Extreme Ownership: How US Navy SEALs Lead and Win

Great military leaders take responsibility for everything that impacts their mission. They offer no excuses and therefore take action to resolve all problems and move forward. This principle of Extreme Ownership of outcomes applies not merely to leaders but to the whole team. The most successful business professionals and first responders practice this approach; it also applies to anyone who wants to become “a more productive employee, a more supportive spouse, or a more engaged parent” (40/4974).

The process is “simple, but not easy” (52/4974). Still, the first edition of Extreme Ownership made a big difference in the lives of thousands of readers. The authors have seen countless examples of unexpected success in a variety of careers when the principles of Extreme Ownership are applied. 

The Navy SEAL program is possibly the toughest military training and screening method in the world. It focuses on teamwork. SEAL teams endured the “dry years” between the end of the Vietnam War and 9/11, decades with little or no combat to hone American battle skills. Since then, years of wartime experience in Afghanistan and Iraq have trained new leaders in what works and what doesn’t on the modern battlefield.