You should know what your links are before you get there,

If you have 'custom' links you can use the placeholder.
$navs = array('list1','list2','list3');
$this->view->placeholder('myplaceholder')->exchangeArray($navs);
$this->view->placeholder('myplaceholder')->setPrefix('\n<div style="border: 1px solid black"><li>')
->setPostfix("\n\t</li></div>")
->setSeparator('</li><li>');



then in your layout.phtml you use your placeholder.

$this->placeholder('name');

SHOULD work. If I havent made any mistakes.