Extreme Ownership - 12 Principles of Leadership

Leadership is ultimately taking responsibility for results. I liked the book Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. It distills the essence of leadership into twelve principles. I think all of us know these at a gut level but practicing it consistently is the tougher part. Here are the principles with my take on each.
Extreme Ownership
Take complete responsibility for all your results. Never engage in blame. The buck stops with the leader. This is an attitude in my opinion and can be applied to our personal lives as well.
There are no bad teams, only bad leaders
This is debatable because even in sports we see that a captain is only as good as the team. However, if a team is performing poorly it does start with looking at the leader. That’s why a lot of organization looks for new leaders when things go wrong. Though this has not proved to be always right.
You have to believe if you want to win
The leader must absolutely believe in the mission of the organization. The leader must constantly communicate the mission to the team. In your personal life, also you will find more joy if you have an overarching mission that you believe in.
Check your ego
Yes, strong leaders often have a big ego. However, they do keep it in check by focusing more on the team than themselves. This is what Jim Collins called Level 5 leaders. They were more focused on the organization than going for individual glory.
Cover and Move
The main point of this principle is team work. Ensure the team is clear on the mission. Give clear objectives to your team and ensure the team morale is high.
Keep things simple
Long complicated mission statements or strategy statements don’t work. Make things simple and give clear concise instructions. If the message is simple everyone can row together for the team’s ultimate victory.
Leaders need to prioritize and execute. Always focus on your highest value activities. A leader’s to-do list may be full but the only way to win is to prioritize. Separate the majors from minors. Keep things simple and clear. Work on the top priorities always.
Decentralized Command
This is a good suggestion and you need to have small manageable teams to execute the mission. Keep your teams nimble and lean.
Identify clear directives for the team
Create checklists for planning, give clear directives to the team and empower key leaders to execute the plan. The key word is clarity.
Lead up and down the chain of command
The key word here is trust and autonomy. Make sure everyone in the team has a voice and there is no hierarchy. Eliminate non-redundant bureaucracy.
Decisiveness amid uncertainty
A strong leader is always decisive. The only thing certain in the future is uncertainty so play with that thought. The ability to take decisions during chaos is a key trait of effective leaders.
Discipline equals freedom
This is the title of Jocko Willink’s latest book as well. Discipline for a leader might be to get up early, exercise daily, focus on top priorities, paying attention to detail, being confident and ensure they stick to promises.
There you have it the 12 principles of leadership which if followed can make you an outstanding leader. Thanks for reading this post.
The views expressed here are my own and do not represent my organization.

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