Think Like An Elite Warrior To Lead And Succeed

Seeing this book (circled in the above picture) in the bookstore this week reminded me of my 2014 blog post about the book and the author. Realizing the book is as relevant today as it was five years ago, here is my post from 2014:

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.

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.

This week, 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 a New York native.

Comments

Be The Leader You Want To Be

“By focusing in specific ways on five key leadership elements— Purpose, Process, People, Presence, and Peace —you can increase your time, capacity, energy, and ultimately your leadership impact,” explains Amy Jen Su , author of the book, The Leader You Want To Be: Five Essential Principles for Bringing Out Your Best Self—Every Day . Su shares both Western management thinking and Eastern philosophy to provide a holistic yet hands-on approach to becoming a more effective leader with less stress and more equanimity. She draws on rich and instructive stories of clients, leaders, artists, and athletes. And, she focuses on three foundational tenets: s elf-care, self-awareness, and personal agency . Most important, Su explores in depth, chapter-by-chapter the Five Ps : Purpose – Staying grounded in your passions and contributions, doing your highest and best work that has meaning and is making a difference. Process – Relying on daily practices and routines that ho...

How To Demonstrate Your Leadership Credibility

Demonstrate your leadership credibility by: Practicing what you preach. Walking the talk. Ensuring your actions are consistent with your words. Putting money where your mouth is. Following through on your promises. Doing what you say you will do. Good, quick tips from the book. The Leadership Challenge . Thank you to the book’s publisher for sending me a copy of the book.

How To Lead With Purpose

“Purpose is the why behind everything within an organization,” says author John Baldoni, of the book, Lead With Purpose . Baldoni also believes that it is up to leaders to make certain that organizational purpose is understood and acted upon. And, to harness the talents of their employees, leaders must recognize their responsibility to instill purpose in the workplace. Other recommendations include: Make purpose a central focus Instill purpose in others Make employees comfortable with ambiguity Turn good intentions into great results Make it safe to fail (as well as prevail) Develop the next generation According to Baldoni, purpose forms the backbone of what an organization exists to do; upon which you can build vision and mission. To define an organization’s purpose, you must ask three questions: 1. What is our vision — that is, what do we want to become? 2. What is our mission — that is, what do we do now? 3...

The Six Dimensions Of Being A Healthy Leader

In Bob Rosen ’s book, Grounded: How Leaders Stay Rooted In An Uncertain World , he explains that there are six dimensions of being a healthy leader : Physical health : how you live. How you manage your mind and body – managing your energy and living a peak performance lifestyle. Emotional health : how you feel. This is about being self-aware and having positive emotions and the ability to be resilient, catching yourself when you have a counterproductive thought. This also includes seeking feedback from others about how you act and trying to be more reflective. Intellectual health : how you think. This is about asking questions, being deeply curious and seeing changes as an opportunity to grow, learn and reassess the way you see and talk about the world. Social health : how you interact. This is about authenticity. How do you build relationships? Are you being honest about yourself? Are you comfortable being vulnerable? Do you consider other people’s viewpoints? Vocatio...

12 Golden Rules Of Effective Communication

Here are the 12 golden rules of effective communication from Paul Falcone , as highlighted in his book, 2600 Phrases for Setting Effective Performance Goals . Always remember to: Recognize achievements and accomplishments often. Celebrate success. Deliver bad news quickly, constructively, and in a spirit of professional development. Praise in public, censure in private. Assume responsibility for problems when things go wrong, and provide immediate praise and recognition to others when things go right. Create a work environment based on inclusiveness, welcoming others' suggestions and points of view. Listen actively, making sure that your people feel heard and understood and have a voice in terms of offering positive suggestions in the office or on the shop floor. Share information openly (to the extent possible) so that staff members understand the Why behind your reasoning and can ask appropriate questions as they continue along in their own path of caree...

The Ordinary Skills Of Exceptional Leaders

New York Times - bestselling author, chartered psychologist and Professor of Leadership at the University of Exeter Business School, John Amaechi , has released It’s Not Magic: The Ordinary Skills Of Exceptional Leaders . It’s an important read for particularly managers, executives, board members, and other business leaders, and anyone else expected to motivate and inspire others to achieve great things. The book walks you through the seemingly obvious but difficult-to-nail mindsets and intentions you’ll need to adopt to influence and motivate others. You’ll learn strategies and techniques you can apply immediately, including: Easy-to-follow explanations of the straightforward behaviors you can model to improve your ability to lead others. Habits you can adopt immediately to motivate others in any setting, from the boardroom to the classroom or the battlefield. Data-driven insights into the tiny, little things that great leaders do every day and how to incorporate t...

Leading With GRIT

Feelings of being stuck, overwhelmed and frustrated plague too many of our workplaces says Laurie Sudbrink , author of the new book, Leading With GRIT . So, drawing on her over 20 years of coaching a wide range of organizations, colleges and Fortune 500 companies, Sudbrink provides in her book a road map to improve individual and organizational health . That road map includes teaching readers the principles of GRIT : Generosity Respect Integrity Truth Laurie Sudbrink "It is not only the concepts of GRIT, but how they are combined, that make them so effective," shares Sudbrink. Divided into three parts, Part I of the book is geared toward the individual, and is foundational to your success as a leader. Part II focuses on communicating with GRIT -- making communication easier, more enjoyable and more productive. Part III is how, in our role as leaders, we apply and sustain GRIT in the workplace, creating systems that help keep everyone on track....

Acknowledge Employee Milestones

Your employee will appreciate your acknowledging their birthday, advanced degree graduation achievement, wedding engagement, wedding, or other personal milestone event. If he or she shares with you information about any important event in their life, take the opportunity to congratulate them, honor them and acknowledge them. You can give them a card. Or, take them to lunch. Or, even a simple handshake can go a long way. Taking an interest in your employee goes a long way and it's one of the easiest, meaningful actions you can take. If you manage a large team, you'll likely want to create a way to help you remember upcoming milestone events for each of your employees.

Wisdom From The Book, The Art Of Being Unreasonable

Early on in Eli Broad's book, The Art of Being Unresaonable , he reminds us of the power of a child's instinctive asking, " Why not? " Unfortunately, most adults lose that habit and Broad goes on to explain that it was his continuing to ask "Why not?" throughout his career that brought him success. " The questions you're willing to ask when others think they have all the answers are doors to discovery ," says Broad. Other words of wisdom from the book, and my favorite takeaways, include : Most successful businesses have to begin by bucking conventional wisdom . Invention and innovation don't happen without it. Do your homework no matter how much time it takes. Big ideas don't happen in a moment . You can't do it all yourself, so ask questions and delegate . The trick to delegating is to make sure your employees share your priorities . Find the best people to whom you can delegate, and know their strengths an...

How Dignity Is Different From Respect

In their book, Millennials Who Manage , authors Chip Espinoza and Joel Schwarzbart , quote Donna Hicks's explanation about how dignity is different from respect . Dignity is different from respect in that it is not based on how people perform, what they can do for us, or their likability. Dignity is a feeling of inherent value and worth. Therefore, Espinoza and Schwarzbart recommend that leaders treat those they are leading with dignity and follow Hick's 10 Essential Elements of Dignity : Acceptance of Identity - Approach people as being neither inferior nor superior to you. Assume that others have integrity. Inclusion - Make others feel that they belong, whatever the relationship. Safety - Put people at ease at two levels: physically, so they feel safe from bodily harm, and psychologically, so they feel safe from being humiliated. Acknowledgment - Give people your full attention by listening, hearing, validating, and respondin...

Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

Search This Blog