Leadership – Natural or Learned?

I recently decided to personally take on a few new career-related challenges. In so doing, I’ve thought a lot about what makes a good leader and a bad leader. I think I work for a really good leader right now, which is why I took this time to reflect. Thus, as I prepare to take on some new tasks, I pause to consider whether I possess the necessary qualities to be a successful leader or if I will fail miserably in the role of a leader.

Why does a good leader exist? Is it brains, bravery, charm, or something else? Not everyone has the innate ability to lead, with the possible exception of a select few. To become leaders, the majority of us must spend time in the trenches, forged in the leadership flames. Leadership, for most, is not natural and we must learn from experience. Like any skill leadership skills must be honed over time through the successes and mistakes one makes will in that role. What then distinguishes a successful leader? The answer is ownership, say Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, two former Navy SEALs who fought in Iraq and authored the book Extreme Ownership: How US Navy SEALs Lead and Win.

Extreme ownership is the concept of taking full responsibility for everything that happens in your domain, whether it is a military mission, a business project, or a personal goal. It means not blaming others or external factors for failures, but looking inward and finding ways to improve yourself and your team. It also means empowering your team members to take ownership of their roles and tasks and supporting them with clear guidance and feedback.

The Four Laws

One of the main frameworks that Willink and Babin use to explain extreme ownership is the four laws of combat. These are:

• Cover and move: This means working together as a team, rather than competing or conflicting with each other. It means supporting and protecting your teammates and aligning your goals and actions with the overall mission. It also means communicating effectively and coordinating your movements with other teams or units.
• Simple: This means keeping your plans and instructions simple and clear so that everyone can understand them and execute them without confusion or hesitation. It means avoiding unnecessary complexity and bureaucracy and focusing on the essential tasks and objectives. It also means simplifying your communication and using common terminology that everyone can relate to.
• Prioritize and execute: This means identifying the most important problem or threat that you face at any given moment and focusing all your resources and efforts on solving it. It means not getting overwhelmed by multiple issues or distractions, but breaking them down into manageable pieces and tackling them one by one. It also means delegating tasks to your team members according to their abilities and expertise and giving them the authority and support to execute them.
• Decentralized command: This means giving your team members the autonomy and flexibility to make decisions on their own, based on the situation and the mission. It means not micromanaging or controlling every detail, but trusting your team members to use their judgment and initiative. It also means ensuring that everyone understands the commander’s intent, the overall goal, and the purpose of the mission so that they can act accordingly even when the situation changes or the plan fails.

By following these four laws of combat, you can ensure that your team operates effectively and efficiently, regardless of the challenges or uncertainties that you face.

The book covers many other themes related to extreme ownership, such as:

• Discipline: This means having the self-control and willpower to do what needs to be done, even when you don’t feel like it or when it is hard. It means following a routine and a schedule that helps you achieve your goals. It also means enforcing standards and expectations for yourself and your team and holding everyone accountable for their performance.
• Humility: This means having the courage to admit your mistakes and weaknesses, and seeking feedback and guidance from others. It means not letting your ego or pride get in the way of learning and improving. It also means respecting and appreciating the contributions of others and recognizing their strengths and skills.
• Leadership at every level: This means that everyone in your team has a role to play as a leader, regardless of their rank or position. It means that everyone has to take ownership of their actions

This book review is excellent, but how does it apply to me, I wonder? In my own situation, a lot of these “laws” and themes reflect ideas and practices I’ve been implementing in my present position, and they’ve helped us manage a very successful program even in the face of obstacles to the team’s performance or seemingly impossible targets. As I started taking on the duties and demands of my leadership role, I discovered the guidelines and expectations that all aspiring leaders need to adhere to, and in my case many we were already doing naturally:

• Humility – it’s an honor to be recognized as a leader so be humble.
• Know it all – Don’t be one! Always strive to learn new things and learn from those you lead.
• Listen – Learning to listen is just as important as speaking.
• Respect – Treat everyone with respect. Especially during those times when they may not deserve it.
• Ownership – Own the mistakes and failures. They are as important as the successes.
• Pass along credit – Give credit to others up and down the chain of command. It’s not yours to keep
• Work Hard – Leaders should work harder than anyone. Nothing is beneath you!
• Integrity – do what you say, say what you do
• Balance – extremes are bad
• Be decisive – when making decisions, make good decisions.
• Relationships – build relationships whenever possible
• Success – get the job done!

I battle with many of these daily since it’s frequently more difficult to put them into effect than it looks.  I think the team is doing well, and they put a lot of these ideas into reality regularly. I’m not sure if that was intentional or “it just happened,” but it has served us well.