Preface:
There can be no leadership where there is no team.
Leadership requires belief in the mission and unyielding perseverance to achieve victory, particularly when doubters question whether victory is even possible.
Introduction:
Relax, look around, make a call.
The Laws of Combat (via Jocko):
Cover and Move - Team Work
Simple
Prioritize and Execute
Decentralized Command
These are the keys not just to surviving, but to thriving and dominating.
Plan simply and stick to it.
Establish clear guidance for operators.
Every leader and every team at some point or time will fail and must confront that failure.
Often our mistakes provided the greatest lessons, humbled us, and enabled us to grow and become better. For leaders, the humility to admit and own mistakes and develop a plan to overcome them is essential to success.
The best leaders are not driven by ego or personal agendas. They are simply focused on the mission and how best to accomplish it.
Team members must believe in the cause for which they are fighting. They must believe in the plan they are asked to execute, and most important, they must believe in and trust the leader they are asked to follow.
Leadership requires getting a diverse team of people in various groups to execute highly complex missions in order to achieve strategic goals.
Extreme Ownership.
Leaders must own everything in their world. There is no one else to blame.
Chapter 1: Extreme Ownership
“As we debriefed, it was obvious there were some serious mistakes made by many individuals both during the planning phase and on the battlefield during execution. Plans were altered but notifications weren’t sent”
“Despite all failures of individuals, units and leaders, and despite the myriad of mistakes that had been made, there was only one person to blame for everything that had gone wrong on the operation: me. I hadn’t been with our sniper team when they engaged the Iraqi soldier. I hadn’t been controlling the rogue element of Iraqi soldiers. I hadn’t been controlling the rogue element of Iraqis that entered the compound. But that didn’t matter. As the SEAL task unit commander, the senior leader on the ground in charge of the mission, I was responsible for everything in Task Unit Bruiser. I had to take complete ownership of what went wrong. That is what a leader does---even if it means getting fired.”
It was a heavy burden to bear. But it was absolutely true. I was the leader. I was in charge and I was responsible. Thus, I had to take ownership of everything that went wrong. Despite the tremendous blow to my reputation and to my ego, it was the right thing to do.
Looking back, it is clear that, despite what happened, the full ownership I took of the situation actually increased the trust my commanding officer and master chief had in me.
The leader is truly and ultimately responsible for everything.
That is Extreme Ownership, the fundamental core of what constitutes an effective leader.
The leader must own everything in his or her world. No one else is to blame. The leader must acknowledge mistakes and admit failures, take ownership of them and develop a plan to win.
The best leaders don’t just take responsibility for their job. They take Extreme Ownership of everything that impacts their mission.
When subordinates aren’t doing what they should, leaders that exercise Extreme Ownership cannot blame the subordinates. They must first look in the mirror at themselves.
The leader bears full responsibility for explaining the strategic mission, developing the tactics, and securing the training and resources to enable the team to properly and successfully execute.
If an individual on the team is not performing at the level required for the team to succeed, the leader must train and mentor that underperformer.
But if the underperformer continually fails - a leader who exercises Extreme Ownership must be loyal to the team and the mission above any individual.
If underperformers cannot improve, the leader must make the tough call to terminate them and hire others who can get the job done. It is all on the leader.
As individuals, we often attribute the success of others to luck or circumstances and make excuses for our own failures and the failures of our team. We blame our own poor performance on bad luck, circumstances beyond our control, or poorly performing subordinates - anyone but ourselves.
With Extreme Ownership, junior leaders take charge of their smaller teams and their piece of the mission.
The direct responsibility of a leader included getting people to listen, support and execute plans.
You can’t make people do those things - you have to lead them.
As a group, they try to figure out how to fix their problems - instead of trying to figure out how to blame.
Take personal responsibility for the failures. You will come out the other side stronger than ever before.
Chapter 2: No Bad Teams, Only Bad Leaders
When it comes to standards, as a leader, it’s not what you preach, it’s what you tolerate. 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. Therefore, leaders must enforce standards.
Leaders must push the standards in a way that encourage and enables the team to utilize Extreme Ownership.
Every team must have junior leaders ready to step up and temporarily take on roles and responsibilities of their immediate bosses to carry on the team’s mission and get the job done.
Leaders should never be satisfied. They must always strive to improve, and they must build that mind-set into the team.
When boat Crew Six was failing under their original leader, that leader didn’t seem to think it was possible for them to perform any better, and he certainly didn’t think they could win. This negative attitude infected his entire boat crew.
