Brian Johnsons

PhilosophersNotes

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Extreme Ownership

THE BIG IDEAS

How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win

Extreme Ownership

BY JOCKO WILLINK AND LEIF BABIN ST. MARTINS PRESS 2015 320 PAGES

What is it?

No Bad Teams
Only bad leaders.

A True Believer
Are you one?

Prioritize and Execute

Simplify + front-sight focus.

3 Alarm Clocks

Discipline = freedom.

Leading People

Challenging + gratifying.

The idea for this book was born from the realization that the principles critical for
SEAL success on the battlefieldhow SEALs train and prepare their leaders, how
they mold and develop high-performance teams, and how they lead combatare
directly applicable to success in any group, organization, corporation, business,
and, to a broader degree, life. This book provides the reader with our formula for
success: the mind-set and guiding principles that enable SEAL leaders and combat
units to achieve extraordinary results. It demonstrates how to apply these directly
in business and life to likewise achieve victory.
~ Jocko Willink and Leif Babin from Extreme Ownership
Navy SEALs are the most highly trained, elite warriors on the planet.
And, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin were two of the most senior SEALS on the ground in the most
intense battles of Iraq.
In this book, they share the U.S. Navy SEAL approach to leadership that allows them to Lead
and Win.
The key?
EXTREME OWNERSHIP.
Absolutely owning everything in their world. Taking 100% responsibility for the success (and
failure) of their missionsblaming no one and constantly seeking ways to improve.

The book derives its title

from the underlying principle

As you can imagine, its an intense look at extreme leadership with stories from the trenches
(literally) of war and examples of how we can apply the ideas to our businesses and lives. (Get

the mind-setthat provides

the book here.)

the foundation for all the

The book is packed with Big Ideas and Im excited to share a few of my favorites so lets jump

rest: Extreme Ownership.

Leaders must own everything
in their world. There is no
one else to blame.
~ Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

straight in.

WHAT IS EXTREME OWNERSHIP?

I explained that as the officer in charge of training for the West Coast SEAL Teams, we put
SEAL units through highly demanding scenarios to get them ready for combat in Iraq and
Afghanistan. When SEAL leaders were placed in worst-case-scenario training situations, it was
almost always the leaders attitudes that determined whether their SEAL units would ultimately
succeed or fail. We knew how hard the training missions were because we had designed them.
In virtually every case, the SEAL troops and platoons that didnt perform well had leaders who
blamed everyone and everything elsetheir troops, their subordinate leaders, or the scenario.
They blamed the SEAL training instructor staff; they blamed inadequate equipment or the
experience level of their men. They refused to accept responsibility. Poor performance and
mission failure were the result.

PhilosophersNotes | Extreme Ownership

The best-performing SEAL units had leaders who accepted responsibility for everything. Every
mistake, every failure or shortfallthose leaders would own it. During the debrief after a
There are no negative
repercussions to Extreme
Ownership, I said. There
are only two types of leaders:
effective and ineffective.
Effective leaders that
lead successful, highperformance teams exhibit
Extreme Ownership. Anything
else is simply ineffective.
Anything else is bad
leadership.
~ Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

training mission, those good SEAL leaders took ownership of failures, sought guidance on how
to improve, and figured out a way to overcome challenges on the next iteration. The best leaders
checked their egos, accepted blame, sought out constructive criticism, and took detailed notes
for improvement. They exhibited Extreme Ownership, and as a result, their SEAL platoons and
task units dominated.
As you may have guessed by the title, this book is all about taking 100% (!!!) responsibility for
E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. in our lives.
When things dont go well, what do YOU do?
Whether its at home or the office, do you blame the people around you for the problems or do
you take EXTREME OWNERSHIP?
Know this: The easiest way to know that you are *not* taking Extreme Ownership is when you
are BLAMING someone (or something) else for whatever problems you may be experiencing in
your life.
Lets quit blaming. Thats step 1 in taking extreme ownership.
Heres a powerful story to bring the point home.

