Tadas Antanavicius's Reviews > Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win

I write this review over a year after having read the book, and I do so because it has been hands-down one of the most influential in my life to date. It taught me that the best approach is always no-excuses. I can always do better. If something fails, it's my fault. If someone doesn't act the way I expected them to, I could have done better. If society tells me I can't do something, tells me I'm not good enough, or rigs the system against me - well then it's on me to fix it and prove it wrong.

Because after all, if Jocko can do it in the heat of a battlefield where lives are constantly made or lost, in the worst and most unfair ways possible, all in the blink of an eye - then why can't I do the same in the cushy atmosphere of day-to-day civilized society?

There's some practical limitations to this philosophy. It doesn't mean systems can't be broken. It doesn't mean someone else can't be at fault as well. But when you get down to it and view life from your own day-to-day lens, swallowing pride and any sense of entitlement goes a long way to building success, respect, friendships, and a whole lot more.