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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

Is this what I want to be? This? Is this all I’ve got—is this everything I can give? Is this going to be my life? Do I accept that?
JOCKO WILLINK

Acceptance Generosity Life Myself Philosophy
But, in fact, discipline is the pathway to freedom.
JOCKO WILLINK

Discipline Freedom
The focus must always be on how to best accomplish the mission.
JOCKO WILLINK

Accomplishment Best Focus
The leader must own everything in his or her world.
JOCKO WILLINK

Himself Leadership World
Trust is not blindly given. It must be built over time.
JOCKO WILLINK

Time Trust
In the SEAL Teams, the bond of our brotherhood is our strongest weapon. If you take that away from us, we lose our most important quality as a team.
JOCKO WILLINK

Important Lose Quality Relationship Strong Team Weapon
Don’t ask your leader what you should do, tell them what you are going to do.
JOCKO WILLINK

Future Leadership 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
When it comes to standards, as a leader, it’s not what you preach, it’s what you tolerate. When setting expectations, no matter what has been said or written, if substandard performance is accepted and no one is held accountable.
JOCKO WILLINK

Acceptance Expectation Leadership Tolerance
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.
JOCKO WILLINK

Best Decision Failure Leadership Possible Team
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
Plans and orders must be communicated in a manner that is simple, clear, and concise. Everyone
JOCKO WILLINK

Planning Simplicity
There is only hard work, late nights, early mornings, practice, rehearsal, repetition, study, sweat, blood, toil, frustration, and discipline.
JOCKO WILLINK

Discipline Inspirational Morning Night Practice Success
Repetitive exceptional performance became a habit.
JOCKO WILLINK

Performance
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
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

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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