Raise the Periscope

A submarine can travel for miles believing it's on course... until someone raises the periscope.

As we passed the halfway point of 2026, I did exactly that.

One of my goals this year was to read twelve physical books. I just finished my eighth: Turn the Ship Around! by former U.S. Navy submarine commander David Marquet. At eight books through just over six months, I'm ahead of pace — but that's simply a checkpoint, not the destination.

Reading twelve books was never the real objective. The objective is to keep learning, challenge my own assumptions, refine my thinking, and become a better guide for the leadership teams that trust me to help navigate their own challenges. If I'm not growing, why should my clients expect me to help them grow?

Marquet's book chronicles how he transformed one of the U.S. Navy's lowest-performing submarine crews into one of its best. His greatest insight wasn't about submarines. It was about leadership. Organizations perform better when leaders create ownership instead of dependence. When people are expected to think — not simply wait for instructions — they become more engaged, more accountable, and ultimately more capable.

Why Founders Need Their Own Periscope

That lesson extends well beyond a submarine. In business, we rely on scorecards, KPIs, quarterly reviews, and financial statements to tell us whether we're on track. Those are essential. But every so often, leaders need to raise the periscope — to get above the data and look at reality for themselves. Are we actually making progress? Are the assumptions we made in January still true? Are we building the kind of leadership team we intended, or have we slowly drifted off course?

The Real Win Isn't the Checklist

I'm pleased to be ahead of schedule on my reading goal, but the bigger takeaway wasn't finishing another book. It was the reminder that meaningful growth — whether personal or organizational — requires intentional reflection. Sometimes the most valuable thing a leader can do is pause, raise the periscope, and verify the course.

Book #8 of 12.

Ready to raise your own periscope? The Baseline Business Assessment gives you a clear, honest look at where your company actually stands against the five Pinnacle principles — no guesswork, no jargon. If it's been a while since you checked your own course, take the free Baseline Business Assessment and see where you really are.