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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.

Jocko Willink

Once people stop making excuses, stop blaming others, and take ownership of everything in their lives, they are compelled to take action to solve their problems.
JOCKO WILLINK

Action Blame Live People Problem
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.
JOCKO WILLINK

Goodness Leadership Learning Myself Remember Struggle Time Win
Our freedom to operate and maneuver had increased substantially through disciplined procedures. Discipline equals freedom.
JOCKO WILLINK

Discipline Equality Freedom Ourselves
Don’t fight stress. Embrace it. Turn it on itself. Use it to make yourself sharper and more alert. Use it to make you think and learn and get better and smarter and more effective. Use the stress to make you a better you.
JOCKO WILLINK

Fight Learning Thinking
The Warrior Kid treats people with respect, doesn’t judge them.
JOCKO WILLINK

Judgement People Respect Warrior
There is no growth in the comfort zone.
JOCKO WILLINK

Comfortable Growth One Liner
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.
JOCKO WILLINK

Blame Development Failure Leadership Mistake Oneself Win
A mission statement tells your troops what you are doing.
JOCKO WILLINK

Team Yourself
As a leader, you have to balance the dichotomy, to be resolute where it matters but never inflexible and uncompromising on matters of little importance to the overall good of the team and the strategic mission.
JOCKO WILLINK

Goodness Importance Leadership Team
It’s not what you preach, it’s what you tolerate.
JOCKO WILLINK

Deep Tolerance Yourself
The greatest of these was the recognition that leadership is the most important factor on the battlefield, the single greatest reason behind the success of any team.
JOCKO WILLINK

Greatness Leadership Team
Good leaders are rare; bad leaders are common.
JOCKO WILLINK

Bad Goodness Leadership
When it comes to standards, as a leader, it’s not what you preach, it’s what you tolerate.
JOCKO WILLINK

Leadership Philosophy Tolerance
Don’t let your mind control you. Control your mind.
JOCKO WILLINK

Control Inspirational Mindset Yourself
There are no bad units, only bad officers. This captures the essence of what Extreme Ownership is all about.
JOCKO WILLINK

Bad Control Politics
Take care of your gear and your gear will take care of you.
JOCKO WILLINK

Care Material
A leader must lead but also be ready to follow. Sometimes, another member of the team—perhaps a subordinate or direct report—might be in a better position to develop a plan, make a decision, or lead through a specific situation.
JOCKO WILLINK

Decision Development Leadership Team
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.
JOCKO WILLINK

Care Leadership Risk Time
People do not follow robots.
JOCKO WILLINK

People Technology
That’s it. When things are going bad: Don’t get all bummed out, don’t get startled, don’t get frustrated. No. Just look at the issue and say: Good.
JOCKO WILLINK

Bad Goodness Issue
Leaders must always operate with the understanding that they are part of something greater than themselves and their own personal interests.
JOCKO WILLINK

Greatness Leadership Understand
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.
JOCKO WILLINK

Control Enemy Failure Goodness Important Thinking
Leaders must accept total responsibility, own problems that inhibit performance, and develop solutions to those problems.
JOCKO WILLINK

Acceptance Development Leadership Problem Responsibility
Motivation is fickle. It comes and goes.
JOCKO WILLINK

Motivational One Liner
Although discipline demands control and asceticism, it actually results in freedom. When you have the discipline to get up early, you are rewarded with more free time.
JOCKO WILLINK

Control Discipline Freedom Result Time
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.
JOCKO WILLINK

Accomplishment Development Focus Humility Leadership Mistake Simplicity
Stop researching every aspect of it and reading all about it and debating the pros and cons of it, Start doing it.
JOCKO WILLINK

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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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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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Popular Authors

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