Extreme ownership builds leadership into every level of an organization, so this book is for everyone in any role. Extreme ownership is balanced by decentralized command - leaders must delegate up and down the chain. These are the first and last chapters and the most important.

The book is organized in twelve chapters, each chapter is a principle in these two Navy SEALs leadership philosophy. The twelve chapters are split into three sections - the war within, laws of combat, sustaining victory. Each chapter is split into three sections - a SEAL example, the principle in brief, the principle applied to business (the authors became leadership consultants after their service).

Winning the war within is the most important section. You need to take ownership. The responsibility for failure or success is on you. There are no bad teams, just bad leaders.

I loved the term tortured genius - if you think you are right, but no one listens to you then you may be a tortured genius. Leaders are measured by the success of their teams, and it pays to be a winner.

A lot of these concepts are not new - the chapter Believe can be seen in Simone Sinek It Starts With Why, Check the Ego can be seen in Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday, Managing up and down the chain is just that - managing up. The authors acknowledge that. But their examples are gripping and their organization is easy to understand.

When Bama lost to Auburn in the Iron Bowl, Saban took total responsibility. Saban probably knew to do that without reading this book. Smart did the same thing after Auburn smoked Georgia in the Deep South's oldest rivalry. Smart and Saban met in the National Championship game while Auburn and the other 120+ teams sat home. You could take the principles and apply them to football, but the SEALs experience is more meaningful.

Finally, I couldn't help but see that the first endorsements are from right wing cable news personalities, nobody needs to read this more than the two people who ran for president in 2016. Writing a book blaming everyone else for your loss (I reviewed it on GR) or tweeting at law enforcement after national tragedies is as far from extreme ownership as you can get. And so the sycophants on both sides should also check this book out.

Jocko ends with a chapter Discipline Equals Freedom. Another great concept that he turned into a new book. I am looking forward to reading that next.