Distancing: How Great Leaders Reframe to Make Better Decisions

What if there was a way to instantly see your reality with the clarity of a coach – unencumbered by the baggage of you being you?

In Distancing, bestselling author and former submarine captain David Marquet (Turn the Ship Around!) and psychology professor Michael Gillespie introduce a powerful solution: distancing. This simple but underused superpower lets us step outside ourselves to see with clarity and decide with wisdom.

Through three practices—Be Someone Else, Be Somewhere Else, Be Sometime Else—we adopt the perspective of a coach, view our situation from afar, or become our wiser future self. Each unlocks instant insight, reduces anxiety, and improves judgment.

Blending science, stories, and practical tools, Distancing equips us to rise above ego and emotion, cut through bias, and make choices we’ll be proud of—in leadership, in life, and for the long term.

L. David Marquet graduated top of class from the US Naval Academy and commanded the nuclear-powered submarine USS Santa Fe. Since retiring from the Navy as a captain, he has worked with businesses globally as a leadership con­sultant and speaks about Intent-Based Leadership around the world. A highly sought-after speaker, his clients include Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, professional sports teams, business schools, and governments. He is the bestselling author of Turn the Ship Around! and Leadership Is Language. His books have been translated into fifteen languages.

Michael A. Gillespie is an associate professor of psychol­ogy at the University of South Florida, where he specializes in organizational psychology and directs the Human Applied Cognition and Decision-Making Lab. His widely cited research on psychological measurement, organizational culture, and leadership is published in top business and psychology jour­nals. He earned his BA from the University of South Florida, his MA from Michigan State University, and his PhD from Bowling Green State University.