Think Like An Elite Warrior To Lead And Succeed

Want to be a leader who is tough? Cool under fire? Able to sense danger before it's too late? In The Way of the SEAL: Think Like an Elite Warrior to Lead and Succeed, ex-Navy SEAL Commander Mark Divine reveals exercises, meditations, and focusing techniques to train your mind for mental toughness, emotional resilience, and uncanny intuition.

Along the way, Divine teaches you how to reaffirm your ultimate purpose, define your most important goals, and take concrete steps to make them happen.

A native of Oneida County, New York, Mark served in the U.S. Navy SEALs for 20 years, retiring as a commander, and holds an MBA from New York University's Leonard N. Stern School of Business. The founder of SEALFIT, NavySeals.com, and U.S. CrossFit, he has started and led six multimillion dollar business ventures.

Having coached thousands of Navy SEAL and other Special Operations candidates with a success rate near 90 percent, Mark now trains the public in the eight Way of the SEAL principles through his Unbeatable Mind Academy.

Recently, Mark answered for me the following six questions about his book:

Interview with Mark Divine
Author of The Way of the Seal: Think Like an Elite Warrior to Lead and Succeed

Question: Navy SEALS learn they are capable of twenty times what they think they are. For the average person, what's the level reached during their lifetime if they don't ever experience the 20X Factor?

Mark: I think that most of humanity is operating at about 10 to 20% of their potential. This is primarily because they have never been taught how to use their whole minds. Instead they have developed their rational/cognitive functions to the detriment of their creative, intuitive and spiritual functions. One of my goals with The Way of the SEAL is to help people open up to a broader concept of mind and to begin to train it so they can reach their first 20X experience, then accelerate from there!

Question: Why do so many people go through life having never Assessed Their Starting Point by answering the Self-Assessment Questions featured in your book?

Mark: Socrates said that an unexamined life is not worth living. This is a bold and provocative statement, but if you understand what he meant it is very powerful. Underlying this statement is an assumption that every human is unique and has a special reason for being here in this place and time. However, the reason so few people do the self-assessment required of examining their lives is because the instruction book, the one that tells us how to live purposefully and in a worthy manner, was left on the spiritual elevator we took to get here. Thus it is incumbent upon us to look deeply within ourselves to uncover our passion, purpose and principles…and then to organize our lives to live in alignment with these personal characteristics. When we do so, we will live an examined and worthy life.

Question: Yoga might not be something typically associated with thoughts about a Navy SEAL. Why do you incorporate yoga so heavily in your life?

Mark: Yoga is the oldest warrior development program known to man. Used to prepare warriors for battle in Northern India over 5,000 years ago, it is an incredibly powerful self-development program that complements the physical training a SEAL undergoes perfectly. The Yoga I developed for SEALFIT is a simple "western" yoga that brings it back to its warrior roots by focusing primarily on the concentration and breathing, as well as developing awareness and presence. These are all attributes that a Navy SEAL or corporate executive requires to operate at their peak, especially under stress.

Question: Of the nine skills mentioned on page 7 to achieve SEAL-worthiness, which one have you witnessed to be the most difficult for business leaders to conquer?

Mark: I believe mental control is the most difficult for the business leader to develop. The leader of the future must develop an unfettered mind which can make morally correct decisions that benefit not only her, but also her team, organization, community and the world at large. This type of multi-dimensional decision making requires a higher order of thinking. To reach that level, leaders must first learn to control their minds, then to root out flawed belief systems so they can cultivate the conditions to win powerfully in their minds before taking action.

Question: In general do you find it easier to teach a younger (20's/30's) person or an older person (40's/50's) to think like an elite warrior to lead and succeed? Any idea why?

Mark: It depends. I find it easy to teach people who are very committed to training and personal development, regardless of their age. Having said that, the insights and life experiences of the older student definitely accelerate their growth and allow for more spontaneous leaps in consciousness and world-views. I believe, though, that the younger one is when exposed to The Way of the SEAL integrated warrior development training, the greater potential there is to live an exceptional life with no regrets.

Question: For someone wanting to become a Navy-SEAL what is the one best piece of advice you would give that person?

