All in the Same Boat: Lead Your Organization Like a Nuclear Submariner

An Amazon Bestseller!

“Each chapter of Jon Rennie’s book delivers solid, actionable lessons from the nuclear navy that can be directly applied by any leader.”  – Will Bachman, managing partner of Umbrex and former communications officer on USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-709)

A deployed nuclear submarine operates alone—hundreds of miles from any support and hundreds of feet below the surface.

An emotionless and indifferent enemy constantly surrounds the crew. Thousands of pounds of sea pressure sit right over their heads, waiting to crush them like a tin can and send them to the bottom of the ocean. Even the most junior sailor’s mistake can result in the submarine’s loss and everyone on it.

To accomplish their mission and return safely home to their families, a submarine crew relies entirely on the actions of their fellow sailors. There is both shared responsibility and vulnerability. Regardless of rank or experience, every sailor is vitally important.

When Jon Rennie reported to the USS Tennessee as a young junior officer, he had no idea what to expect. He didn’t realize he was heading out on a four-year adventure that would change his life and establish leadership principles that he would rely on for decades.

He learned that submarine leadership was a 24/7 commitment. He couldn’t go home at the end of the day or take the weekend off after a rough week. There was no escape from his roles and responsibilities as a leader.

On a submarine crew, officers and sailors work together in cramped spaces and challenging conditions to accomplish complex missions with no room for failure. As Rennie moved into leadership positions in the civilian world, he found that the basic underlying principles for success at sea also led to high-performing teams on land.

Leaders succeed when they create a unified team with a singular mission—when every employee performs like they are all in the same boat.

“Rennie is a tremendous storyteller and writes in a way that makes you want to keep turning the pages. There were times I felt like I was in the Atlantic on patrol with him. This book is filled with powerful, thought-provoking stories and lessons that can be applied in any industry.” – Mack Story, author of the Blue-Collar Leadership® Series