Mike Davis-Marks: What a Nuclear Submariner Knows About High-Pressure Decision Making & Servant Leadership

In this episode of The Inquisitor Podcast, host Marcus Cauchi speaks with Michael Davis-Marks, a veteran of the Royal Navy who commanded a nuclear-powered submarine and now focuses on leadership development and advocating for the veteran community. They discuss decision-making under pressure, the unique transferable skills veterans bring to civilian life, and the critical differences between traditional and effective leadership models like servant leadership. The conversation highlights the importance of training, teamwork, delegation, building trust, and fostering a culture where people feel valued and empowered to do their best work.

• Michael Davis-Marks: Spent 36 years in the Royal Navy, primarily as a submariner, including commanding a nuclear-powered submarine. Served in the British Embassy during 9-11. Since leaving the Navy 13 years ago, he has focused on leadership development and culture. He is also the managing editor of TheVeteran.uk, a publication that gives voice to the veteran community. His mission is to amplify the lived experience of veterans, challenge outdated stereotypes, and advocate for what armed forces veterans can offer to organisations, employers, and society.

Key Discussion Points:

• Veterans as a Valuable Asset: Veterans possess extraordinary transferable skills such as leadership, teamwork, discipline, and commitment, which can be enormously helpful to organisations and society as a whole. There are approximately 2.2 million veterans in the UK, about a million of whom are of working age, representing a significant pool of talent.
• Challenging Stereotypes: The common stereotype of military people as "Colonel Blimp" or a "shouty sergeant" is inaccurate for the vast majority of veterans.
• Veteran Mindset: Many veterans, including Michael, don't initially realise how much they have to offer civilian life due to a self-effacing mindset developed through military training that prioritises the team over the individual.
• Decision Making Under Stress: The military trains individuals to remain calm and think clearly in high-pressure situations. The ability to make good decisions under stress is crucial and can be developed through training and building resilience.
• Leadership Defined: Leadership is not about telling people what to do. It's about motivating and inspiring people, helping them become better versions of themselves.
• Servant Leadership: This model posits that the leader is there to serve the people subordinate to them, helping them realise their full potential. It's about looking after the people in your charge, not just being in charge.
• Delegation vs. Abdication: Leaders who spend their time "doing" are stealing learning opportunities and growth from their people. Empowering people to work things out for themselves, rather than always providing the answer, is crucial for development. Michael's rule was "don't bring me problems, bring me solutions". Allowing people to "have a go," even if they make mistakes in a safe environment, fosters learning.
• Creating Conditions for Trust: Trust begins with the leader's self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and empathy. It is developed by assigning low-risk tasks initially, being a mentor and coach, gently nudging rather than directing, and providing encouragement and positive feedback.
• Leadership is Trainable: While some may be "born leaders," leadership skills can be taught and developed through training and practical experience. Openness to feedback and the realisation that one is not perfect are key to improvement.
• The Staircase of Learning: This concept describes the progression from unconscious incompetence (not knowing what you don't know) through conscious incompetence and conscious competence to unconscious competence (second nature). Training and repetition are critical to moving through these stages and building resilience.
• Continuous Improvement: In the military, standard operating procedures were changed "all the time" because you can't stand still; "every day is a school day". Agility of thought is essential because plans often don't survive first contact.
• The Leader's Role: The leader's job is to create the conditions for their people to do their best work. Delegating tasks to competent people allows the leader to step back, maintain a strategic view, and avoid becoming a bottleneck or single point of failure.
• The Importance of People: People are the most important asset in any organisation, not just numbers on a spreadsheet. Treat them as people. A high staff retention rate is often a sign of a happy and well-led company. People frequently leave jobs because of their boss, particularly if the boss prevents them from doing their best work. Beating people does not improve morale.
• Advice for New Managers: "Get Off Your Arse" (GOYA) is crucial advice. New managers should spend their initial time listening, walking around, asking curious questions about what people do, what they like/dislike, and what can be improved. Taking notes shows you are listening and helps you remember. Getting out and talking to people makes them feel important and that they belong. This approach should be routine, not just for the first few days.
• Lesson for a Younger Self: Michael would tell his 23-year-old self that he knows much less than he thinks and is surrounded by people who can help. He would advise working on relationships with others to learn and grow together as a team, emphasising that people are the most important aspect in everything.

Recommended Resources:

• "Turn the Ship Around" by David Marquette (Discusses an "I intend to" model of leadership empowering the team).
• "Always Start With Why" by Simon Sinek.
• "Leaders Eat Last" by Simon Sinek (Highlights the principle of leaders serving those who rely on them).
• TheVeteran.uk: Publication giving voice to the veteran community.
• Connecting with Michael Davis-Marks on LinkedIn