Mark: Prepare yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually . . . then show up every day with a smile, put out 100%, set micro-goals, visualize your win, breathe deeply, serve your teammates . . . and don't quit!

Co-author of the book is Allyson Edelhertz Machate is a Phi Beta Kappa member and the founder of Ambitious Enterprises, an award-winning business that offers expert writing and editorial services to business professionals, publishers, agents, and authors. A New York native, she leads a team of content professionals from her home near Baltimore, Maryland.

Comments

Five Essential Principles For Sustaining Growth Through Innovation

Even though many companies strive for innovation, most struggle to achieve meaningful change. The largest reason for this disconnect? Playing it safe. Leaders and organizations want to implement new ideas, but too often they are held back by the fear of failure, even though setbacks are intrinsic to the innovation process. In the new book, No Fear, No Failure , by Lorraine H. Marchand (with John Hanc), readers will learn how to overcome the status quo that stifles creative thinking and how to create a culture that encourages innovation. Marchand provides a framework for sustained growth built on the “ 5 Cs ”: Customer First Culture Collaboration Change Chance She draws on more than 120 interviews with leaders across industries, real-world case studies, and her firsthand experience and shares step-by-step, field-tested strategies, tactics, and tools that practitioners can use to embed creativity within organizational cultures. Marchand is a former Big Tech and Big Pharma ex...

10 Quotes From The 5 Levels Of Leadership -- John C. Maxwell

Soon I'll post my full review of John C. Maxwell's latest book, The 5 Levels of Leadership . In the meantime, here are some of my favorites quotes from the book that I believe should become a must-read book by any workplace/organizational leader: Good leadership isn't about advancing yourself. It's about advancing your team. Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others. Leadership is action, not position. When people feel liked, cared for, included, valued, and trusted, they begin to work together with their leader and each other. If you have integrity with people, you develop trust. The more trust you develop, the stronger the relationship becomes. In times of difficulty, relationships are a shelter. In times of opportunity, they are a launching pad. Good leaders must embrace both care and candor. People buy into the leader, then the vision. Bringing out the best in a person is often a catal...

How To Play Bigger And Be A Category King In Business

"The most exciting companies create. They give us new ways of living, thinking, or doing business, many times solving a problem we didn't know we had -- or a problem we didn't pay attention to because we never thought there was another way," explain the four authors of the dynamic new book, Play Bigger . They add that, "the most exciting companies sell us different. They introduce the world to a new category of product or service." And, they become category kings . Examples of category kings are Amazon, Salesforce, Uber and IKEA. Play Bigger is all about the strategy that builds category kings. And, to be a category king you need to be good at category design : Category design is the discipline of creating and developing a new market category, and conditioning the market so it will demand your solution and crown your company as its king. Category design is the opposite of "build it and they will come." Key traits of category design...

6 Ways To Seek Feedback To Improve Your Performance In The Workplace

Getting feedback is an important way to improve performance at work. But sometimes, it can be hard to seek out, and even harder to hear. “Feedback is all around you. Your job is to find it, both through asking directly and observing it,” says David L. Van Rooy, author of the new book, Trajectory: 7 Career Strategies to Take You From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be . As today's guest post, Van Rooy offers these six tips for how to get the feedback you need to improve performance at work . Guest Post By David L. Van Rooy 1. Don’t forget to as k : One of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming things are going perfectly (until they make a catastrophic mistake). By not asking, you’re missing out on opportunities for deep feedback: the difficult, critical feedback that gives you constructive ways to improve. 2. Make sure you listen : Remember, getting fee...

How To Harness Employee Experience Design To Attract And Retain The Best Talent

Employee Experience Design (EXD) is designing with people and not for them. It’s a proven method for engaging and collaborating with your employees to help solve your most difficult workplace challenges. You’ll learn all about EXD in the new book, Employee Experience Desing: How To Co-Create Work Where People And Organizations Thrive , by Dean E. Carter , Samantha Gadd, and Mark Levy . “Many organizations are drowning in policies and initiatives. EXD is a way to reduce that burden while delivering better results both for employees and for the bottom line,” explain the authors. The book includes inspiring stories from brands like Airbnb and Patagonia, among many others, including those in retail, healthcare, hospitality, apparel, and biotech. It describes the power that’s unleashed when organizations design with and not for their employees. The first part of the book covers The Why of why EXD is so important and addresses legitimate – and tough –...

