilmer
Corporate Services Manager
Marketing Manager
Florida, USA
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 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.