Jocko Willink is a father, decorated retired Navy SEAL officer, and author of the books Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win, Discipline Equals Freedom, The Dichotomy of Leadership, and the kid’s book Way of the Warrior Kid . He is also the co-founder of Echelon Front, where he is a leadership instructor, speaker, and executive coach.
According to his bio, Jocko spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy SEAL Teams, starting as an enlisted SEAL and rising through the ranks to become a SEAL officer. As commander of SEAL Team Three’s Task Unit Bruiser during the battle of Ramadi, he orchestrated SEAL operations that helped the “Ready First” Brigade of the US Army’s First Armored Division bring stability to the violent, war-torn city.Task Unit Bruiser became the most highly decorated Special Operations Unit of the Iraq War. Jocko returned from Iraq to serve as Officer-in-Charge of training for all West Coast SEAL Teams. There, he spearheaded the development of leadership training and personally instructed and mentored the next generation of SEAL leaders who have continued to perform with great success on the battlefield.
During his career, Jocko was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and numerous other personal and unit awards. In 2010, Jocko retired from the Navy and launched Echelon Front with Leif Babin where he teaches the leadership principles he learned on the battlefield to help others lead and win. Clients include individuals, teams, companies, and organizations across a wide-range of industries and fields.
While reading his book, Discipline Equals Freedom, I came across this quote about self-discipline:
Self-discipline, as the very term implies, comes from the SELF. YOU.
It comes when you make a decision to be disciplined. When you make a decision to be better. When you make a decision to do more, to BE more. Self-discipline comes when you decide to make a mark on the world.
If you don’t think you are discipline:
It is because you haven’t decided to be disciplined. YET.
It is because you haven’t created it. YET.
You haven’t become it. YET.
So where does it come from? It comes from YOU.
So make the decision. Make the commitment. Become the discipline – embrace its cold and relentless power. And it will make you better and stronger and smarter and faster and healthier than anything else. And most important: it will make you free.
I highly recommend Jocko’s field manual on discipline!
