In part 1 of this 2 part series, Jocko Willink, retired Navy SEAL, discusses some of his most important lessons learned from his time commanding some of the world’s most expert special forces operators including the importance of understanding the objective and strategy (and then tactics) of a mission, why humility is the greatest trait a leader can have (and certain times when it’s not), as well as the necessity of having proper protocols in place to deal with whatever comes your way. We also talk about how Jocko prioritizes his military and family obligations with his love for jiu-jitsu, as well as how to decipher what really matters in life. Finally, we go through the US history with respect to various wars from World War I, all the way forward, and much much more.

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How Jocko developed a similar technique

Realized as a leader of troops that if the front-line troops didn’t understand things at a little bit higher level than the tactical level, then they couldn’t make decision on their own

⇒ Classic example: Abu Ghraib prison scandal

This was then used as propaganda by the enemy to rile up their support and paint all American soldiers as the evil enemy

Decentralized command

And you don’t even have to get separated… as an extreme example, a sniper will have to make a decision in a split second whether to kill someone without the time or ability to ask his boss… without the understanding of the strategy, he cannot make the right decision

If they get separated from centralized command, they are then totally “lost” as to what to do

With “centralized command”, the front-line soldiers typically just know the tactics and are not well informed to the strategy

In health and nutrition

Nutritional information will change over time ⇒ “So instead of pegging yourself to, ‘What’s the right thing to eat today?’, peg yourself to the principle of nutritional biochemistry. And then you can sort of evolve over time.”

“I try to discourage that kind of discussion because it’s very tactical. And if you ask tactical questions, or questions that demand tactical answers, you’ll never get the bigger picture.”

Why people always focus on tactics?

⇒ Example,

The first thought is that they were about to pull out mortar and launch them as US soldiers

“So, those are situations that you can’t predict. And if people don’t understand what the strategic vision is, then they can’t make decisions out there.”

SEAL training

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Jocko Willink

Jocko Willink is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL officer, co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win, host of the top-rated Jocko Podcast, and co-founder of Echelon Front, where he serves as Chief Executive Officer, leadership instructor, speaker and strategic advisor. Jocko spent 20 years in the SEAL Teams, starting as an enlisted SEAL and rising through the ranks to become a SEAL officer. As commander of SEAL Team Three’s Task Unit Bruiser during the battle of Ramadi, he orchestrated SEAL operations that helped the “Ready First” Brigade of the U.S. Army’s First Armored Division bring stability to the violent, war-torn city. Task Unit Bruiser became the most highly decorated Special Operations Unit of the Iraq War.

Jocko returned from Iraq to serve as Officer-in-Charge of training for all West Coast SEAL Teams. There, he spearheaded the development of leadership training and personally instructed and mentored the next generation of SEAL leaders who have continued to perform with great success on the battlefield. Jocko is the recipient of the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and numerous other personal and unit awards.

Upon retiring from the Navy, Jocko co-founded Echelon Front, a premier leadership consulting company, where he teaches the leadership principles he learned on the battlefield to help others lead and win. Jocko also authored the Discipline Equals Freedom Field Manual, a New York Times Bestseller, and the best selling children’s books: The Way of the Warrior Kid, and The Way of the Warrior Kid: Marc’s Mission.

[echelonfront.com]