Navigating Leadership : Essential lessons from life at sea

Leadership is not something most people are taught - they are simply expected to figure it out. But where do you even start?

One day you are part of the team. The next day you are responsible for it. Expectations change overnight, but no one really explains what good leadership looks like in practice.

Navigating Leadership is a straight-talking guide for new and aspiring leaders who want to lead well from the start. Drawing on nearly two decades of experience in the Royal Navy, former Chief Petty Officer Christopher Dodd shares the lessons he learned while leading teams in demanding, high-pressure environments where mistakes have real consequences.

Through honest stories and real-world examples from life at sea, this book explores the realities of leadership and sheds light on the cornerstones of good people management, such as building trust, communicating clearly, making decisions under pressure, and taking responsibility when things go wrong. It strips away the theory and focuses on what works when people are looking to you for direction.

This book will offer you practical lessons for your first leadership role, whether that’s in a civilian organisation or in the military, helping you avoid common pitfalls, build confidence, and develop into the kind of leader people genuinely want to follow.