THE DICHOTOMY OF

LEADERSHIP
BALANCING THE CHALLENGES OF
EXTREME OWNERSHIP TO LEAD AND WIN
Jocko Willink & Leif Babin

Great leaders take extreme Yet, leadership is about balance, not

ownership, i.e. they take extremism. Great leaders are aware
100% ownership and of the inherent contradictions in
responsibility for everything leadership and deliberately manage
in their world. and balance them.

MASTERING THE DICHOTOMIES OF LEADERSHIP

Great leaders maintain an equilibrium, balancing the forces that pull them in opposite directions.

Balance Your People

Own Empower Be Not Over- Nurture Letting

The Ultimate Dichotomy
Be willing to put people at risk
even as you care for them.
The ultimate challenge is
to do your best to take
care of your team while
being prepared to expose
them to risks if necessary
to accomplish the mission.
Care for people but don’t
get too emotionally-
attached. Focus on the
mission & results but
don’t push too hard.
but
Everything Others
Balance between too much
vs too little ownership.
Micro-managers miss
the big picture, stifle
creativity & create silos.
Hands-off managers
bring confusion, conflict,
and a lack of focus.
Take full ownership but
don’t do it all yourself.
Establish clear roles/
expectations and
monitor details but
don’t try to control it all.
but vs
Resolute bearing People Them Go
Balance between being too Know when to mentor
lenient vs too tyrannical. people vs when to fire them.
Always uphold high Do your utmost best to
standards and be firm improve individual
on what’s vital to performance (e.g.
your mission. But be coach, mentor, counsel).
flexible on other But if someone is not
matters. up to the job, let them
go for the good of the
Don’t waste your team and mission.
limited leadership
capital on trivial Strike a balance
matters. Exert your between team needs
authority only when vs individual needs.
it matters.

Balance The Mission

Train Train Be Not Be Not Use account- Not Hand-

but but but vs
Hard Smart Aggressive Reckless Disciplined Rigid ability Holding
Push people to improve but Balance aggressive action Balance discipline with Balance supervision with
don’t overwhelm them. with proper evaluation. flexibility and adaptability. education and buy-in.
Training should push By default, take Discipline & SOPs Accountability is useful
people beyond their proactive action to help a team to act but shouldn’t be the only
current abilities but mitigate risks and solve quickly and in sync. or primary tool.
shouldn’t be so hard problems. But don’t However, overly-
that it demoralizes or jump into action before strict SOPs can stifle Don’t try to enforce
overwhelms them. evaluating the potential creativity, flexibility, everything yourself. Help
risks & rewards. and critical thinking. people to understand why
Effective training they’re doing what they
should be realistic, Look for alternative Treat SOPs as guide- do so they can hold
develop strong courses of action if the lines, not fixed rules. themselves accountable.
fundamentals and be potential costs exceed Apply common sense
reinforced through the benefits. & adapt to reality.
repetition.

Balance Yourself

Be a Also a Plan Don’t Be Not Be

and
Leader Follower
Learn to be a great leader
and a great follower.
Leaders must be able
to take charge and
make hard choices, but
also be able to listen to
alternative views
instead of bulldozing
their way through.
Learn to identify,
respect and navigate
differences, and to
follow others, including
your boss or other
experts.
but
Carefully OverPlan
Balance between planning
and over-planning.
To achieve your mission,
you need a plan, with
solutions for mitigating
risks and managing likely
problems. But, if you try
to plan for every possible
problem, you’ll be
overwhelmed.
Plan thoroughly for 3-4
most likely exigencies +
the worst-case scenario,
then adapt for the rest.
but but Detached
Humble Passive Focused
Balance humility with the Focus on the details without
ability to make a stand. getting lost in them.
Leaders must be willing Leaders must be
to push back on vital attentive to details
issues without being but not get obsessed
arrogant. to the point they lose
sight of the big
Realize you don’t know picture.
everything, be open to
feedback, and look The key is to shift
beyond your own between strategic &
needs. But be prepared detailed perspectives:
to make a stand for step back regularly to
things that truly matter see things from a
to the team/mission. wider perspective.

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