In his mind, the other boat crews were outperforming his own only because those leaders had been lucky enough to be assigned better crews. His attitude reflected victimization: life dealt him and his boat crew members a disadvantage, which justified poor performance.
Working under poor leadership and an unending cycle of blame, the team constantly failed. No one took ownership, assumed responsibility, or adopted a winning attitude.
You must believe winning is possible.
In a boat crew where winning seemed so far beyond reach, the belief that the team actually could improve and win was essential.
Chapter 3: Believe
The leader must believe in the greater cause.
When a leader’s confidence breaks, those who are supposed to follow him or her see this and begin to question their own belief in the mission.
Junior leaders must ask questions and also provide feedback up the chain so that senior leaders can fully understand the ramifications of how strategic plans affect execution on the ground.
The leader must explain not just what to do, but why.
Chapter 4: Check the Ego
We were confident and perhaps even a little cocky. But I tried to temper that confidence by instilling a culture within our task unit to never be satisfied; we pushed ourselves harder to continuously improve our performance.
We would all need to check our egos and work together.
Discipline created vigilance and operational readiness, which translated to high performance and success on the battlefield.
Treat people with professionalism and respect and they will return that respect - forming a bond.
Ego clouds and disrupts everything: The planning process, the ability to take good advice, and the ability to accept constructive criticism.
Often the most difficult ego to deal with is your own.
Ego drives the most successful people in life - but when ego clouds our judgment and prevents us from seeing the world as it is, then ego becomes destructive.
When personal agendas become more important than the team and the overarching mission’s success, performance suffers and failure ensues.
Implementing Extreme Ownership requires checking your ego and operating with a high degree of humility.
Admitting mistakes, taking ownership, and developing a plan to overcome challenges are integral to any successful team.
Strive to be confident, not cocky.
As a leader, it is up to you to explain the bigger picture to him - and to all your front line leaders.
This is a critical component of leadership - dealing with people’s egos.
Remember - it’s not about you - it’s about the mission and how best to accomplish it.
Chapter 5: Cover and Move
It’s foolish not to worth together as a team.
Even when working in small teams with some distance between departments - you are all working to try to accomplish the same mission.
Utilize every strength and tactical advantage possible.
The most important tactical advantage you have is working together as a team and supporting each other.
Cover and Move - all teams working together in support of one another.
If a team forsakes this principle and operates independently or work against each other, the results can be catastrophic to the overall team’s performance.
Often, when smaller teams within the team get so focused on their immediate tasks, they forget about what others are doing or how they depend on other teams. They start to complete with one another, and when there are obstacles, animosity and blame develops.
If the overall team fails, everyone fails, even if a specific member or an element within the team did their job successfully.
A manager must be willing to take a step back and see how his team’s mission fits into the overall plan.
A manager can’t become so focused on his own department and its immediate tasks that he couldn’t see how his mission aligned with the rest of the corporation and supporting assets, all striving to accomplish the same strategic mission.
Chapter 6: Simple
The Iraq soldier squadron leader outlined a path that snaked through the treacherous city, two miles deep in hostile territory in roads that have not been swept for IEDs and the battle space was owned by different American units (Army, Marines, etc.)
Plan was too complex.
Jocko said to go with a more simple, shorter plan.
They ran into a battle, the airwaves were communicated with clear, calm voices - despite the chaos of the situation, just like they had trained.
Simplifying as much as possible is crucial to success. When plans and orders are too complicated, people may not understand them.
And when things go wrong, and they inevitably do go wrong, complexity compounds issues that can spiral out of control into total disaster.
Plans must be communicated in a manner that is simple, clear and concise.
If your team doesn’t get the plan, you have not keep things simple and you have failed.
It is critical that the operating relationship facilitate the ability of the frontline troops to ask questions that clarify when they do not understand the mission or key tasks to be performed.
Don’t fall in love with your plans.
The business was so close to the bonus plan, so emotional and passionate about it, that they didn’t recognize the vast complexity of it. They didn’t see their own “fatal fault” in the confusing and elaborate scheme they had concocted, one that no one in the team understood.
Chapter 7: Prioritize and Execute
The SEAL team was surrounded by enemies on an open rooftop with no cover, an IED charge was about to explode, a full head count was needed to make sure everyone was out and one of the SEALs fell through a tarp off the roof… the massive pressure of the situation overwhelmed Lief for a quick period of time.
Prioritize and Execute:
Remain calm, step back from the situation emotionally and determine the greatest priority for the team. Then rapidly direct the team to attack that priority.
