“Don’t count on motivation; count on discipline.” – Jocko Willink

Jocko Willink (@jockowillink) is one of the scariest human beings imaginable. Jocko did his first interview with me (find it here), and it took the Internet by storm. Now he joins us for round two to answer the questions you’ve been asking.

Jocko is a lean 230 pounds. He is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert who used to tap out 20 Navy SEALs per workout. He is a legend in the Special Operations world. His eyes look through you more than at you.

Jocko spent 20 years in the US Navy and commanded SEAL Team 3’s task unit Bruiser, the most highly decorated special operations unit in the Iraq War. Upon returning to the US, Jocko served as the officer in charge of training for all West Coast SEAL teams, designing and implementing some of the most challenging and realistic — and perhaps psychotic — combat training in the world (his words, not mine).

After retiring from the Navy, he co-founded Echelon Front, a leadership and management consulting company and authored the number one New York Times bestseller Extreme Ownership: How US Navy SEALs Lead and Win.

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did!

You can find the transcript of this episode here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

#187: Jocko Willink on Discipline, Leadership, and Overcoming Doubt https://rss.art19.com/episodes/831ec3e7-dd65-453e-8963-f0cdb45f35ae.mp3 Download

Listen to it on iTunes.

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Want to hear another podcast episode with Jocko? — Listen to our first interview together. Jocko might be the scariest Navy SEAL alive, and this episode shares how he earned that reputation. Learn what he taught me (stream below or right-click here to download):

#107: The Scariest Navy SEAL I've Ever Met...And What He Taught Me https://rss.art19.com/episodes/d1cd9b36-63ff-4e7a-802d-8dee7c0a1bff.mp3 Download

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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

Connect with Jocko and his organizations on Twitter:

@Xtremeownership | @jockowillink | @echelonfront

Connect with Jocko and his organizations on Facebook:

Extreme Ownership | Jocko Willink | Echelon Front

Show Notes

How does Jocko shut down internal doubt and negative chatter during critical moments? [06:54]

How Jocko’s love of literature influence his leadership skills — and his most recommended books. [12:05]

Jocko’s advice to young men and women who are no longer in the military but are still looking to contribute. [18:41]

Thoughts on “being a pawn of the industrial military complex to serve the economic interests of US corporations?” [22:36]

On the United States’ use of resources. [28:52]

The hardest thing Jocko has ever endured. [33:59]

What advice would Jocko give an active duty member of the military after election day (presumably if their candidate of choice is not elected)? [35:23]

The most effective way to get leaders to stop supporting ineffective practices. [38:05]

How would Jocko’s life of extreme discipline translate to those involved in creative pursuits? [42:13]

After working with and training so many companies, are there any repeating patterns or common weaknesses that business owners seem to need to work on? [46:46]

What is Jocko’s approach for overcoming personal challenges? [51:37]

How can you stay motivated when every day is a struggle? [55:05]

How does Jocko feel about killing (sometimes innocent) people at war? How does he feel about war in general? [1:00:40]

The biggest lessons from jiu-jitsu that transcend fighting and can be applied to leadership. [1:10:23]

People Mentioned

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The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than 500 million downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.