THERE ARE NO BAD TEAMS, ONLY BAD LEADERS

It was a shocking turn of events. Boat Crew VI, the same team in the same circumstances only
under new leadership, went from the worst boat crew in the class to the best. Gone was their
cursing and frustration. And gone too was the constant scrutiny and individual attention they
had received from the SEAL instructor staff. Had I not witnessed this amazing transformation, I
might have doubted it. But it was a glaring, undeniable example of one of the most fundamental
and important truths at the heart of Extreme Ownership: there are no bad teams, only bad
leaders.
Thats from Chapter 2: No Bad Team, Only Bad Leaders.
Leif tells us the fascinating story of the SEAL Hell Week training he supervised.
Bare in mind that Hell Week comes after several weeks of the SEAL basic training course. And,
remember that, as Leif tells us, Hell Week is not a fitness test. While it did require some athletic
ability, every student that survived the weeks of BUD/S training prior to Hell Week had already
demonstrated adequate fitness to graduate. It was not a physical test but a mental one.
Alright. So heres the story.
One of the most brutal aspects of the training is when the students are split into boat crews
each with seven guys. Each team gets assigned an old-school World War II-era inflatable boat
that weighs 200 pounds. They need to carry this boat up and over 20-feet-high sand berms and
run with it for miles. Then they get to paddle it out to the ocean, dump it over so everyones out
and freezing wet and then paddle it back in.
And...
Theyre always competing with everyone else. If you lose, you have to go through extra, bonus
brutal stuff while the winners get to take the next race off. (It pays to be a winner! the
instructors would constantly remind everyone.)
So, apparently, Boat Crew II just crushed it. They won every.single.race. Boat Crew VI, on the
other hand, LOST every.single.race.

PhilosophersNotes | Extreme Ownership

While the Boat Crew II team worked together flawlessly and, although freezing and exhausted,
Their success illustrated
once again that leadership

they actually had smiles on their faces. Boat Crew VI was the opposite. They were cursing and
blaming one another for all their problems.

is the most important thing

I should mention that each boat crew had a leaderthe most senior guy who was responsible for

on any battlefield; it is the

getting the complicated instructions on what to do in the next assignment and leading their team

single greatest factor in

whether a team succeeds or
fails. A leader must find a
way to become effective and
drive high performance within
his or her team in order
to win. Whether in SEAL
training, in combat on distant
battlefields, in business, or in
life: there are no bad teams,
only bad leaders.
~ Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

through the process.

The leader of Boat Crew VI was convinced that he was losing because his team sucked. He was
certain that Boat Crew II was simply made up of the best guys and his team was not.
Now, our wise instructor knew that there was no such thing as a bad team, just a bad leader.
So, he devised a little experimentcommanding the leaders to swap teams. The leader from the
always-winning Boat Crew II would now switch places with the leader from the always-losing
Boat Crew VI.
What happened?
Well, as you can probably guess, the worst boat crew suddenly became the best. They went from
losing nearly every race to winning nearly every race.
> No Bad Team, Only Bad Leaders.
The concept that there were no bad teams, only bad leaders was a difficult one to accept but
nevertheless a crucial concept that leaders must fully understand and implement to enable them
to most effectively lead a high-performance team. Leaders must accept total responsibility, own
problems that inhibit performance, and develop solutions to those problems. A team could only
deliver exceptional performance if a leader ensured the team worked together toward a focused
goal and enforced high standards of performance, working to continuously improve. With a
culture of Extreme Ownership within the team, every member of the team could contribute to
this effort and ensure the highest levels of performance.
Lets shine the spotlight on you.
Whether its at home or at work, do you ever think youre on a bad team?
Guess what. Youre the problem. (HAH.) Quit blaming and criticizing and start taking
EXTREME OWNERSHIP for the situation.
Find solutions. Make it better. Lead. Win.
P.S. Keep this gem from Darren Hardys Entrepreneur Roller Coaster (see Notes) in mind:
Heres a secret: People dont go as far as they can. They dont work as hard as they can either.
They arent as disciplined as possible. They arent as positive-minded or enthusiastic as they
can be. Theyre only as fast and disciplined as you are.
As the leader, you set the pace. You create the standards. It doesnt matter if youre leading
salespeople, engineers, or creatives. They will only be as disciplined, driven, focused, and
consistent as the person leading them. The speed, quality, and culture of the pack are
determined by the leader. That means the most important, but also the most underused and
violated, principle of leadership is lead by example. ...
In 1944, the Allied generals gathered to discuss their battle plans for the D-Day invasion of
Normandy. After listening to how each general was going to send his soldiers into battle, an
angered Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander, slammed his fist down, stood up,
and placed a piece of string in the middle of the table.
Gentlemen, he said, Do you see this string? This string is like an army. Push it from behind,
and it doubles up on itselfyou get nowhere. To drive it forward you have to pull it from the
front, and it will follow you in perfect order.

