extreme ownership

The principles in this book were forged in some of the most violent battlefields in Iraq.  The authors are Jocko Willink and Leif Babin who served as a Navy SEALs.  They fought in the Battle of Ramadi and they use their combat leadership experience as executive coaches.   Jocko is a legend among the teams.  He is a highly decorated combat veteran who is 230 pounds of muscle with a Black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.  How would you like to face him in combat,

jocko-willink

Extreme Ownership presents the leadership lessons learned in combat and then applies them to any team or organization.  This book is a page turner putting you in the midst of a fire fight in Ramadi and then applying lessons learned to the challenges leaders face in everyday life.  Here is the table of contents for an overview of the topics,

Leadership: The Single Most Important Factor
Part I Winning the War Within
Chapter 1 Extreme Ownership
Chapter 2 No Bad Teams, Only Bad Leaders
Chapter 3 Believe
Chapter 4 Check the Ego
Part II Laws of Combat
Chapter 5 Cover and Move
Chapter 6 Simple
Chapter 7 Prioritize and Execute
Chapter 8 Decentralized Command
Part III Sustaining Victory
Chapter 9 Plan
Chapter 10 Leading Up and Down the Chain of Command
Chapter 11 Decisiveness amid Uncertainty
Chapter 12 Discipline Equals Freedom-The Dichotomy of Leadership

You will find battle tested leadership principles that will help you personally and organizationally.  Here are the primary dichotomies of leadership Willink identifies as traits every effective leader should have,

“A leader must lead but also be ready to follow.”
“A leader must be aggressive but not overbearing.”
“A leader must be calm but not robotic.”
“A leader must be confident but never cocky.”
“A leader must be brave but not foolhardy.”
“A leader must have a competitive spirit but also be a gracious loser.”
“A leader must be attentive to detail but not obessed by them.”
“A leader must be strong but likewise have endurance, not only physically but mentally.”
“A leader must be humble but not passive.”
“A leader must be quiet but not silent.”
“A leader must be close with subordinates but not too close.”
“A leader must never get so close that the team forgets who is in charge.”
“A leader must exercise Extreme Ownership. Simultaneously, that leader must employ Decentralized Command.”
“A leader has nothing to prove but everything to prove.”  (pp. 277-278)

The authors tell us, “Leadership is simple, but not easy.  Likewise, leadership is both art and science.  There are no exact answers or specific formulas to follow in every case.  In any situation, there exists a great deal of gray area, neither black nor white.  There may be an infinite number of options for potential solutions to any one leadership challenge”  (p. 286).

Although a book cannot tell you how to lead in every situation, this book will provide principles to enhance your leadership effectiveness as you practice extreme ownership.

RickAssociate Pastor – Discipleship.  The Church at LifePark

Professor of Discipleship, Columbia International University

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