But it starts here. It wasnt your fault. The enemy insurgent fighters called themselves mujahideen, Arabic for those engaged in jihad, which we shortened for expediency. The reason that this mission was unsuccessful was my failure as a leader to force execution.Thats the problem, I said. What the hell?All the good things I had done and the solid reputation I had worked hard to establish in my career as a SEAL were now meaningless. A thorough SITREP (situation report) had not been passed to me after the initial engagement took place.The list of mistakes was substantial. Check the ego Part II: Laws of combat 5. This was our first major operation in Ramadi and it was total chaos. Friendly fire was completely unacceptable in the SEAL Teams. The CMC stood ominously in the back. "Roger," he replied, stunned and disappointed at what had transpired. Leif and Jocko are the real deal. INVESTIGATING OFFICER, COMMAND MASTER CHIEF, AND I ARE EN ROUTE. In typical fashion for a Navy mishap, the CO had appointed an investigating officer to determine the facts of what happened and who was responsible.Another e-mail from one of my old bosses stationed in another city in Iraq, but privy to what was happening in Ramadi, read simply, Heard you had a blue-on-blue. Blue-on-blue friendly fire, fratricide the worst thing that could happen. At that moment, it all became clear. For a better shopping experience, please upgrade now. The rest of the mission was a success.But that didnt matter. There is no one else to blame. We were extremely close to where one of our SEAL sniper teams was supposed to be. Your people dont need to be fired. But there were so many factors, and I couldnt figure it out.Finally, the CO, the CMC, and the investigating officer arrived at our base. They subscribed to a ruthless, militant version of Islam and they were cunning, barbaric, and lethal. WebExtreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win is written by Jocko Willink; Leif Babin and published by St. Martin's Press (Macmillan US Trade). Marc Andreessen. It read: SHUT DOWN. The leader must own everything in his or her world. Table of Contents Preface Introduction Section I: Winning the War Within Chapter 1: Extreme Ownership Chapter 2: No Bad Teams, Only Bad Leaders Chapter 3: Believe Chapter 4: Check the Ego Section II: Laws of Combat Chapter 5: Cover and Move Chapter 6: Simple Chapter 7: Prioritize and Execute Chapter 8: Decentralized Command Are you serious? the VP asked in disbelief. It was also a reality. Im honored to have served with them. It is just impossible. But there were so many factors, and I couldn't figure it out. I felt sick. Details of U.S. and Iraqi troops wounded or killed came in from different sectors. With little progress to show, the VPs job was now at risk.I arrived on scene two weeks before the next board meeting. Only a few hours into the operation, both of my SEAL sniper elements had been attacked and were now embroiled in serious gunfights. For those on the outside looking in, like our training groupor the board in your casethe difference is obvious.And that is how I appear to the board right nowblaming everyone and everything else, the VP recognized.There is only one way to fix it, I told him.For the next several days, I helped the VP prepare for the board meeting. It outlined the critical failures that had turned the mission into a nightmare and cost the life of one Iraqi soldier, wounded several more, and, but for a true miracle, could have cost several of our SEALs their lives.But something was missing. Uh-oh, it looks like your Internet Explorer is out of date. But something didn't add up. Save up to 80% versus print by going digital with As the senior man, I am responsible for every action that takes place on the battlefield. He no doubt wondered how I had just walked through the hellacious enemy attack to reach his building. Extreme Ownership Summary. As we debriefed, it was obvious there were some serious mistakes made by many individuals both during the planning phase and on the battlefield during execution. It starts at the board meeting when you go in, put your ego aside, and take ownership for the companys failure here. In the mayhem, they hadnt reported their exact location, but I knew it would be close to the point where I was standing, close to the building the Marine gunny had just pointed to. While there were not supposed to be any friendlies in the vicinity, there were many enemy fighters known to be in the area. Lets get them out of here, replied the chief.An armored personnel carrier (APC)3 had arrived with the heavy QRF and was sitting out front. I looked around. In his New York Times best-selling book, Extreme Ownership How US Navy Seals Lead and Win, retired Navy Seal turned author, speaker, podcaster, and leadership consultant, Jocko Willink, recounts an ill-fated operation he led in Iraq in 2006 that resulted in a disastrous friendly forces firefight, and the decision he made in the In the gunny's mind, for us to even approach that place was pretty much suicidal. Positive identification of the assumed enemy combatant, who turned out to be an Iraqi soldier, had been insufficient. The leader bears full responsibility for explaining the strategic mission, developing the tactics, and securing the training and resources to enable the team to properly and successfully execute.If an individual on the team is not performing at the level required for the team to succeed, the leader must train and mentor that underperformer. "Where's the captain?" When a leader sets such an example and expects this from junior leaders within the team, the mindset develops into the teams culture at every level. Having fought in Ramadi for an extended period of time, they understood something we SEALs did not: blue-on-blue was a risk that had to be mitigated as much as possible in an urban environment, but that risk could not be eliminated. One of my men was wounded. At each quarterly board meeting, the VP delivered a myriad of excuses as to why so little of his plan had been executed. Search metadata Search text contents Search TV news captions Search radio transcripts Search archived web sites Advanced Search. He looked at me as if I were completely crazy. He was in the midst of coordinating an airstrike with U.S. aircraft overhead to wipe out the enemy fighters holed up inside the building. They called in reinforcements, and U.S. Marines and Army troops responded with a vicious barrage of gunfire into the house they assumed was occupied by enemy fighters. In the chaos and confusion, somehow a rogue element of Iraqi soldiers had strayed outside the boundaries to which they had been