PhilosophersNotes | Extreme Ownership

ARE YOU A TRUE BELIEVER?

As the U.S. Naval hero of
the American Revolution and
Father of the U.S. Navy, John
Paul Jones, said: Those who
will not risk cannot win.
~ Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

In order to convince and inspire others to follow and accomplish a mission, a leader must be a
true believer in the mission. Even when others doubt and question the amount of risk, asking,
Is it worth it? the leader must believe in the greater cause. If a leader does not believe, he or
she will not take the risks required to overcome the inevitable challenges necessary to win. And
they will not be able to convince othersespecially the frontline troops who must execute the
missionto do so. Leaders must always operate with the understanding that they are part of
something greater than themselves and their own personal interests. They must impart this
understanding to their teams down to the tactical-level operators on the ground. 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.
Whats your #1 project or mission right now?
This is it: ___________________________________
Got it? Great.
Are you a TRUE BELIEVER?
Do you have a RESOLUTE BELIEF in the mission?
Do you *KNOW* you can achieve it and believe its a worthy goal to go after?
If not, as leaders we need to get that clarity or adjust our mission.
If we dont truly believe, theres *no way* were going to effectively lead. Period.
P.S. Remember our Motivation Equation? The #1 variable is EXPECTANCY. You have to believe.
P.P.S. Ive mentioned it a number of times since discovering the stat and Im going to repeat it
again here. Workers who have leaders that inspire hope in a better future are engaged 69% of the
time. Those who do not have leaders that inspire hope are engaged a paltry 1% of the time.
That is crazy. And, the same rules apply here. If YOU want to be engaged in your life, you need
to BELIEVE that things are going to work. If you want to lead your TEAM (biz/fam/whatever)
you need to believe in the mission and share that belief. Are you?

PRIORITIZE AND EXECUTE

When something goes wrong

On the battlefield, countless problems compound in a snowball effect, every challenge complex

and it eventually doescomplex

in its own right, each demanding attention. But a leader must remain calm and make the best

plans add to confusion,

which can compound into
disaster. Almost no mission

decisions possible. To do this, SEAL combat leaders utilize Prioritize and Execute. We verbalize
this principle with this direction: Relax, look around, make a call.
Even the most competent of leaders can be overwhelmed if they try to tackle multiple problems

ever goes according to plan.

or a number of tasks simultaneously. The team will likely fail at each of those tasks. Instead,

There are simply too many

leaders must determine the highest priority task and execute. When overwhelmed, fall back

variables to deal with. This is

where simplicity is key.
~ Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

upon this principle: Prioritize and Execute.

Thats from the chapter called Prioritize and Execute.
Reminds me of wisdom from another SEAL Commander, Mark Divine. In The Way of the SEAL
(see Notes), he tells us we need to simplify the battlefield and maintain front-sight focus.
Heres how he puts it: Maintaining a front-sight focus has a calming and confidence-building
effect. A SEAL knows he must simply engage one target at a time and not shift focus until hes
dispatched that target. SEALs dont like to waste ammowe try to make each round count.
This is far more effective than trying to engage multiple targets (or worry about them at
the same time!). Admittedly, our training allows us to do this very fast and with incredible

PhilosophersNotes | Extreme Ownership

Leaders must determine

the highest priority task and
execute. When overwhelmed,
fall back upon this principle:
Prioritize and Execute.
~ Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

precision, making it appear as if were tackling multiple targets simultaneously. Ultimately, all
great successes follow this exact process: Identify a goal, and then achieve it by knocking down
one target after another, each one the right target for that shot. When you learn to do this with
the focus and precision of a SEAL, understanding which targets to engage and how to avoid
distractions, your success will skyrocket. ...
Without front-sight focus, youre bound to get derailed and end up mired in common, day-today activities and thinking. Common thinking in combat can get you killed, but in everyday life
it will simply kill any chance of your operating at the high level we expect for the Way of the
SEAL.
When feeling overwhelmed, slow down. Simplify your battlefield.
Leif shares the story of how he applied this to the business environment and asked this question
to a leader who was engaged in too many battles: Of all the initiatives, which one do you feel is
the most important? I asked. Which one is your highest priority?
Identify the next key domino you need to knock over.
Then go crush it.
Prioritize and Execute.

