Jocko Willink's Four Laws of Leadership

Navy SEAL Jocko Willink shares deep insights into leadership in his MasterClass. It's brief but good. 

I. Cover and Move. Teamwork comes first. Everyone works on shared goals. Work together. Rely on each other. Succeed or fail together. 

II. Keep things simple. Many tasks are "inherently complex." Simplify where possible. This reminds me of the Feynman Method. "Complexity breeds errors." Melrose's philosophy is ball control. 

"I can only remember three things. What do you want me to remember?"

My themes for basketball are: teamwork, improvement, accountability. My volleyball themes would be: back row - keep the ball up; front row - put the ball down. 

III. Prioritize and execute. "If you try to solve all your problems at the same time, you won't solve any of them." Take a breath. Define the problem first. 

Stay calm. Emotionality disengages people. It distracts from execution. 

During timeouts, coaches focus on one or two key areas. "Get to the outside quickly to double block" or "let's focus and not let one misplay bleed into another." 

IV. Decentralize command. The coach is not on the court. Everyone leads. Know your responsibility and work with others to execute. Talk to get everyone on the same page. "Call the ball." 

It's hard but necessary for coaches to relinquish control. Willink feels that "ownership" and "freedom" are the most powerful motivators. 

Leadership requires a set of skills. Acquire them. 

Summary:

• Teamwork
• Simplicity
• Execution
• Decentralize

Lagniappe. Spike harder. 

Lagniappe 2. Quicken your attack.