Dear brothers,
I wanted to recommend a book that I am having the men I’m training to be elders read. It is by a former navy seal, Jocko Willink. I’m not sure of his religious beliefs but this is one of the best practical books on leadership I have read. I’ve told people it’s the best book on fatherhood that’s not explicitly about families.
It’s called Leadership Strategy and Tactics.
Leadership Strategy and Tactics: Field Manual Expanded Edition Amazon.com
I can concur. I read this on Kindle and really need to upgrade to print. This book and Jocko’s previous book Extreme Ownership have been very helpful to me as I’ve tried to develop as a man and leader.
Here’s a TED talk by Jocko which is basically the content from the first chapter of Extreme Ownership to give a sample of how he thinks.
Seth Ben-Ezra
This reference may be useful?
EDIT: that said - whatever his religious views, what he is saying about leadership, discipline etc, can be said to display a “common grace”
Thank you Ross. That was from 5 years ago. I have listened to a few new podcast episodes where he had some guests who spoke positively about Christianity. He titled some of his episodes with titles from scripture for example " Everyone Who Exalts Himself Will Be Humbled." He interviewed a chaplain and the episode was called " Spiritual Warfare in On The Battlefield. “Fight The Good Fight”
I don’t know that this proves anything. But again his views of leadership are an example of common grace. I hope he does repent and believe if he hasn’t.
I listened to the TED talk just now. I like that he pushes a message of taking responsibility. But in his scenario, part of what would have been helpful to his men is to point out their failures rather than cloud the details with his blanket statement on his responsibility. If the purpose of the meeting with his commanders was to assign blame, what he did was right. If the purpose was to avoid the same errors in the future, what he did is inadequate and superficial. If the purpose was to better the men he commanded, he failed.
When the Apostles screwed up, Jesus rebuked them by pointing out their sins. “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of;” “Get behind me, Satan!” “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”
It does no one any good to accept responsibility for the failures of those in your household, for example, without immediately working to correct the failures. Part of the burden of leadership is extreme ownership and taking responsibility; but part of the burden of leadership (and maybe the more daunting part) is working to correct the failures, incompetence, or sins of those under us. This means that one of the hardest parts of leadership, but most critical, is assigning blame to produce repentance and growth.
Oh absolutely, and Jocko’s larger body of work discusses all of that, too. It’s not just taking personal ownership of a situation.
In the book I shared, he unpacks extreme ownership and has chapters on correcting subordinates and one on firing them. He is ex military so he believes in discipline. It may have just been outside the scope of the Ted talk.