Extreme Ownership: How US Navy SEALs Lead and Win

After its deployment in Iraq, Task Unit Bruiser returns to the US, where Babin is angered by criticism of the SEALs’ work and sacrifices, issued from media pundits and soldiers far removed from the fighting. Some call the Ramadi sniper operations “whac-a-mole” (225). Politicians declare that killing enemy soldiers creates more enemies; Babin believes those deaths prevent even more casualties and help return Iraqi territory to its citizens.

At the request of the chief of Naval operations, Willink prepares a PowerPoint lecture that shows how the Army’s plan to retake Ramadi, supported by SEAL teams, pushed back the al Qaeda forces until civilians joined in the effort and the city was liberated. Babin realizes he’d never fully understood the campaign’s true effect, and both men realize they’d never fully briefed their team members on the importance of the campaign.

Babin also sees that the least-inspired team members didn’t really understand the mission, while the most-inspired troops had a better grasp. In a business environment, leaders must make the mission clear to everyone so that those engaged in the minute details fully understand their purpose, can make better judgments, and work harder because they’re inspired by the “big picture.”

Business leaders also must make clear their desired end state, repeat it often, and resolve any questions about a team member’s contribution to that purpose. “This is what leading down the chain of command is all about” (230).

In Ramadi, Babin vents to Willink about the last-minute questions their commanding officers keep sending. Willink, too, feels frustrated, but he reminds Babin that the CO’s team wants to support the mission, doesn’t understand everything happening in the field, and must get approvals from higher-ups. If the SEAL team gets barraged with questions, it’s the team leader’s job to communicate better with the CO. Getting good information to the CO is part of a leader taking Extreme Ownership and leading up the chain of command. This is done tactfully and with a view to supporting the higher-up’s needs and wants. Projects get approved much more easily if leaders send in thorough reports, invite higher-ups along on missions, and answer all their questions.

Babin later explains this to the manager of a field leadership team in a company whose main office is hundreds of miles away. The manager chafes at the barrage of questions from his bosses; Babin says they’re not trying to sabotage him, and they’re not incompetent, but they need more information. If they’re bugging the manager, it’s his fault because he hasn’t communicated the things they need to know. If he’s not sure why they’re asking the questions, he can ask them for clarification. The manager does so, and he brings senior leaders out for a visit that improves communication and camaraderie. He thereby learns to lead up the chain. 

Early on the morning of a big push to clear a neighborhood, Babin’s sniper Chris Kyle sees a man at a window with a scoped rifle. The man recedes into the darkness of the room. Kyle can’t positively ID the man as a hostile sniper. Babin reports in to central command, asking if they have anyone in the building they’re observing; the Army CO replies that they don’t and recommends that Babin’s team take out the sniper.

Something doesn’t feel right to both Kyle and Babin, and Babin radios a request that the Army CO order troops to re-clear the building that contains the sniper. Frustrated by the delay but trusting Babin, the CO complies, and US troops hurry across the street to the building. At that moment, Kyle and Babin know they’ve made a mistake: They’re watching a different building. The US troops are recalled, and a friendly sniper’s life is saved.

Babin realizes that if he’d rushed to judgment, a US serviceman would be dead, Babin’s career would be over, and all the SEALs’ good work thus far in Ramadi would be undone. Instead, he decisively holds his ground under conditions of uncertainty, and it‘s the right call.

A successful software company’s engineering subsidiary faces a daunting challenge: Two of its lead engineers are feuding, each blaming the other, demanding they be fired, and claiming the other is entertaining outside job offers in the highly competitive industry. Despite her best efforts, engineering CEO Darla can’t get them to set aside their animosity. She tells Willink and Babin that firing either one will be costly, and she doesn’t know which to trust, so she’ll simply wait until one of them leaves.

Willink suggests she fire them both—“These guys are cancers. Their destructive attitudes will metastasize within the team and spread to others” (261)—and then promote new leaders from within the teams. Darla agrees; the feuding engineers are quickly sent packing and replaced, and cooperation returns to the firm. 

On their first Iraq deployment, Babin’s SEAL platoon conducts many nighttime “capture/kill” operations that target suspicious buildings for terrorists, their weapons, and other evidence. Captured enemy soldiers are interrogated and sent to Iraqi detainment centers for further processing. The SEALs at first ransack these buildings in a search for weaponry, but this is inefficient, time-consuming, misses important evidence, and fails to impress the new US-backed Iraqi court system.

