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

exhaustion, misery, and individual pain and suffering. Though the
instructors demanded that they do better, Boat Crew Six had become
comfortable with substandard performance. Working under poor
leadership and an unending cycle of blame, the team constantly failed.
No one took ownership, assumed responsibility, or adopted a winning
attitude.”
“What did the new boat crew leader do differently?” asked another of
the department heads.
“When the leader of Boat Crew Two took charge of Boat Crew Six,
he exhibited Extreme Ownership to the fullest,” I explained. “He faced
the facts: he recognized and accepted that Boat Crew Six’s performance
was terrible, that they were losing and had to get better. He didn’t blame
anyone, nor did he make excuses to justify poor performance. He didn’t
wait for others to solve his boat crew’s problems. His realistic
assessment, acknowledgment of failure, and ownership of the problem
were key to developing a plan to improve performance and ultimately
win. Most important of all, he believed winning was possible. In a boat
crew where winning seemed so far beyond reach, the belief that the team
actually could improve and win was essential.”
I continued: “The new leader of Boat Crew Six focused his team on
the mission. Rather than tolerate their bickering and infighting, he pulled
the team together and focused their collective efforts on the single
specific goal of winning the race. He established a new and higher
standard of performance and accepted nothing less from the men in his
boat crew.”
“Why do you think Boat Crew Two, which had lost its strong leader,
continued to perform well, even with the far less capable leader from
Boat Crew Six?” asked another department leader.