Relax, look around, make a call.
Countless problems compound in a snowball effect, every challenge complex in its own right, each demanding attention. But a leader must remain calm and make the best decision possible.
Even the most competent leaders can be overwhelmed if they try to tackle multiple problems or a number of tasks simultaneously.
The team will likely fail at each of those tasks.
Leaders must determine the highest priority task and execute.
Stay at least a step or two ahead of real-time problems.
Contingency planning can map out effective responses to challenges before they happen.
If the team has been briefed and understands what actions to take through such likely contingencies, the team can then rapidly execute when those problems arise, even without specific direction.
It is crucial, particularly for leaders at the top of the organization, to “pull themselves off the firing line,’ step back, and maintain the strategic picture.
A leader must…
Evaluate the highest priority problem.
Lay out in simple, clear and concise terms the highest priority effort for your team.
Develop and determine a solution, seek input from key leaders and from the team where possible.
Direct the execution of that solution, focusing all efforts and resources toward this priority task.
Move on to the next highest priority problem. Repeat.
When priorities shift within the team, pass situational awareness both up and down the chain.
Don’t let the focus on one priority cause target fixation. Maintain the ability to see other problems developing and rapidly shift as needed.
Chapter 8: Decentralized Command
Jocko expects his subordinate leaders to lead - he groomed and trained them for this, to make decisions.
“I trusted that their assessment of the situations they were in and their decisions would be aggressive in pursuit of mission accomplishment.
They had earned that trust through may months of training, of getting it wrong and learning from their mistakes.
For any leader, placing full faith and trust in junior leaders with less experience and allowing them to manage their teams is a difficult thing.
Front line leaders must also have trust and confidence in their senior leaders to know that they are empowered to make decisions and that their senior leaders will back them up.
No person has the cognitive capacity, the physical presence or the knowledge of everything happening across a complex battlefield to effectively lead in such a manor. Instead, my leaders learned they must rely on their subordinate leaders to take charge of their smaller teams within the team and allow them to execute based on a good understanding for the broader mission (known as Commander’s Intent), and standard operating procedures.
Small teams of four to six are best.
Each platoon chief and leading petty officer only had to control their fire team chiefs, who controlled four SEALs each. Jocko then commanded the two platoon chiefs.
Jocko had to make sure everyone understood the overall intent of the mission.
Decentralized Command - Leaders did not call him and ask what they should do - instead they told Jocko what they would do and Jocko trusted them to make adjustments and adapt the plan to unforeseen circumstances.
If you are too close to the situation as the supreme leader, you may miss other events unfolding.
Human beings are generally not capable of managing more than six to ten people.
Teams must be broken down into manageable elements of four to five operators with a clearly designated leader.
Those leaders must understand the overall mission, and the ultimate goal of that mission.
Junior leaders must be empowered to make decisions, to accomplish the mission in the most effective and efficient manner possible.
Must understand not just what to do, but why they are doing it.
Junior leaders must fully understand what is within their decision-making authority - must communicate with senior leaders to recommend decisions outside their authority and pass critical information up the chain.
Sometimes the officer gets so far forward - gets sucked into every room. He gets focused on the minutia and loses situational awareness, no longer providing effective command and control.
Other times the officer gets stuck in the back of the train and is too far in the rear to know what is happening.
Simple is a large part of Decentralized Command.
“Couldn’t things get confused like an old game of telephone?”
Proper Decentralized Command requires simple, clear, concise orders that can be understood easily by everyone.
With clear guidance and established boundaries for decision making that your subordinate leaders understand, they can then act independently toward your unified goal.
Situations require that the boss sometimes walk away from a problem and let junior leaders solve it - even if the boss knows he can do it more efficiently.
It’s more important junior leaders feel empowered to make decisions and supported, even if the decisions they make don’t work out.
Chapter 9: Plan
You could never assume that such hazards weren’t waiting for you on a target.
You had to assume they were, and you had to plan for them on every operation and mitigate the risk of those threats as much as possible.
To assume otherwise was a failure of leadership.
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.
Planning begins with mission analysis. Leaders must identify clear directives for the team.
A broad and ambiguous mission results in lack of focus, ineffective execution and mission creep.
The mission must explain the overall purpose and desire result.
Leaders must delegate the planning process down the chain as much as possible to key subordinate leaders.
Giving the frontline troops ownership of even a small piece of the plan gives them buy-in.
Detailed contingency plans help manage risk - junior leaders must have SOPs in case obstacles arise and things go wrong.
