When we talk about true heroes, we believe they are the ones who are at the battlefield risking their lives to make sure we stay comfortable and safe at our homes. Though we might be big fans of fiction heroes such as batman and ironman, we feel protected because of the people serving in the armed forces.
They deserve a lot more appreciation and gratitude than we could offer. While we are sound asleep, they stay up all night at the battlefield away from their homes. This article will talk about one such hero who served the nation with his bravery and courageousness – Jocko Willink.
Jocko Willink is an American retired Navy SEAL officer who spent 20 years defending the country. Willink started his military career as an enlisted SEAL and made his way up to the SEAL officer with his dedication and commitment. He was awarded several personal and unit awards for his invaluable services, including the Silver Star and the Bronze Star.
He orchestrated SEAL operations during the battle of Ramadi as the commander of SEAL Team Three’s Task Unit Bruiser. With his untiring efforts, the Task Unit Bruiser became the most decorated Special Operations Unity of the Iraq War. After returning from Iraq, he served as Officer-in-Charge of training for all West Coast SEAL Teams.
Jocko then led to the development of leadership training and took the responsibility to mentor future generations of SEAL leaders. Through his training, many new SEAL officers were able to perform successfully on the battlefield.
After he retired from the Navy, he wanted to use his leadership skills in the best possible manner. Jocko incorporated a leadership consulting company, Echelon Front. Being the true hero, Jocko wanted to transfer the leadership skills that he had learned on the battlefield to others. He intends to teach them these skills to help them lead and win just the way he did!
Echelon Front
Retirement didn’t stop Jocko Willink from following his dreams, and he formed the Echelon Front. The consulting company offers customized training programs to help them lead and build successful, high-performing teams. It caters to your specific needs through workshops, leadership courses, web-based training programs, and strategic advising.
The leadership lessons Jocko learned at the battlefield are delivered to others through unique and personalized services that are designed for the execution of teams at the highest level. He formed this company intending to provide solutions for crisis management and contingency planning that are proven in the US Navy SEAL Teams.
Jocko started a company to practically apply the leadership strategies and principles he had learned on the front lines of the War on Terror. Moreover, he also has the most popular podcast in America.
Jocko Podcast
Jocko Willink’s’ podcast is one of the most popular ones in America. He has become a shining star in personal development by preaching discipline, healthy living, and positive thinking through multiple platforms.
His podcast has hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube, and millions of episodes have been downloaded over the past couple of years. Each episode is approximately 3 hours long, starting with Jocko reading any great work of literature or poem that he admires – being an English Major and having an affinity for Shakespeare. Strangely, his response to any bad news or disappointment is “Good” with a guttural. You can even buy a t-shirt from his website with his very serious photo and “Good” printed across it.
He had interviewed a Vietnam War veteran, a war photographer, and a nutritionist. The podcast’s focus is not limited to any particular topic. It has included various subjects, such as business, martial arts, military strategy, and psychology.
Jocko receives multiple questions and queries from the viewers, asking for his advice about different aspects of life. He started his podcast in late 2015, which has inspired many people with his virtue and righteousness. Though the episodes are long, they go by very fast; you would want to watch one episode after another due to his way of telling compelling stories.
Usually, in most of the episodes, he sprinkles in anecdotes from his personal life for demonstrating different points. From his experience as a SEAL officer to the problems he faced in the business world, he discusses everything in detail with context to his personal experience. While the podcast is a hit, Jocko decided to go public initially with the launch of his book “Extreme Ownership,” which became a number-one New York Times bestseller.
Extreme Ownership
The book discusses the leadership concepts that are crucial to accomplish any mission. Jocko has provided his secret recipe for success to the readers and guides them on applying the learning to any team or organization.
It setouts a guideline on the ways leadership principles of SEAL combat units can be applied to business and even in personal life to achieve victory. The book’s co-author, Leif Babin, has also shared his experience and advice on the most important thing at the battlefield – Leadership!
We have discussed John Willink’s book review because he had penned down his priceless leadership skills and its applicability to any environment. An important lesson we learn from this book is that both the authors have shared the mistakes they had made throughout their careers, but these mistakes made them the leaders they are today.
Becoming a Great Leader
We have innumerable leadership lessons to learn from Jocko Willink’s life. His books and podcast are essential guidance for becoming a great leader and creating victorious teams. He preaches to do what is right, not what is easy. Jocko survived the most hostile conditions with his intelligence, humility, teamwork, and bravery – and that is what’s important to lead successfully.
Life is challenging, and sometimes people from the least expected quarter will try to shoot you down. However, we must not play the victim and take complete ownership of the situation – these are the characteristics that define a true leader who empathizes and sees more in a situation without insecurity, anger, and ego!