A decade since the publication of Extreme Ownership, I’ve reflected on a lesson from the battlefield that still rings true: Advanced tactics mean doing the basics well. But what I’ve come to realize is that doing the basics well is really hard.

The basics of leadership are what we call the Laws of Combat Leadership:

1. Cover and Move

2. Simple

3. Prioritize and Execute

4. Decentralized Command

First, recognize that it’s not about you or your immediate team, but the overall team and the strategic mission. When you put the greater team and the mission before yourself, that’s when you truly become a team player. A team of team players is what it takes to win. That’s Cover and Move.

Second, clarity beats complexity. Complexity creeps into plans, emails, discussions, and strategy, which clouds understanding, slows execution, and inhibits results. When people don’t understand, they can’t execute. Your job is to cut through complexity and simplify, to ensure you and everybody around you understand so they can execute. That’s Simple.

Third, detachment is a superpower. Under pressure, emotions can take over. Composure returns when you relax, look around, and make a call. When you step back from the micro terrain of a problem or decision, the strategic priorities become clear, and you and your team can stay focused on the things that matter most. That’s Prioritize and Execute.

Fourth, ownership creates buy-in, and buy-in creates speed. When people understand not just what to do but why they are doing it, they can solve problems and overcome obstacles to move the team forward in a positive direction toward the goal. Decentralized Command means everyone leads. So step up and lead and empower those around you to lead. That’s Decentralized Command.

These concepts are simple, not easy. They are basic and not difficult to understand. But they are incredibly hard to implement in real time, under pressure, when lives, careers, egos, and capital are at stake.

Ten years proved the principles. The next ten will be about your consistency.

So focus on the basics and do them well. And when you do, you and your team will win.

Share a Summary on X

Extreme Ownership Muster 023 will be our last leadership development opportunity of the year on December 7 –9, in Orlando, Florida. I’ll be there with Jocko and our Echelon Front instructor team helping leaders at every level, from many different industries across the country apply the principles of Extreme Ownership to their specific challenges and get them solved.

The Muster helps us better understand the basics of leadership so we can lead more effectively in all aspects of our lives. With two days of immersive leadership training, Q&A, small group exercises, and networking opportunities, I encourage you to attend. Whether you’ve been to a Muster in the past or have never attended, you will benefit and become better. We hope to see you there.

See more information about Muster 023