Extreme ownership – how US Navy SEALs lead and win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin is one of the best books in the realm of leadership. The authors of the book have an experience of over three-decade in combat military. They have seen extreme conditions throughout their lives and how they cope with those conditions and came out victorious. Based on their valuable experience, this book gives insight and understanding as to how extreme ownership and take full responsibility would help in the pursuit of objectives and completion of tasks. Extreme ownership should be the very foundation of a leader when he is pitting against odd. Subordinates look up to their leader and care not to muse much. Such behavior makes the position of leader even more crucial.
The book is divided into three main parts. The first one talks about winning the war within. The second part talks about the laws of combat and the third talks about sustaining victory. Each chapter in the book is a concept, a perspective, and an aspect.
On top of all is extreme ownership. Being in the position of a leader comes with a huge responsibility. A great leader is the one who takes full responsibility for his actions and decisions. He has to take responsibility for his failures too. The ownership directly affects the mission or the task. It takes mettle, courage, and a humble attitude to accept and admit the failure, although it is not an easy thing to admit the failure. A leader’s promoting of extreme ownership and responsibility trickle down to subordinates and compaction in the team takes place. Extreme ownership also vouches for the respect that a leader enjoys, from superiors and subordinates. The approach must be, “I am the only one to blame, and there is no one else”. The concept of extreme ownership is not only confined to the military. It very well functions the same in a business setting. It sometimes occurs that a brilliant plan fails during execution because of the negligence of stakeholders. In such a situation one should not blame others rather one should review the process and do everything which will make the plan better and fruitful.
There is no such thing as a bad team it’s only the bad leader. Napoleon Bonaparte once said that army of a hundred lions led by a dog would die like dogs in a fight as opposed to an army of hundred dogs led by a lion. The dogs will fight like lions. The example depicts the fact that the most important factor is no other than leadership in any scenario. If a leader is not good, everything would fall apart and if a leader is good he would try his best amid the disorder to make things right and meet the objective. Extreme ownership is at the center of the collective effort by a team. Ownership keeps the staff glued. With unity, everything is achievable. As the authors say, there is not a bad team, there is an only bad leader is very much right.
In order for pulling a task successfully, one must know as to why one should pursue an undertaking. In a military combat scenario, where the life of a soldier is on the line, therefore, taking a plunge into a skirmish should rather be supported by a very strong reason. First, a leader must be convinced about the reason only then he can make his team members or his unit believe that they can do it. Being on the same page for a team is of paramount importance. Believing supports psychologically.
Likewise, a leader should not have an ego in him. Ego can be disastrous to the operation of any sort. Ego hazes the judgment and goes on to affect the team and operations as a whole. A leader is expected to have no ego at all, since, any good thing can come from junior, and thinking of junior as a person of low intellect is extremely dangerous. Having no ego is quintessentially a sign of a humble attitude. Extreme ownership can only be applied when the ego is under checked.
Every member of a team is instrumental in the task. There is no one least important irrespective of his rank, role, and task. It is always a concerted effort that bears the fruit. Extreme ownership oozes a supportive attitude towards others. Teamwork is covering and moving.
Another interesting factor is keeping things simple. Complicating stuff would further toughen the task. When the orders are complicated, the chances of making mistakes are higher as opposed to simple orders. For a leader, to give an order that is simple, clear, and concise, is extremely important. A leader is simple but it is not easy.
Prioritizing tasks is a practice of best leaders and managers. Without prioritizing, things get complicated and procrastination comes into play. With the increase in pressure, the whole mission and a project go into the lurch. To better deal with such adverse situations, prioritizing, and then executing serve as the best solution. By this method, a leader stays one step ahead. A leader should evaluate, prioritize, plan, and execute and he should not fixate on one task.
A person always likes to be empowered. Therefore, a good leader always empowers his staff. The best way of doing that is to decentralize the command. Giving a leadership role and decision-making power can solve many issues. Having small teams with leaders would focus on a certain task. It can also be a part of the simplification of operation. This practice is fruitful in the achievement of the objective.
For any operation, mission, and objective, Planning is the backbone. Planning promotes clarity and removes ambiguity. There is always a need for definitiveness in the order. Without proper planning, it is almost impossible. Taking subordinates in the process of planning would help in making the best plan. Everybody’s input concerning his or her capability can better help in the application of approach, method, and modus operandi. When all the team members are on a table, there are fewer chances of overlooking factors. Even the subliminal aspects of operations are unearthed by the practice of delegating the planning process.
For a leader leading down and leader up, both are important. A leader should always communicate with his team members. This communication will never let the team members feel alienated. If any team member is not performing at par to standard, a leader should listen to him. It is very much possible that he or she is facing some issues in his personal life. Also keeping things simple, clear, and concise would help the team members understand the situation or a mission. Team members should not be blamed for not discerning the strategic goal. Likewise, a leader should also take in his boss to get the necessary support required for his team so they could accomplish the task successfully. Just take extreme ownership and don’t blame others, look at yourself first.
The most detrimental thing to the mission is the nonchalance of the leader. Amid uncertainty and precariousness, a good leader is expected to behave bravely, decisively, and confidently. A leader should always remain calm and composed. Remaining calm and patient epitomizes the core value of the best leader. In the midst of certainty, it’s the composedness that carries the solution. It is very much possible that the decision in the wake of unrest would not bear a desirable outcome. However, it takes courage to take a decision in the first place. Amid the uncertainty, the team looks up to their leader and it’s the leader who has to keep them calm and get going.
There is always a fine line that sometimes makes are a leader go from the good side to the bad side. A confident leader can be smug, one needs to be confident and not overconfident. He should be courageous and brave and not a fool to take a plunge in the fire. He should be attentive and not fixate to an idea. He should be resilient that brave and not enduring. It’s the endurance that keeps the things rolling. A leader should not show arrogance, he should always follow what comes from others and even from his subordinates. He should be aggressive but not demeaning. Likewise, there are many other traits that need moderation. Slipping, a little can cause a leader, go from the good side to the negative side.
The book Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin offers great insights towards leadership. The two navy seals, who have lived a tough life, who have lived the situations that demanded extraordinary leadership skills; this book comes as first hand and proven tactics in the field of leadership. It is undoubtedly extreme ownership that counts the most in all walks of life. Even a layman who thinks of the factors that have been talked about in the book would care to agree. It’s the leader who is the backbone of any project. It is the leader who is looked up to. It is always the leader who is bad and not the team. Leadership certainly comes with huge responsibilities.
We need to take the responsibility for our actions. Its the very core factor behind taking up a role as a successful leader. Nobody can ever be a good leader if he or she runs from responsibility. Extreme ownership is nothing but responsibility. A full fledge responsibility of all actions that a leader takes or even the action of his or her team members. Standing by their actions is essentially called extreme ownership.
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