confined and attempted to enter the building occupied by our SEAL sniper team. For years, the Ma'laab had remained firmly in their hands. Free with "Everyone OK?" Whether it is to survive tough times or to flourish in a crowded marketplace, organizations are always looking for competent Plans were altered but notifications weren't sent. In total, about three hundred U.S. and Iraqi troops friendly forces were operating in this dangerous and hotly contested neighborhood of eastern Ramadi known as the Ma'laab District. Simple 7. Now the Abrams tank had its huge main gun trained on the building, preparing to reduce it to rubble and kill everyone inside. Now the Abrams tank had its huge main gun trained on the building, preparing to reduce it to rubble and kill everyone inside. Learn how to enable JavaScript on your browser, THE MA'LAAB DISTRICT, RAMADI, IRAQ: FOG OF WAR, The early morning light was dimmed by a literal fog of war that filled the air: soot from tires the insurgents had set alight in the streets, clouds of dust kicked up from the road by U.S. tanks and Humvees, and powdered concrete from the walls of buildings pulverized by machine gun fire. The rest of the mission was a success. Sent to the most violent battlefield in Iraq, Jocko Willink and Leif Babins SEAL task unit faced a seemingly impossible mission: help U.S. forces secure, New York Times-bestselling author Jocko Willink delivers a second powerful and empowering Way of the Warrior Kid book about finding your inner strength and being the best you can be, even in the face, Fifth grade was the worst year of Marcs life. Yes, they sound like excuses. Who was at fault? That was the last X-Ray Platoon in the SEAL Teams. But that didn't matter. "There's some muj in that building right there putting up a serious fight!" When they did, we, the training cadre, explained how to avoid them.But more important, the commanders in training could learn what I had learned about leadership. That is what a leader doeseven if it means getting fired. They see Extreme Ownership in their leaders, and, as a result, they emulate Extreme Ownership throughout the chain of command down to the most junior personnel. The list started with what he was going to do differently, not about what other people needed to do. Henceforth, the name was banished. For this operation, we had four separate elements of SEALs in various sectors of this violent, war-torn city: two SEAL sniper teams with U.S. Army scout snipers and a contingent of Iraqi soldiers, and another element of SEALs embedded with Iraqi soldiers and their U.S. Army combat advisors assigned to clear an entire sector building by building. In the chaos and confusion, somehow a rogue element of Iraqi soldiers had strayed outside the boundaries to which they had been confined and attempted to enter the building occupied by our SEAL sniper team. WebChapter 1: Extreme Ownership Chapter 2: No Bad Teams, Only Bad Leaders Chapter 3: Believe Chapter 4: Check the Ego PART II: THE LAWS OF COMBAT Chapter 5: Cover We revised our standard operating procedures and planning methodology to better mitigate risk. His Marines and a full platoon of Iraqi soldiers had been engaged in a vicious firefight with the enemy fighters inside that house and couldnt dislodge them. I opened an e-mail from my commanding officer (CO) that went straight to the point. It provides a powerful SEAL framework for action to lead teams in high-stakes environments. he shouted with excitement. Set aside ego, accept failures, attack weakness, build a better &more effective team. The QRF Humvees had put over 150 rounds from a .50-caliber heavy machine gun into it and many more smaller caliber rounds from their rifles and light machines. It provides a powerful SEAL framework for action to lead teams in high-stakes environments. Its not my fault they arent executing it!I listened patiently.The plant managers, the distribution and sales teams dont fully support the plan, he continued. Riveting, engaging, and free from the usual clich platitudes, this book is strikingly impactful and will dramatically improve leaders of all types. Amy Brandt Schumacher, entrepreneur, executive, and philanthropistExtreme Ownership provides huge value for leaders at all levels. Table of Contents. Theres some muj in that building right there putting up a serious fight! He pointed to the building across the street, his weapon trained in that direction. A true believer in the mission. It mandates that a leader set ego aside, accept responsibility for failures, attack weaknesses, and consistently work to build a better and more effective team. Inside the compound, the SEAL chief stared back at me, somewhat confused. He stared back at me in wide-eyed surprise. Theres an APC out front. A ferocious firefight ensued, leaving one of their own dead and several wounded. Timelines were pushed without clarification. After spending several hours with the CEO to get some color on the situation, I was introduced to the VP of manufacturing. But let me tell you something: when things went wrong, you know who I blamed? I asked, pausing slightly for this to sink in. Tough as nails and ready for more, he stayed with me, unfazed by what had happened and ready for whatever came next.I made my way back over to the Marine ANGLICO gunny. With Extreme Ownership, you must remove individual ego and personal agenda. I stated it plainly, You. You are to blame. The specific location of the sniper team in question had not been passed on to other units. An inspiring and page-turning read, the leadership lessons are easy to digest and implement. We did it to ourselves, and it happened under my command.When we completed the last mission of the day, I went to the battalion tactical operations center where I had my field computer set up to receive e-mail from higher headquarters. As our armored Humvee rounded the corner and headed down the street toward the gunfire, I saw a U.S. M1A2 Abrams tank in the middle of the road up ahead, its turret rotated with the huge main gun trained on a building at almost point-blank range. They brought it. I remembered what the gunny had just told me: one of their Iraqi soldiers had been shot when he entered the compound.At that moment, it all became clear. But these are real and legitimate, insisted the VP.Could there be other reasons your plan wasnt successfully executed? I asked.Absolutely, the VP answered. Now what do ya got? I asked, needing to know his status and that of his men.One SEAL fragged in the facenot too bad. The Digital and eTextbook ISBNs for Extreme Ownership are 9781250184726, 125018472X and the print ISBNs are 9781250183866, 1250183863.