© by Gerald So | 3:00 PM
A few weeks ago, I found a YouTube video of a TED Talk by retired Navy SEAL Lt. Cmdr. John Gretton "Jocko" Willink Jr. He recounts a mission gone awry that resulted in friendly-fire casualties. As commanding officer of Task Unit Bruiser, he took responsibility for the errors of his men, as he calls it, "Extreme Ownership." He went on to explain that every shortfall can be traced to a failure of leadership.
Most impressive to me, though, Willink's concept of leadership wasn't stereotypical super-macho "me first." Instead, it came from true concern for the welfare and success of his team and their missions. I knew the SEALs were really team-oriented, not the lone wolves of fiction, but even with the spirit of teamwork drilled in, Willink has written and said in his Jocko Podcast, it's hard to detach from ego to the point of accepting that much responsibility.
Having read and benefited from a similar philosophy espoused by the late George "Rhino" Thompson III's Verbal Judo, I bought this latest of Willink's books and two earlier ones he wrote with his fellow SEAL Leif Babin. In 300 pages of to-the-point prose, Willink sets a standard of doing the right things for the right reasons and explains how--by checking your ego--you can gain trust and influence with bosses and peers and achieve greater success for all. To me, the book is about improving rapport not only at work, but anywhere else, too.