Extreme Ownership Lessons Applied to Franchises

“Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win” is a book written by two former U.S. Navy SEAL officers, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, who served together in SEAL Task Unit Bruiser in Iraq during the 2006 Battle of Ramadi. Their book was published in 2015 and aims to teach leadership principles they learned on the battlefield and how these principles can be applied to all aspects of life, including business and management.  We highly recommend this book because the lessons of taking ownership for your results is directly applicable to franchises.  A summary is provided to give you a quick overview, reading this summary will keep you one step ahead of your competition.

Here is a detailed summary of the book:

1. Extreme Ownership: This is the core concept of the book. The authors argue that leaders must take complete responsibility for everything that happens in their teams. If a subordinate isn’t performing up to the mark, it’s the leader’s responsibility to guide and support them. If a team fails to achieve its goals, the leader must own up to it rather than blaming circumstances or team members.
   
   
2. No Bad Teams, Only Bad Leaders: This principle emphasizes that the success or failure of a team depends on its leadership. Leaders should instill a high standard of performance and those who fall short must be coached up or moved out. Leaders must lead by example, work hard, and show their team what it means to persevere.
   
   
3. Believe: To convince and inspire others, leaders must wholeheartedly believe in the mission themselves. Understanding and belief in the mission are key to its success. This applies not just to military missions, but also to projects and goals in a business setting.
   
   
4. Check the Ego: Ego can be a major hurdle to effective leadership. It can blind leaders to their own faults, prevent them from learning from others, and can cause unnecessary conflicts. It’s important for leaders to keep their egos in check and place the team and the mission above their personal interests.
   
   
5. Cover and Move: This principle is about teamwork. Just as SEAL teams support and cover each other in the battlefield, teams in a business environment must work together towards a common goal. Departments within an organization should support each other and not compete against each other.
   
   
6. Simplicity: The authors argue that plans and communications should be simple. Complicated plans can create confusion and lead to mistakes. A simple plan is easier to understand, execute, and modify if necessary.
   
   
7. Prioritize and Execute: Leaders often must deal with multiple problems at once. The authors suggest that the best way to do this is to prioritize the problems, tackle the most important one first, and then move on to the next.
   
   
8. Decentralized Command: Leaders can’t manage everything on their own. They need to delegate tasks and responsibilities to their subordinates. However, it’s important for each subordinate to understand the overall goal or mission, so they can make the right decisions on their own.
   
   
9. Plan: Leaders must anticipate likely contingencies and prepare for them. They should understand not just what and how, but also why they are doing something. They should also communicate the plan clearly to their team and ensure that everyone understands their role in it.
   
   
10. Leading Up and Down the Chain of Command: Leaders must effectively lead their subordinates and manage their superiors. This means keeping superiors informed so they can make the best decisions and providing a clear vision and direction for the team members.
    
    
11. Decisiveness amid Uncertainty: Leaders must be able to make decisions quickly in uncertain situations. They can’t wait for perfect information. Instead, they should make the best decision based on the available information and then be ready to adjust the plan as new information comes in.
    
    
12. Discipline Equals Freedom: The authors argue that disciplined habits and routines can create more freedom by eliminating wastefulness.