HOW ARE YOUR 3 ALARM CLOCKS?

Discipline equals freedom.

Discipline starts every day when the first alarm clock goes off in the morning. I say first alarm

~ Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

clock because I have three, as I was taught by one of the most feared and respected instructors
in SEAL training: one electric, one battery powered, one windup. That way, there is no excuse
for not getting out of bed, especially with all that rests on that decisive moment. The moment
the alarm goes off is the first test; it sets the tone for the rest of the day. The test is not a complex
one: when the alarm goes off, do you get up out of bed, or do you lie there in comfort and fall
back to sleep? If you have the discipline to get out of bed, you winyou pass the test. If you are
mentally weak for that moment and you let that weakness keep you in bed, you fail. Though
it seems small, that weakness translates to more significant decisions. But if you exercise
discipline, that too translates to more substantial elements of your life.
First: Three alarm clocks?!?
Now THAT is Extreme Ownership. :0
That Idea is from a chapter called Discipline Equals Freedom.
Jocko tells us that By discipline, I mean an intrinsic self-disciplinea matter of personal will.
The best SEALs I worked with were invariably the most disciplined.
In other words, a fierce commitment to aret.
We want to be aware of the decisive moments in our day-to-day lives. We need to win those
fight-thruschoosing to step forward into growth and show up as our better selves.
Jocko talks about the fact that, paradoxically, this extreme discipline actually leads to more
freedom and more flexibility. With a solid base of disciplined procedures, they had the freedom
to adapt a small portion of their approach when the situation demanded.
Plus: Last, and perhaps most important, when things went wrong and the fog of war set in,
we fell back on our disciplined procedures to carry us through the toughest challenges on the
battlefield.
When YOU are faced with your biggest challenges, you want to be able to fall back on your
disciplined consistency on your fundamentalsproviding you with the stability to power you
through the inevitable challenges.

PhilosophersNotes | Extreme Ownership

Unfortunately, too often we STOP doing the very things that keep us in the game during the
most challenging times when we need them the most.
Lets not do that. Heres to setting our three alarm clocks and experiencing the freedom that
comes from discipline.

LEADING PEOPLE: CHALLENGING + GRATIFYING

Leadership is simple, but not
easy.
~ Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

While there is no guarantee of success in leadership, there is one thing that is certain: leading
people is the most challenging and, therefore, the most gratifying undertaking of all human
endeavors. So, with that humbling reward in the distance, embrace the burden of command and
go forward onto your battlefield, in whatever arena that may be, with the disciplined resolve to
take Extreme Ownership, lead, and win.
Those are the last words of the book.
> Leading people is the most challenging and, therefore, the most gratifying undertaking of
all human endeavors.
Lets embrace the burden and opportunity of command with disciplined resolve as we take
Extreme Ownership, lead and WIN.

Brian Johnson,
Chief Philosopher

If you liked this Note,

youll probably like
The Way of the SEAL
The Entrepreneur Roller
Coaster
Resilience

About the Author of Extreme Ownership

JOCKO WILLINK AND LEIF BABIN

JOCKO WILLINK is author of Extreme Ownership, a decorated retired Navy

SEAL officer, and co-founder of Echelon Front, where he is a leadership
instructor, speaker, and executive coach. Jocko spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy
SEAL Teams, starting as an enlisted SEAL and rising through the ranks to

Unbeatable Mind

become a SEAL officer. Connect: echelonfront.com.

Unleash the Warrior Within

LEIF BABIN is author of Extreme Ownership, a decorated former Navy

SEAL officer, and co-founder of Echelon Front, where he serves as leadership
instructor, speaker, and executive coach. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy,
Leif served thirteen years in the Navy, including nine as a Navy SEAL.

About the Author of This Note

BRIAN JOHNSON

Brian Johnson loves helping people optimize their lives as he studies, embodies
and teaches the fundamentals of optimal livingintegrating ancient wisdom
+ modern science + common sense + virtue + mastery + fun. Learn more and
optimize your life at brianjohnson.me.

PhilosophersNotes | Extreme Ownership