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

crew leaders report!” The boat crew leaders left their boats and ran to
take position, forming a smart line in front of the SEAL instructor, who
laid out the specifics of the next race.
“Paddle your boats out through the surf zone, dump boat,^1 paddle
your boats down to the next beach marker, then paddle them back into
the beach, run up and over the berm and around the beach marker, then
head-carry back to the rope station, then over the berm, and finish here,”
commanded the SEAL instructor. “Got it?”
The boat crew leaders raced back and briefed their boat crews. Then
the race began. In place of the traditional “Ready, set, go,” the SEAL
command to begin was “Stand by ... bust ’em!” And they were off.
In every race, there were standout performers. Throughout this
particular Hell Week, one boat crew dominated the competition: Boat
Crew II. They won or nearly won every single race. They pushed
themselves hard every time, working in unison and operating as a team.
Boat Crew II had a strong leader, and each of the individual boat crew
members seemed highly motivated and performed well. They
compensated for each other’s weaknesses, helped each other, and took
pride in winning, which had its rewards. After each victory, Boat Crew II
enjoyed a few precious minutes of rest while the other boat crews toiled
through the next race. Though Boat Crew II was still cold and exhausted,
I saw smiles on most of their faces. They were performing exceptionally
well; they were winning and morale was high.
Meanwhile, Boat Crew VI was delivering a standout performance of
a different kind. They placed dead last in virtually every race, often
lagging far behind the rest of the class. Rather than working together as a
team, the men were operating as individuals, furious and frustrated at
their teammates. We heard them yelling and cursing at each other from