Leadership At Every Level: Captain David Marquet To Lead Workshop At Upcoming Leadership Conference

As expectations rise and customer interactions grow more complex, organizations are discovering that leadership, and hospitality, can no longer live only at the top. The most resilient, high-performing organizations are those where people at every level are empowered to lead.

The upcoming 2026 RV Industry Association’s Leadership Conference will feature a workshop speaker who understands this better than most.

Captain Marquet is a former U.S. Navy submarine commander whose real-world leadership transformation aboard the USS Santa Fe offers powerful lessons for today’s RV industry leaders. When Marquet assumed command, the submarine ranked last in morale, performance, and retention, challenges that will feel familiar to any organization facing workforce engagement, safety, or operational pressures. Rather than relying on traditional command-and-control leadership, he introduced what is now known as Intent-Based Leadership®, empowering people at every level to take ownership and make decisions.

The result? The Santa Fe went from worst to first in the fleet, setting records for performance, morale, and retention while developing a pipeline of future leaders.

In this workshop, Captain Marquet will translate those lessons into practical strategies leaders can apply across the RV industry, from manufacturing floors to dealerships and campgrounds. Attendees will explore how empowering frontline employees improves accountability, safety, hospitality, and the customer experience, while also strengthening retention and leadership development.

Whether your organization is navigating change, scaling operations, or looking to elevate both workplace culture and customer experience, this session will provide actionable insights to help you “turn your ship around.”

We look forward to welcoming Captain David Marquet to Austin this March. Register for the Leadership Conference today!

Leadership Conference
March 10-12
Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort And Spa
Austin, TX
Register