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

One of the reasons that we were able to successfully push back on the stuff that really mattered, was because all of the little things, all those paperwork requirements that other people didn’t do or had complained about to the commanding officer the whole time while doing them, we had done them. Yes, it was a pain for us. I wanted to be doing

If you make a mistake, own it. The worst thing you can do if you make a mistake is try to avoid taking blame for it. That’s the worst thing you can do. Think about the bosses you have had that made a mistake. If he said, “No, it wasn’t my fault,” you’d lose respect for him. So you can’t do that. You’ve got to take ownership of it.

It is the insecure leader that you need to watch out for. The insecure leader is always worried about looking bad.

Back to the question: Is there a way to practice the hard conversations? Yes, there absolutely is. That way is rehearsals. So many people think they are above doing rehearsals. Rehearsals are absolutely critical for SEAL performance on the battlefield.

So, for having those hard conversations, it is the same thing. You have to practice it. You have to sit down with someone who understands how the person you need to have the hard conversation with might respond. Role-play. Try different scenarios. Start with an easy scenario, a softball, then escalate to a more difficult scenario, eventually

There’s another game that needs to be played. It’s dealing with egos and it’s dealing with personalities. People have different personalities. A leader has to learn to be like a woodworking craftsman. He has to learn what tools to use with different types of wood. That’s what being a leader is.

The goal of all leaders should be to work themselves out of a job. This means leaders must be heavily engaged in training and mentoring their junior leaders to prepare them to step up and assume greater responsibilities. When mentored and coached properly, the junior leader can eventually replace the senior leader, allowing the senior leader to

There is an answer to the age-old question of whether leaders are born or made. Obviously, some are born with natural leadership qualities, such as charisma, eloquence, sharp wit, a decisive mind, the willingness to accept risk when others might falter, or the ability to remain calm in chaotic, high-pressure situations. Others may not possess these