LEADERSHIP LIBRARY

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Extreme Ownership

Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

 

IN BRIEF

Jocko Willink and Leif Babin instruct leaders to take complete ownership over their domains. That doesn’t mean micromanaging or taking everything on her plate; instead, it means training, communicating, providing context, and putting the right team members in the right positions to create success. Their Laws of Combat framework is also helpful in thinking about the role of the leader and how teams can be effective.

Key Concepts

 

Extreme Ownership, defined

“The leader must own everything in his or her world. There is no one else to blame. ...The best leaders don’t just take responsibility for their job. They take Extreme Ownership of everything that impacts there’s mission.” (p. 30)

Commander’s Intent

“The mission must explain the overall purpose and desired result, or ‘end state,’ of the operation. ...While a simple statement, the Commander’s Intent is actually the most important part of the brief.” (p. 204)

Default: Aggressive

“...as a leader, my default setting should be aggressive—proactive rather than reactive. ...Instead of letting the situation dictate our decisions, we must dictate the situation.” (p. 258)

Laws of Combat

Cover and Move—“All elements within the greater team are crucial and must work together to accomplish the mission, mutually supporting one another for that singular purpose.” (pp. 121-2)

Simple—“If the plan is simple enough, everyone understands it, which means each person can rapidly adjust and modify what he or she is doing. If the plan is too complex, the team can’t make rapid adjustments to it….” (pp. 145-6)

Prioritize and Execute—“On the battlefield, 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 decisions possible. …‘Relax, look around, make a call.’” (p. 161)

Decentralized Command—“…[L]eaders must understand the overall mission, and the ultimate goal of that mission—the Commander’s Intent. Junior leaders must be empowered to make decisions on key tasks necessary to accomplish that mission in the most effective and efficient manner possible.” (p. 183)

Quotables

 

“Effective leaders lead successful teams that accomplish their mission and win. Ineffective leaders do not. (p. 8)

“...leadership is the single greatest factor in any team’s performance.” (p. 49)

“Far more important than training or equipment, a resolute belief in the mission is critical for any team or organization to win and achieve big results.” (p. 77)

“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.” (p. 140)

“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.” (p. 162)

“A good leader has nothing to prove, but everything to prove.” (p. 278)

“And what I’m telling you, as a leader, is don’t do a leadership comb-over.” (p. 296)