Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win

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Willink learns to build trust within his platoons, makes clear a given mission’s goals and rationale, then delegates to his platoon leaders the authority to make tactical decisions. This summary is not intended as a replacement for the original book and all quotes are credited to the above-mentioned author and publisher. That was what mission planning was all about: never taking anything for granted, preparing for likely contingencies, and maximizing the chance of mission success while minimizing the risk to the troops executing the operation. As you can see in the table of contents above, The Dichotomy of Leadership picks up where the final chapter of Extreme Ownership leaves off.

If nothing else in life, I want to be true to the things I believe in, and quite simply, to what I’m all about. But training is designed to make the team better, to enable its members to function in realistic conditions they might face. And I will tell you this right now: I will make sure that nothing like this ever happens to us again.A social media manager, for instance, would take full responsibility for the engagement earned (or not) on every post—as well as their team’s performance throughout the process. If leaders humbly accept complete responsibility for the outcome of their projects, prepare thoroughly for any eventualities, and encourage team members to take leadership of their parts of a mission, the odds of success skyrocket. It can’t be so difficult that it crushes the team, demoralizes it, or overwhelms participants to the point where they fail to learn.

Through the particle-filled air, I could see a smoky-red mist, clearly from a red smoke grenade used by American forces in the area as a general signal for “Help! Leaders are required to ensure that their team is well informed, well practiced and able to perform as expected. And Willink explains that the only true test for a successful leader is whether or not his team finds success. Bonus: Positioning: When I ran the training for the West Coast SEAL Teams, one of the lessons I regularly taught was that the most important piece of information you could have on the battlefield is the knowledge of where you are.When setting expectations, no matter what has been said or written, if substandard performance is accepted and no one is held accountable — if there are no consequences — that poor performance becomes the new standard. Alone and with Babin, Willink is the author of multiple books; he also hosts the Jocko Podcast, which expands on the lessons of leadership. Part of extreme ownership is understanding that your team member’s actions are a reflection of your leadership. Actions and words reflect belief with a clear confidence and self-assuredness that is not possible when belief is in doubt.

However, Willink explains that sometimes waiting for this certainty only delays things, and this can cause more problems. When leaders who epitomize Extreme Ownership drive their teams to achieve a higher standard of performance, they must recognize that when it comes to standards, as a leader, it’s not what you preach, it’s what you tolerate. He also co-authored the book ‘Extreme Ownership’, which is essentially a manual that teaches people how become incredible and strong leaders. Over time and with thoughtful practice, she hones her communication skills such that her team rarely has to ask clarifying questions.The CEO eventually replaces the CTO with a new leader who promptly turns the company’s fortunes around. Willink realizes that the battlefield is the only practical place to train Iraqi troops, and he comes to believe in that approach. If they don’t maintain a position above the fray, then leaders are failing their team and failing the mission. If training doesn’t push the team beyond the limits of what is easy, the team, and particularly leaders within the team, will never develop the capacity to take on greater challenges. American Jocko Willink served 20 years in the United States Navy SEALs, after multiple deployments in Asia, Middle East, and Europe, Willink retired in 2010.