In this episode, I’m joined by Marc Koehler, a former U.S. Navy submarine officer. His unique perspective, gained from leading in a nuclear submarine where every action has consequences and complacency can be catastrophic, offers some of the clearest thinking on leadership I’ve heard in a long time. Marc shares how his experiences taught him lessons about accountability, emotional influence, and self-leadership that every leader on land needs to hear.
What struck me most is Marc’s belief that leadership isn’t something we wait to be given. We must choose to step into it, regardless of our title or time on the team. He shares practical stories from his time aboard the USS Pogi, from navigating dangerous missions with a crew whose average age was 23, to learning how to lead through presence, not authority.
Marc explains how submarine culture requires everyone to be seen as a leader and to see themselves as one. When you’re hundreds of feet below the surface, the person closest to the problem must take charge, whether they’ve been onboard for three years or three days. That belief forms the foundation of his leadership framework, Fast Attack Leadership.
We also explore what it means to emotionally regulate under pressure, how leaders can transfer thinking instead of just giving answers, and why connecting every task, no matter how small, to the bigger mission makes all the difference in team performance and culture.
If you’ve ever wrestled with how to balance accountability and care, or how to build leadership capacity at every level of your team, this conversation has the potential to reframe your entire approach and inspire a new way of leading.
So here’s my question for you: How are you creating a culture where everyone sees themselves as a leader? And what would change in your organisation if they did?
Join the conversation and share your thoughts.
About Marc Koehler
Marc Koehler is a former U.S. Navy Nuclear Submarine Officer, Best Selling Leadership Author, 35+ Year Sought-After Elite Leadership Expert and Founder of the Leadership Development and Research Firm Lead With Purpose.
Marc Koehler is a rare blend of expertise, engagement, and 35 years of battle-tested, proven experience in Elite Leadership. He evangelizes that what the world needs is not more management systems – it needs more leadership. Marc’s experience in both the nuclear submariner service, including receiving two Battle E’s over the course of his career, as well as the business world has led him to become one of the foremost experts on Elite Leadership – a needed, relevant, and achievable approach to leadership for this new, disruptive world.
Marc’s leadership development and research firm, Lead With Purpose, has developed over 51,000 leaders through the company’s SHRM-accredited organizational leadership consulting, coaching, courses, and simple systems. Residing in Oceanside, California, Marc is married to his wife Heidi of 28 years and Dad to their three grown daughters, Anja, Liesel, and Sophie.
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About Heather R Younger, J.D., CSP
Heather R Younger, J.D., CSP is a highly sought-after speaker, 2x-TEDx speaker, diversity, equity and inclusion strategist, and contributor to leading news outlets. She is also the Founder and CEO of Employee Fanatix, a leading employee engagement and consulting firm. After over 25,000 employee engagement surveys and years of working with organizations to transform employee engagement, here’s what Heather has seen over and over: When you know how to listen, employees will tell you exactly what they need to bring their full selves to work. Book Heather to speak at your event or organization.
Visit heatheryounger.com or https://www.cmispeakers.com/heather-r-younger for more details.
