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    “Our job is not to ‘go with our gut’ or fixate on the first impression we form about an issue.  No, we need to be strong enough to resist thinking that is too neat, too plausible, and therefore almost always wrong.  Because if the leader can’t take the time to develop a clear sense of the bigger picture, who will?  If the leader isn’t thinking through all the way to the end, who is?” ~ Ryan Holiday, Stillness is the Key (Page 14)

      “It is such a good opportunity when you have a weak leader above you.  Don’t get all downtrodden because your leader doesn’t motivate you.  Motivate yourself!  Take charge of things.  Take advantage of it.  Make things happen.  It’s awesome to have a weak leader.  I love it.  I get after it.  It give me so much more mobility in my job.  If I have a strong leader, obviously, that’s great too.  But a weak leader is a no factor.  Step up and take advantage of it.  Step up and lead.” ~ Jocko Willink, Extreme Ownership (Page 303)

        “While there is no guarantee of success in leadership, there is one thing that is certain: leading people is the most challenging and, therefore, the most gratifying undertaking of all human endeavors.” ~ Jocko Willink, Extreme Ownership (Page 287)

          “Leadership decisions are inherently challenging and take practice.  Not every decision will be a good one: all leaders make mistakes.  No leader, no matter how competent and experienced, is immune from this.  For any leader, handling those mistakes with humility is the key.  Subordinates or direct reports don’t expect their bosses to be perfect.  When the boss makes a mistake but then owns up to that mistake, it doesn’t decrease respect.  Instead, it increases respect for that leader, providing he or she possesses the humility to admit and own mistakes and, most important, to learn from them.” ~ Jocko Willink, Extreme Ownership (Page 287)

            “There is an answer to the age-old question of whether leaders are born or made.  Obviously, some are born with natural leadership qualities, such as charisma, eloquence, sharp wit, a decisive mind, the willingness to accept risk when others might falter, or the ability to remain calm in chaotic, high-pressure situations.  Others may not possess these qualities innately.  But with a willingness to learn, with a humble attitude that seeks valid constructive criticism in order to improve, with disciplined practice and training, even those with less natural ability can develop into highly effective leaders.  Others who were blessed with all the natural talent in the world will fail as leaders if they are not humble enough to own their mistakes, admit that they don’t have it all figured out, seek guidance, learn, and continuously grow.” ~ Jocko Willink, Extreme Ownership (Page 285)

              “As with many of the dichotomies of leadership, a person’s biggest strength can be his greatest weakness when he doesn’t know how to balance it.  A leader’s best quality might be her aggressiveness, but if she goes too far she becomes reckless.  A leader’s best quality might be his confidence, but when he becomes overconfident he doesn’t listen to others.”

              Jocko Willink, Extreme Ownership (Page 281)

                “A leader must be calm but not robotic.  It is normal—and necessary—to show emotion.  The team must understand that their leader cares about them and their well-being.  But, a leader must control his or her emotions.  If not, how can they expect to control anything else?  Leaders who lose their temper also lose respect.  But, at the same time, to never show any sense of anger, sadness, or frustration would make that leader appear void of any emotion at all—a robot.  People do not follow robots.” ~ Jocko Willink, Extreme Ownership (Page 275)

                  “There is no 100 percent right solution.  The picture is never complete.  Leaders must be comfortable with this and be able to make decisions promptly, then be ready to adjust those decisions quickly based on evolving situations and new information.  Intelligence gathering and research are important, but they must be employed with realistic expectations and must not impede swift decision making that is often the difference between victory and defeat.  Waiting for the 100 percent right and certain solution leads to delay, indecision, and an inability to execute.  Leaders must be prepared to make an educated guess based on previous experience, knowledge of how the enemy operates, likely outcomes, and whatever intelligence is available in the immediate moment.” ~ Leif Babin, Extreme Ownership (Page 254)

                    “One of the most important jobs of any leader is to support your own boss—your immediate leadership.  In any chain of command, the leadership must always present a united front to the troops.  A public display of discontent or disagreement with the chain of command undermines the authority of leaders at all levels.  This is catastrophic to the performance of any organization.” ~ Leif Babin, Extreme Ownership (Page 238)

                      “Trust is not blindly given.  It must be built over time.  Situations will sometimes require that the boss walk away from a problem and let junior leaders solve it, even if the boss knows he might solve it more efficiently.  It is more important that the junior leaders are allowed to make decisions—and backed up even if they don’t make them correctly.  Open conversations build trust.  Overcoming stress and challenging environments builds trust.  Working through emergencies and seeing how people react builds trust.” ~ Jocko Willink, Extreme Ownership (Page 191)

                        “Leaders must always operate with the understanding that they are part of something greater than themselves and their own personal interests.  They must impart this understanding to their teams down to the tactical-level operators on the ground.  Far more important than training or equipment, a resolute belief in the mission is critical for any team or organization to win and achieve big results.” ~ Jocko Willink, Extreme Ownership (Page 77)

                          “In order to convince and inspire others to follow and accomplish a mission, a leader must be a true believer in the mission.  Even when others doubt and question the amount of risk, asking, ‘Is it worth it?’ the leader must believe in the greater cause.  If a leader does not believe, he or she will not take the risks required to overcome the inevitable challenges necessary to win.  And they will not be able to convince others—especially the frontline troops who must execute the mission—to do so.” ~ Jocko Willink, Extreme Ownership (Page 76)

                            “Leadership is the most important thing on any battlefield; it is the single greatest factor in whether a team succeeds or fails.  A leader must find a way to become effective and drive high performance within his or her team in order to win.  Whether in SEAL training, in combat on distant battlefields, in business, or in life: there are no bad teams, only bad leaders.” ~ Leif Babin, Extreme Ownership (Page 62)

                              “Leaders should never be satisfied.  They must always strive to improve, and they must build that mind-set into the team.  They must face the facts through a realistic, brutally honest assessment of themselves and their team’s performance.  Identifying weaknesses, good leaders seek to strengthen them and come up with a plan to overcome challenges.  The best teams anywhere, like the SEAL Teams, are constantly looking to improve, add capability, and push the standards higher.  It starts with the individual and spreads to each of the team members until this becomes the culture, the new standard.” ~ Leif Babin, Extreme Ownership (Page 55)

                                “When it comes to standards, as a leader, it’s not what you preach, it’s what you tolerate.  When setting expectations, no matter what has been said or written, if substandard performance is accepted and no one is held accountable—if there are no consequences—that poor performance becomes the new standard.  Therefore, leaders must enforce standards.  Consequences for failing need not be immediately severe, but leaders must ensure that tasks are repeated until the higher expected standard is achieved.” ~ Leif Babin, Extreme Ownership (Page 54)