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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

Waiting for the 100 percent right and certain solution leads to delay, indecision, and an inability to execute.
JOCKO WILLINK

Ability Action Decision Right Wait
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.
JOCKO WILLINK

Planning Simplicity Team Understand
Good leaders don’t make excuses.
JOCKO WILLINK

Goodness Leadership One Liner
Such concepts are simple, but not easy,
JOCKO WILLINK

Easy Simplicity
Remember to keep your ego in check. Don’t judge people.
JOCKO WILLINK

Judgement People Remember Yourself
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
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
The most impressive thing about this improvement in performance was that it did not come from a major process change or an advance in technology. Instead, it came through a leadership principle that has been around for ages: Simple.
JOCKO WILLINK

Age Change Improvement Leadership Simplicity Technology
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
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
Relax. Look around. Make a call.
JOCKO WILLINK

Action Breathe Inspirational See
Leaders must accept total responsibility, own problems that inhibit performance, and develop solutions to those problems.
JOCKO WILLINK

Acceptance Development Leadership Problem Responsibility
Extreme Ownership. Leaders must own everything in their world. There is no one else to blame.
JOCKO WILLINK

Blame Leadership World
Take care of your gear and your gear will take care of you.
JOCKO WILLINK

Care Material
If we could execute with a monumental effort just to reach an immediate goal that everyone could see, we could then continue to the next visually.
JOCKO WILLINK

Effort Goal See

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.

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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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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