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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.

Jocko Willink

We learned that leadership requires belief in the mission and unyielding perseverance to achieve victory, particularly when doubters question whether victory is even possible.
JOCKO WILLINK

Achievement Belief Leadership Learning Perseverance Possible Victory
Cover and Move, Simple, Prioritize and Execute, and Decentralized Command.
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Act Simplicity
The leader must own everything in his or her world.
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Himself Leadership World
In order to convince and inspire others to follow and accomplish a mission, a leader must be a true believer in the mission.
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Accomplishment Believe Inspirational Leadership True
I had to take ownership of everything that went wrong. Despite the tremendous blow to my reputation and to my ego, it was the right thing to do—the only thing to do. I
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Myself Reputation Responsibility Right Time
Don’t expect to be motivated every day to get out there and make things happen. You won’t be. Don’t count on motivation. Count on Discipline.
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Discipline Expectation Motivational
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.
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Decision Development Leadership Team
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.
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Fight Learning Thinking
For this reason, they must believe in the cause for which they are fighting.
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Believe Fight Inspirational Reason
Establishing an effective and repeatable planning process is critical to the success of any team.
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Establishment Planning Success Team
Staying ahead of the curve prevents a leader from being overwhelmed when pressure is applied and enables greater decisiveness.
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Decision Force Greatness Leadership Stay
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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Planning Simplicity Team Understand
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
When it comes to standards, as a leader, it’s not what you preach, it’s what you tolerate.
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Leadership Philosophy Tolerance
Don’t let your mind control you. Control your mind.
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Control Inspirational Mindset Yourself
We wrote this so that the leadership lessons can continue to impact teams beyond the battlefield in all leadership situations—any company, team, or organization in which a group of people strives to achieve a goal and accomplish a mission.
JOCKO WILLINK

Accomplishment Company Leadership Lesson People Team

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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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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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