INSIDER ACCESS
‘ Unmitigated Discipline ’
Military Tested Leadership Strategies From A Navy Seal To Guide MSPs Into Everyday Battle
In 2004 , Ramadi , Iraq , became the center of control for the Middle Eastern terrorist group al-Qaeda . Two-year battles ensued over the city of 500,000 people , during which the law was nonexistent , bloodshed was constant , and devastation was unrelenting . U . S . forces posted battle stations within the city and managed to keep al-Qaeda at bay until everything came to a head in March 2006 .
The United States ’ position was threatened , and sensing urgency and rising tensions , the U . S . Marines , Army , and Navy partnered together to steamroll al-Qaeda and take back control centers in a pivotal location in the Iraq War . The result was a near-complete toppling of the once-powerful terrorist stronghold in the Iraqi city .
None of this would have been possible without military leadership having its boots on the ground and executing , supporting , and pushing these teams through power moves deployed by the intensifying U . S . forces in the Middle East .
Today , one of those leaders is sharing his secrets with business leaders .
Navy SEAL team officer Jocko Willink will speak at the 2020 Technology Marketing Toolkit IT Sales and Marketing Boot Camp this coming April . A lifelong devotion to becoming a commando led Jocko to service at age 18 . Over a 20-year military career , Jocko served as a leader in the Navy SEALS , trained fellow SEALs on the complexities of combat in the Middle East , and earned multiple military honors . Today , Jocko is a New York Times Bestselling author , host of the leadership podcast , Jocko Podcast , and co-founder of Echelon Front , an organization devoted to preparing and training business leaders .
And , like so many of us , this soldier ’ s start began in his backyard .
The Origins Of A Leader
As a kid , Jocko was painting mud on his face and preparing for an imaginary war he had created . Battle lines were drawn in the dirt of his yard , while every piece of wood or stick he could find became a toy gun . There was nothing but his own backyard shadowing his mission , but that didn ’ t matter . He was going to lead his men to victory .
When the East Coast-grown boy discovered Navy SEALs , the image of what his future could be like as a commando started to unfold .
Jocko enlisted in the Navy at 18 years old and was immediately stripped of his freedoms . This wasn ’ t his backyard anymore ; he was becoming a soldier . Jocko trained with real machinery , underwent intensive boot camp operations , and prepared for real combat . Eventually , Jocko worked his way through the ranks of the Navy to earn that additional freedom and become the soldier he always dreamed he could be .
Jocko trained as a Navy SEAL and was ultimately named an officer . Jocko ’ s distinguished 20-year career saw him deployed to Iraq , where he led Navy SEAL Team Three ’ s Task Unit Bruiser through the Battle of Ramadi . Leading alongside Colonel Sean MacFarland , Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Clark , and Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Neary , Jocko ’ s Navy SEAL team joined the U . S . Army , Marines , and Iraqi Special Forces to resecure war-torn Ramadi during the nine-month battle .
Together , multiple branches of the U . S . military and Iraqi Special Forces were able to restore their presence and pressure over al-Qaeda to attempt to rebuild peace in the turbulent and war-devastated region of the Middle East .
For his service , Jocko was awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star , and Unit Bruiser was the most decorated Special Operations Unit during the Iraq War . After his deployment , Jocko served as the officer in charge of training for all West Coast SEAL Teams .
“ It was the best job ever ,” Jocko says . “ Being on the SEAL teams is awesome . You ’ re working with a bunch of people and have awesome missions . Your job is very fun day to day if you like being outside and diving out of airplanes and diving into the water .”
The Distinguished Navy SEAL Today
As Jocko neared the end of a lustrous career , the lifelong Navy SEAL was prompted with an interesting proposition . The CEO of a company approached him about speaking to their team about the value and qualities of leadership . This CEO was a friend , and while public speaking wasn ’ t exactly in the career military man ’ s job description , Jocko knew he had lessons to share .
When Jocko finished the presentation , his friend had another favor to ask . They asked Jocko to present his lessons and expertise to every division of the company . Even better , the CEO was going to pay him . It was a done deal , and off Jocko went . That ’ s where a little bit of fate intervened . The CEO of the parent company happened to be sitting in the audience at one of those divisional speaking engagements and was so impressed with what Jocko had to say that they requested Jocko speak to every CEO in the company . Once Jocko finished speaking to those 40 – 45 CEOs , the requests for more presentations flooded in . What was once an unclear path after retirement was crystalizing . There was a need for the leadership values and lessons he had gleaned from a career in the military , and rather than sit on these lessons , Jocko saw an opportunity to lead through the battlefield of the boardroom .