Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win

working for me.”
“But, if I do that, what happens to their teams?” Darla asked. She was
concerned about the immediate consequence that the loss in technical
knowledge and expertise would mean to the company and how their
teams might react.
“You said that you didn’t think there are any die-hard fans of either
within the team,” said Jocko. “Even if there are one or two loyalists, do
you really want people loyal to these types of leaders working at your
company? Let me ask you this: Are there any high-potential frontline
personnel that could take their jobs? It may be time for a battlefield
promotion. It’s likely the real in-depth knowledge on the various
projects is with the frontline troops, not with Eduardo and Nigel.”
“That’s probably true,” Darla said.
“Absolutely true,” Jim added, who had been quietly listening to the
conversation.
“How do you want to be perceived?” I asked Darla. “Do you want to
be seen as someone who can be held hostage by the demands—the
threats—they are making? Do you want to be seen as indecisive?”
“No,” Darla said, flatly.
“As a leader, you want to be seen—you need to be seen—as decisive,
and willing to make tough choices. The outcome may be uncertain, but
you have enough understanding and information to make a decision,” I
said.
“This is one of those moments,” said Jocko. “The people on the front
lines, they understand these dynamics. They know what is going on.
They will respect this, and their loyalty to you and your company will
increase.”
“That makes sense,” Darla admitted.