Leadership Redefined: 9 Principles from Extreme Ownership to Elevate Your Team and Yourself

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Extreme Ownership in Leadership and IT Transformations - AI generated podcast.

1. Extreme Ownership

• Core Idea: As a leader, you are responsible for everything that happens in your team. No excuses, no blaming others – it's up to you to take control and find solutions.
• Application:When a project fails, analyze what you could have done differently: Did you set clear goals? Did you communicate effectively?Example: Your team delivers an inaccurate report. Instead of blaming a team member, ask yourself, "Did I clearly communicate expectations and provide sufficient support?"
• Leadership Focus: Taking ownership also means protecting your team while working to prevent future mistakes.

2. There Are No Bad Teams, Only Bad Leaders

• Core Idea: A team's performance is directly tied to its leadership. A weak team can be transformed through effective leadership.
• Application:Create a clear vision and set motivating goals.Example: In a SEAL exercise, the authors observed a weak boat team becoming the best after a leadership change. Why? The new leader inspired the team, prioritized effectively, and brought positive energy.
• Workplace Parallel: When a team member "underperforms," consider whether it’s due to a lack of guidance, training, or motivation.

3. Check Your Ego

• Core Idea: Ego is an obstacle to growth. It can prevent us from admitting mistakes or listening to others.
• Application:Accept that you won't always be right, and remain open to your team's input.Example: A conflict between two leaders revealed that both were driven by their egos rather than focusing on the mission. The solution: prioritize the mission's goal over personal disagreements.
• Reflection: Regularly ask yourself, "Is my ego preventing me from making the best decision?"

4. Cover and Move

• Core Idea: Teamwork is essential. Everyone in the team must fulfill their duties while supporting one another.
• Application:Practical example: In a crisis, a SEAL team divides tasks: one group provides cover while the other advances. Without mutual support, the mission fails.Workplace Parallel: Sales and Marketing teams can only succeed if they collaborate seamlessly and back each other up.
• Key Question: "How can I help my colleagues succeed, and how can they support me?"

5. Keep Things Simple

• Core Idea: Complexity leads to confusion and mistakes. Effective leadership means keeping things simple.
• Application:Example: A SEAL team needed to plan a complex attack. By reducing the plan to its essentials and communicating clearly, everyone understood their role, ensuring success.Workplace Parallel: Instead of creating a 20-page document, prepare a concise overview with the key points.
• Pro Tip: Use simple language and ensure everyone understands the goals.

6. Prioritize and Execute

• Core Idea: When things get chaotic, prioritize the most important issue and address it before moving on to the next.
• Application:In high-pressure situations, people often try to tackle everything at once. The authors teach staying calm, assessing the situation, and focusing on the most critical task.Example: During a firefight, a SEAL leader prioritized securing the team’s safety before planning the next steps.Workplace Example: If a project is delayed, prioritize tasks that will have the biggest impact on meeting the deadline, and tackle those first.
• Guiding Principle: "Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast."

7. Decentralized Command

• Core Idea: Teams function better when responsibility is decentralized. Every team member should be empowered to make decisions within their area of responsibility.
• Application:Example: In large-scale missions, a single leader cannot control everything. Instead, responsibility is distributed to smaller units that operate independently.Workplace Parallel: Delegate tasks so your team can work autonomously. Provide clear goals but allow flexibility in how they achieve them.
• Tip: Ensure everyone understands the overarching goals so they can make independent decisions that contribute to success.

8. Plan

• Core Idea: Success relies on careful planning that is flexible enough to adapt to changes.
• Application:Example: SEAL teams plan missions in meticulous detail, ensuring everyone knows their role. At the same time, they leave room for adjustments.Workplace Example: Develop detailed project plans, considering potential risks and alternative strategies.
• Guiding Thought: "Plan as if your life depends on it – because sometimes it does."

9. Discipline Equals Freedom

• Core Idea: Discipline in your habits and work methods creates long-term freedom.
• Application:Example: A SEAL leader regularly trains and plans his days with discipline, enabling him to respond effectively to spontaneous challenges.Workplace Parallel: Discipline in time management (e.g., punctual meetings, clear objectives) reduces chaos and stress.
• Tip: Develop routines that help you stay disciplined and stick to them.

Conclusion

The principles of Extreme Ownership can be applied to almost any area of life – from work to personal relationships. However, they require a clear mindset: take responsibility, be open to change, and continuously strive for improvement.

Which principle would you like to implement first in your daily life? ??

Now looking at this approach in context of complex IT-projects.

Transforming IT landscapes is as challenging as any high-stakes mission. Whether it's migrating systems, implementing SAP S/4HANA, or introducing new methodologies, success hinges on leadership, clarity, and responsibility. Here's how the principles from Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin apply to IT transformations:

1. Extreme Ownership

• IT Context: As a project leader, take full responsibility for the success of the transformation. If the migration fails, the timeline slips, or stakeholders resist change, own the issue and drive solutions.
• Example: During a system migration, if data integrity issues arise, don't blame the data team. Instead, ensure clear communication and collaboration to fix the problem and prevent recurrence.

2. There Are No Bad Teams, Only Bad Leaders

• IT Context: If your cross-functional IT team isn’t delivering, the issue often lies in leadership. Align the team with the transformation’s goals and inspire them with a clear vision.
• Example: A testing team delivering inconsistent results might need better guidance on priorities or support in setting up automated testing tools.

3. Check Your Ego

• IT Context: In IT transformations, disagreements over solutions or methods can derail progress. Acknowledge when your approach may not be the best and remain open to input from team members or external consultants.
• Example: A senior architect insists on a specific system integration path despite better alternatives. Putting the mission above personal preferences ensures the best outcome.

4. Cover and Move

• IT Context: Teams in IT transformations often operate in silos. Foster collaboration between departments like development, operations, testing, and business units to ensure the transformation moves forward seamlessly.
• Example: DevOps and finance teams need to align during an SAP S/4HANA rollout. If one team lags, others should step in to help meet milestones.

5. Keep Things Simple

• IT Context: IT transformations are inherently complex. Simplify communication, project plans, and technical documentation so that all stakeholders understand their roles.
• Example: Instead of a 50-slide deck for a steering committee, provide a concise summary with key metrics and risks to keep leadership aligned.

6. Prioritize and Execute

• IT Context: In IT projects, competing priorities can lead to chaos. Identify the critical tasks that will unblock progress and focus on them first.
• Example: During a go-live phase, prioritize stabilizing core systems before addressing secondary features or optimizations.

7. Decentralized Command

• IT Context: Large IT transformations require decentralized leadership. Empower sub-teams to make decisions within their areas while ensuring alignment with the overall strategy.
• Example: Allow the data migration team to decide on tools and methods but ensure they align with the broader transformation timeline and goals.

8. Plan

• IT Context: Detailed planning is critical in IT transformations, but plans must also be flexible to adapt to unexpected challenges.
• Example: A phased rollout of new ERP modules ensures quick wins while leaving room to adjust timelines for more complex areas.

9. Discipline Equals Freedom

• IT Context: Rigorous adherence to processes (e.g., agile sprints, change management protocols) creates the flexibility to address unexpected issues without chaos.
• Example: Maintaining discipline in regular sprint reviews and retrospectives prevents last-minute surprises during the final delivery.

Conclusion: Leading IT Transformations with Ownership

IT transformations are complex, but applying the Extreme Ownership principles ensures clarity, accountability, and teamwork. By taking full responsibility, fostering collaboration, and simplifying processes, leaders can navigate even the most challenging projects to success.