Leadership Lessons From Kent Taylor, Founder Of Texas Roadhouse

From cover-to-cover of Made From Scratch you’ll learn the leadership lessons of the late Kent Taylor , founder of the restaurant chain Texas Roadhouse. In the new book, Taylor recounts how he built the restaurant chain from the ground up after being rejected more than 80 times as he pitched the idea for the business. His approach to business was often out-of-the-box, however, his business lessons and leadership lessons from the course of his life and career are invaluable. Here are some of my favorite leadership lessons from Kent and his book: The best leaders stay down-to-earth and approachable. In a bottom-up company, the leader learns from frontline people. As soon as you make a profit, find a way to give back. Be willing to laugh at yourself. Become a student of your craft. Positive reinforcement inspires much greater performance than fear ever can. Want to get the respect of your people? Then roll up y...

Don't Delay Tough Conversations With Your Employees

If you have an employee who needs to improve his/her performance don't delay the tough conversation with them. If you don't address the issue right now, the employee has little chance to improve, and you'll only get more frustrated. Most employees want to do a good job. Sometimes they just don't know they aren't performing up to the required standards. Waiting until the employee's annual performance appraisal to have the tough conversation is unhealthy for you and the employee. So, address the issue now. Sit down with your employee in a private setting. Look them in the eye. First, tell them what they do well. Thank them for that good work. Then, tell them where they need to improve. Be clear. Be precise. Ask them if they understand and ask them if they need any help from you on how to do a better job. Explain to them that your taking the time to have the tough conversation means you care about them. You want them to do better. You believe they can do better. ...

How to Be a Leader – 9 Principles from Dale Carnegie

Today, I welcome thought-leader Nathan Magnuson as guest blogger... Nathan writes : This is it, your first day in a formal leadership role. You’ve worked hard as an individual contributor at one or possibly several organizations. Now management has finally seen fit to promote you into a position as one of their own: a supervisor. You don’t care if your new team is only one person or ten, you’re just excited that now – finally – you will be in charge! Unfortunately the euphoria is short-lived. Almost immediately, you are not only overwhelmed with the responsibilities of a team, but you quickly find that your team members are not as experienced or adroit as you. Some aren’t even as committed. You find yourself having to repeat yourself, send their work back for corrections, and staying late to fill the gap. If something doesn’t change soon, you might just run yourself into the ground. How did something that looked so easy ...

Advisory Leadership

Flashback to three years ago...because this book is so, so good! After reading nearly 30 new books about leadership this year, my pick for 2015's best new leadership book is, Advisory Leadership , by Greg Friedman , Although the book is authored by an award-winning financial advisor and primarily written for professionals in the financial services industry, this book is a must read for any leader who wants to create a nurturing heart culture that hinges on the human-centric values the next generation of employees hold in high regard. And, what exactly is heart culture ? Friedman says, "At its core, heart culture symbolizes how a company values more than just an employee's output. It's not about the work, but rather, the people who do the work." He further explains that leaders can no longer afford to ignore the shift toward a people-first culture and its direct influence on a healthy, effective work envir...

Why Workplace Wellbeing Matters

“Confusion often abounds as to what workplace wellbeing actually is and what it entails,” explain the authors of the book, Why Workplace Wellbeing Matters: The Science Behind Employee Happiness and Organizational Performance . “Workplace wellbeing is how we feel at work and about our work,” share Jan-Emmanuel De Neve and George Ward . “It has evaluative, affective, and eudaimonic components. These may sound complicated but are actually very straightforward.” Evaluative workplace wellbeing refers to how we think about our jobs. It is an overall judgment, an assessment about how things are going, and it is typically measured by job satisfaction. Affective wellbeing refers to how we actually feel on a day-to-day basis while we are at work. It is an emotional or hedonic experience, and it can involve both positive and negative emotions. Eudaimonic wellbeing is about how much of a sense of purpose we get out of our work. ...

Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

Search This Blog