Babin tasks his assistant commander to prepare a new search protocol. The plan puts individual SEALs in charge of each room in a building; this “room owner” bags and notates every piece of evidence; other SEALs draw a floor plan or videotape everything. Back at base, the building’s layout is reproduced with tape on a floor and all bagged evidence placed where it was found in each room. The entire process is simple and quick.

On hearing this new procedure, most of the team grumbles, but they rehearse it a few times and find that it takes 10 to 20 minutes instead of 45, less evidence gets missed, evidence quality goes way up, and the team reduces its exposure to counterattack. On missions, the system lets SEALs complete multiple such operations per night. “Our freedom to operate and maneuver had increased substantially through disciplined procedures. Discipline equals freedom” (270).

Discipline marks the exceptional SEALs from the good ones. Organized preparation frees them to innovate as needed in the field, and teams can make better use of Decentralized Command. The trick is to balance discipline with freedom.

Some leaders get bogged down in the rules and can’t adapt when situations change; some become overbearing and squelch good ideas from below. Instead, good leaders find the right blend. They are calm, not robotic; confident, not cocky; brave, not foolhardy; competitive, yet gracious; attentive to details, not obsessed by them; strong but not over-extended; humble, not passive; friendly but not too close; in charge but delegating; respected but not trying to prove it.

Willink consults with a firm whose electrical contracting division is bleeding money. Division head Mike is longtime friends with CEO Andy, who defends him by saying it’ll take time for the division to make money. Willink presses him, and Andy admits this might take years but that he feels an allegiance to Mike. Willink points out that Andy has prioritized a friendship over the firm’s success. He adds that sometimes a sinking ship must close and lock hatches on trapped men, drowning them to save everyone else. Andy finally gives the ax to the electrical division; he also manages to save Mike’s career by placing him in another department where he does well. 

Leaders aren’t born; they’re trained. The best have the courage to accept good ideas from the rank and file. The leader’s purpose is to train junior leaders to be so good at their jobs that they replace the leader, who then moves up the ladder. None of these truths are new; some are thousands of years old.

Leadership is both an art and a science, and leaders will make mistakes. Humbly owning and fixing those errors is the sign of a respected, effective leader. Leadership is the most rewarding human activity and well worth the effort. 

The authors answer podcast listeners’ questions about leadership. To aspiring leaders, Willink advises being humble, respectful, and to listen, which builds relationships, the core activity of life. Leaders always should be tactful but straightforward; shading the truth gets detected, and followers lose respect. Take ownership, get it done, and give the credit to the team. Leaders aren’t bosses; they’re relationship builders.

Some new leaders fear they’ll be found out as imposters. In fact, it’s fine not to know everything, as long as they ask good questions, listen to the answers, and study the topic. They then make thoughtful decisions and don’t micromanage. Above all, they mustn’t hide their ignorance. The team will help honest leaders.

Babin says hard conversations need indirect methods, in the manner of jiu-jitsu, so it’s wise to take an unexpected approach. This process requires practice; SEALs practice everything, because even simple processes, like dismounting from a transport vehicle, can go wrong. With tough conversations, role-play easy scenarios before working up to worst-case encounters.

For teams stuck with weak leaders, Willink suggests they lead the leader. Especially, they should accept blame if the leader blames them unless it’s an out-and-out lie; this impresses higher-ups, who’ll note who’s really leading the team. Rather than stealing the boss’ thunder, wise junior leaders should hand them ideas by asking for guidance on the ideas and giving them the credit for the success. They must use caution because insecure bosses may undercut a strong lieutenant. Those bosses should instead learn from team members who step up, and then encourage rising leaders.

Willink also admits that sometimes micromanaging does work, especially with team members who falter; once they’re back on track, micromanaging should cease. The same rule applies when teaching. Faced with a full-time micromanager, team members should give them more information than they want; this will ease their minds.

Good leaders own their mistakes, admit what they don’t know, and always are honest; otherwise, they lose their team’s respect. As leaders learn, they’ll find areas they love—Babin loves to shoot—but as leaders, they must “detach” from over-involvement in specifics and instead focus on the big picture.

A leader is responsible for a team’s success and thus must refuse to obey the rare bad or catastrophic order and, as needed, accept punishment. It helps to be otherwise thoroughly good at obeying orders, including paperwork; this will minimize the damage from above if and when a leader must disobey.