The best teams employ constant analysis of their tactics and measure their effectiveness so that they can adapt their methods and implement lessons learned for future missions.
A leader’s checklist for planning should include the following:
Analyze the mission.
Understand the Commander’s Intent and goals.
Decentralize the planning process - empower key junior leaders within the team to plan their own missions.
Plan for contingencies to mitigate risk.
Conduct post-operational briefs.
The true test for a good brief is not whether the senior officers are impressed. It’s whether or not the troops that are going to execute the operation actually understand it.
Chapter 10: Leading Up and Down the Chain of Command
“Though I had been directly involved in the planning of almost all of these missions, had been on the ground leading a team, and written detailed reports of what happened after each mission, I still had not linked them all together nor considered the strategic impact they had.”
Immersed in the details of the tactical operations, I had not fully appreciated or understood how those operations so directly contributed to the strategic mission.
Walked into mission briefs wondering: What are we doing next?
No context for why we were doing the operation or how the next tactical mission fit into the bigger picture.
Those who suffered the worst attitudes and most fatigue had the least ownership of planning the operation.
Any good leader is immersed in the planning and execution of tasks, projects and operations to move the team toward a strategic goal - does not automatically translate to junior leaders (they are focused on their specific job).
Critical to understand everyone’s role in the company.
Enables the team to understand why they are doing what they are doing.
The CO has to approve every mission. If we want to operate, we need to put him in his comfort zone so that he approves them and we can execute.
Typically, the frontline troops wanted senior leaders as far away as possible, so as not to micromanage.
“We are here. We are on the ground. We need to push situational awareness up the chain… If they have questions, it is our fault for not properly communicating the information they need. We have to lead them.”
LEADERSHIP DOES NOT JOST FLOW DOWN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND, BUT UP AS WELL
If your boss isn’t making a decision in a timely manner or providing necessary support for you and your team, don’t blame the boss. First, blame yourself. Examine what you can do to better convey the critical information for decisions to be made and support allocated.
Requires tactful engagement with the immediate boss - takes more savy to lead up.
One of the most important jobs of any leader is to support your own boss.
If you don’t understand why decisions are being made, ask questions up the chain.
Take responsibility for leading everyone in your world.
If someone isn’t doing what you want or need them to do, look in the mirror first to see how you can better enable this.
Don’t ask your leader what you should do, tell them what you are going to do.
Invite senior leaders out into the field.
Chapter 11: Decisiveness Amid Uncertainty
Leaders cannot be paralyzed by fear. That results in inaction.
It is critical for leaders to act decisively amid uncertainty; to make the best decisions they can based on only the immediate information available.
There is no 100 percent right solution. The picture is never complete.
Leaders must be comfortable with this and be able to make decisions promptly.
Outcomes are never certain; success never guaranteed.
Business leaders must be comfortable in the chaos and act decisively amid such uncertainty.
How do you want to be perceived? Do you want to be seen as someone who can be held hostage by the demands - the threats - they are making?
Do you want to be seen as indecisive?
The outcome may be uncertain, but you have enough understanding and need to make a decision (even when decisions are tough).
COMMAND LOYALTY - junior leaders are replaceable - there are always people who want to step up.
Chapter 12: Discipline Equals Freedom - The Dichotomy of Leadership
The SEAL teams had been ransacking buildings when searching for evidence.
A simple and systematic method was then used to enhance effectiveness at searching for evidence.
Specific individuals were responsible for specific tasks.
Developed a better SOP - with discipline and training, it would enhance effectivity.
Of course there was grumbling.
Exercise discipline, it translates to more substantial elements of your life.
Disciplined SOPs = freedom to practice Decentralized Command.
Every leader must walk a fine line to find the dichotomy between one extreme and another.
Just as discipline and freedom are opposing forces that must be balanced, leadership requires finding the equilibrium.
A leader must be aggressive, but not overbearing.
Encourage new ideas and opposing views.
A leader must be calm, but not robotic.
The team must understand their leader cares about them.
Leaders who lose their temper also lose respect.
A leader must be competitive, but also gracious losers.
A leader must act with professionalism and recognize others for their contributions.
A leader must be attentive to details, but not obsessed by them.
The best leaders understand the motivations of their team members and know their people.
But a leader must never grow so close to subordinates that one member of the team is more important than another or the mission.
Leaders must never get so close the team forgets who is in charge.
Leaders must earn respect.
Every member of the team must develop the trust and confidence that their leader will exercise good judgment, remain calm and make the right decisions.