It makes more sense to take a step back, do a tactical retreat, regroup, complete another assessment, and maybe find a different, more effective angle to take in both situations. If you keep investing money into things that don’t work, the next thing you know, you’ve burned through all your capital. If you did, before you know it, your entire platoon could be dead, and then, you can’t do anything. Going forward in the ‘no-quit spirit’ doesn’t make sense. But when you get to a SEALs Team, and you’re running missions, and what you’re doing isn’t working, it’s different, right? Let’s say you’re taking a lot of casualties. And when you’re going through training carrying logs around, and you’re wet and cold, and it’s all there to make you quit, you never quit. “One of the SEAL mantras is to never quit. Jocko’s book, The Dichotomy of Leadership, further demonstrates how nothing works in extremes-a principle that applies to ALL areas of life. Everyone knows if they’re doing the right things for the right reasons, they can pretty much do whatever they want.” “I run my company and my family the same way. If someone wasn’t squared away like that, he’d probably tell you I was the biggest micromanager and never let him do anything. I’d let him run, clearing the path for him. In a SEAL platoon, if someone knew what he was doing, and had the right mission in mind, I would give him complete freedom. Whether you’re leading a platoon or your family, you need to utilize the same concepts. On the surface, the contrast between the military’s finite guidelines and the fatherly duties of encouraging children to forge their own paths could offset that balance.īut Jocko says, “Leadership is leadership. I think war is pretty similar to that.”īalance is something Jocko relies on in all areas of life: in the military, as an entrepreneur, and as a husband and dad. They learned what real suffering is, and even though they wouldn’t wish it on anyone, they’re glad they experienced it. They learned to appreciate every single day. “Have you ever known someone who was diagnosed with cancer and made it through? So many times, those survivors say it changed them… because they learned to appreciate life. That type of dichotomy-the balancing of extremes-might seem even more elusive when integrating “normal” life with a past largely centered around war. I’ll say that the worst days of my life absolutely were in Iraq, but the best days of my life were there, as well.” I was lucky enough to lead troops in combat, capture the lessons learned, and now use them to help others. I’m more appreciative of what is available in the world, and of every day I am alive. That’s a really powerful driver in life.”Īs one might expect, his experience on the front lines of war changed him as a man. People are relying on you, and you of course want to take care of your friends. “All I wanted was to be a good SEAL… to do that, you have to work hard. I always wanted to be a commando of some kind.”ĭeployed twice to Iraq, Jocko has firsthand experience in “very hard, violent fighting” in direct-action missions and heavy, sustained urban combat operations. I painted my face with burnt cork for camouflage and ran around in the woods. “When I was a little kid, I turned every stick into a toy machine gun. He has, perhaps, always had military ‘in the blood.’ Jocko, whose real name is John Getton Willink, is a retired, decorated Navy SEAL who spent 20 years in the military, eventually reaching the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Suffice it to say, Jocko can speak to the importance of balance. His podcast, the Jocko Podcast, boasts over 17,000 reviews, and at the time of this writing, ranks as the 60th most popular podcast in the world.Īs if that’s not enough, he’s also a husband to his wife Helen for over 20 years and dad to four kids ranging in age from 10 to 19. Navy SEALs Lead and Win and The Dichotomy of Leadership: Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win, as well as the author of Discipline Equals Freedom Field Manual and the best-selling Way of the Warrior Kid children’s book series. He is widely known as a co-founder (and the Chief Executive Officer) of Echelon Front, a leadership consulting firm where he teaches the leadership principles he learned on the battlefield to help others lead, and win-which includes finding that sense of balance.Īn accomplished black-belt Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, he also owns Victory MMA and Fitness in San Diego and is the co-author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers, Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Often viewed as a somewhat elusive lifestyle, Jocko Willink, a highly decorated Navy SEAL and combat veteran who was awarded the Silver and the Bronze Star, sees it differently. One of the common threads that links humanity together is our quest for balance.
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