Even the most competent of leaders can be overwhelmed if they try to tackle multiple problems or a number of tasks simultaneously.
JOCKO WILLINKDon’t try to plan for every contingency. Doing so will only overburden you and weigh you down so that you cannot quickly maneuver.
More Jocko Willink Quotes
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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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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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To not move around, observe, and analyze, in order to make the best decisions possible, was to fail as a leader and fail the team.
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Leaders must always operate with the understanding that they are part of something greater than themselves and their own personal interests.
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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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Don’t try to plan for every contingency. Doing so will only overburden you and weigh you down so that you cannot quickly maneuver.
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Take care of your gear and your gear will take care of you.
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Most important of all, he believed winning was possible.
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Departments and groups within the team must break down silos, depend on each other and understand who depends on them.
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There is no one else to blame. The leader must acknowledge mistakes and admit failures, take ownership of them, and develop a plan to win.
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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 leader must care about the troops, but at the same time the leader must complete the mission, and in doing so there will be risk and sometimes unavoidable consequences to the troops.
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For this reason, they must believe in the cause for which they are fighting.
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The most fundamental and important truths at the heart of Extreme Ownership: there are no bad teams, only bad leaders.
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People do not follow robots.
JOCKO WILLINK