# Extreme Ownership ## Metadata * Author: [Jocko Willink and Leif Babin](https://www.amazon.comundefined) * ASIN: B00VE4Y0Z2 * Reference: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VE4Y0Z2 * [Kindle link](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B00VE4Y0Z2) ## Highlights We learned that leadership requires belief in the mission and unyielding perseverance to achieve victory, particularly when doubters question whether victory is even possible. — location: [81](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B00VE4Y0Z2&location=81) ^ref-48332 --- “Relax. Look around. Make a call.” — location: [164](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B00VE4Y0Z2&location=164) ^ref-34347 --- Cover and Move, Simple, Prioritize and Execute, and Decentralized Command. The — location: [166](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B00VE4Y0Z2&location=166) ^ref-53961 --- The only meaningful measure for a leader is whether the team succeeds or fails. For all the definitions, descriptions, and characterizations of leaders, there are only two that matter: effective and ineffective. Effective leaders lead successful teams that accomplish their mission and win. Ineffective leaders do not. — location: [213](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B00VE4Y0Z2&location=213) ^ref-62693 --- 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. — location: [219](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B00VE4Y0Z2&location=219) ^ref-38781 --- For this reason, they must believe in the cause for which they are fighting. They must believe in the plan they are asked to execute, and most important, they must believe in and trust the leader they are asked to follow. This is especially true in the SEAL Teams, where innovation and input from everyone (including the most junior personnel) are encouraged. — location: [278](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B00VE4Y0Z2&location=278) ^ref-421 --- Extreme Ownership. Leaders must own everything in their world. There is no one else to blame. — location: [298](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B00VE4Y0Z2&location=298) ^ref-8802 --- The leader must own everything in his or her world. 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. The best leaders don’t just take responsibility for their job. They take Extreme Ownership of everything that impacts their mission. — location: [500](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B00VE4Y0Z2&location=500) ^ref-17282 --- If an individual on the team is not performing at the level required for the team to succeed, the leader must train and mentor that underperformer. But if the underperformer continually fails to meet standards, then a leader who exercises Extreme Ownership must be loyal to the team and the mission above any individual. If underperformers cannot improve, the leader must make the tough call to terminate them and hire others who can get the job done. It is all on the leader. — location: [508](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B00VE4Y0Z2&location=508) ^ref-46797 --- the idea of criticism and coaching no matter how constructive, I chose to take a more indirect approach. “Maybe not so much here to help you, but here to help the situation,” I answered, effectively lowering the VP’s defenses. — location: [534](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B00VE4Y0Z2&location=534) ^ref-59471 --- individual ego and personal agenda. It’s all about the mission. How can you best get your team to most effectively execute the plan in order to accomplish the mission?” — location: [585](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B00VE4Y0Z2&location=585) ^ref-41264 --- order to execute this plan, in order to truly become an effective leader, you have to realize and accept total responsibility,” I said. “You have to own it.” — location: [596](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B00VE4Y0Z2&location=596) ^ref-40434 --- The best leaders checked their egos, accepted blame, sought out constructive criticism, and took detailed notes for improvement. They exhibited Extreme Ownership, and as a result, their SEAL platoons and task units dominated. When a bad SEAL leader walked into a debrief and blamed everyone else, that attitude was picked up by subordinates and team members, who then followed suit. They all blamed everyone else, and inevitably the team was ineffective and unable to properly execute a plan. — location: [608](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B00VE4Y0Z2&location=608) ^ref-2058 --- if you do a stern self-assessment of how you lead and what you can do better, the outcome will be different. — location: [631](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B00VE4Y0Z2&location=631) ^ref-61442 --- the most fundamental and important truths at the heart of Extreme Ownership: there are no bad teams, only bad leaders. — location: [756](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B00VE4Y0Z2&location=756) ^ref-5244 --- I discovered that it was far more effective to focus their efforts not on the days to come or the far-distant finish line they couldn’t yet see, but instead on a physical goal immediately in front of them—the — location: [765](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B00VE4Y0Z2&location=765) ^ref-54917 --- Looking back, I could have yelled a lot less and encouraged more. As — location: [769](kindle://book?action=open&asin=B00VE4Y0Z2&location=769) ^ref-38999 ---