Instead of letting the situation dictate our decisions, we must dictate the situation.
JOCKO WILLINKSo how can a leader become great if they lack the natural characteristics necessary to lead? The answer is simple: a good leader builds a great team that counterbalances their weaknesses.
More Jocko Willink Quotes
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As a leader, it is up to you to explain the bigger picture to him—and to all your front line leaders. That is a critical component of leadership
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You have to BE VIGILANT. You have to be ON GUARD. You have to HOLD THE LINE on the seemingly insignificant little things— things that shouldn’t matter—but that do.
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So how can a leader become great if they lack the natural characteristics necessary to lead? The answer is simple: a good leader builds a great team that counterbalances their weaknesses.
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A mission statement tells your troops what you are doing.
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For leaders, the humility to admit and own mistakes and develop a plan to overcome them is essential to success. The best leaders are not driven by ego or personal agendas. They are simply focused on the mission and how best to accomplish it.
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Decisively engaged?
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Get after it.
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But we can’t ever think we are too good to fail or that our enemies are not capable, deadly, and eager to exploit our weaknesses. We must never get complacent. This is where controlling the ego is most important.
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I can remember many times when my boat crew struggled. It was easy to make excuses for our team’s performance and why it wasn’t what it should have been. But I learned that good leaders don’t make excuses. Instead, they figure out a way to get it done and win.
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Remember: the enemy gets a vote.
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Don’t ask your leader what you should do, tell them what you are going to do.
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Plans and orders must be communicated in a manner that is simple, clear, and concise. Everyone
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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, because there is no baseline understanding of it.
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The best leaders are not driven by ego or personal agendas.
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Good leaders are rare; bad leaders are common.
JOCKO WILLINK






