William H. McRaven

Quotes

1. Being a leader, whether you are the CEO, the admiral, the general, the chairperson, or the director for an office or two, is difficult. As a leader you must always appear to be in command, even on those days when you struggle with the pressures of the job. You must be confident. You must be decisive. You must smile. You must laugh. You must engage with your employees and be thankful for their work. You must have the look of a person in charge. You must instill in your men and women a sense of pride that their leader can handle any problem.

   As a leader you can't have a bad day. You must never look beaten, no matter the circumstance. If you sulk, if you hang your head, if you whine or complain about the leaders above you or the followers below you, then you will lose the respect of your men and women, and the attitude of despair will spread like wildfire.

   p. 31

2. 

   Being a leader is an awesome responsibility. There are days when it can be frightening to know that the fate of the organization rests on your shoulders. But you must also realize that you were chosen to be the leader because you have proven yourself along the way. You have demonstrated that you know the business. You have shown that you can handle the pressures and be decisive. You have exhibited all the qualities necessary to lead. And even if none of the above holds true, now that you are the leader, you are in command. So, take the damn helm and command!

   p. 32

3. 

   1. Be fair and honorable in your business dealings. It's the only way that you and your employees can leave a legacy to be proud of.

   2. Never lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do. The culture of your organization starts with you.

   Own your lapses in judgment. It happens to everyone. Correct the problem and return to being a person of good character.

   p. 11

4. 

   The Rangers have a Latin saying, Sua Sponte. It means, Of Your Own Accord. In other words, doing what needs to be done, without being told to do so. There is often the misguided belief that soldiers only follow orders, but the strength of the American military is that the great soldiers, the truly great leaders, do what is right without being told. They do what is right to protect their men and women. They do what is right to uphold the reputation of their unit. They do what is right to bring honor to their country. They do what needs to be done, whether ordered to do so or not. This sense of initiative separates the great leaders from the mediocre ones. No one ordered Ralph Puckett to run with reckless abandon into the open field, but someone had to do it.

   p. 71

5. 

   On May 17, 2014, I was honored to give the commencement speech for the graduating class from the University of Texas at Austin. Even though the university was my alma mater, I was concerned that a military officer, whose career had been defined by war, might not find a welcoming audience among college students. But to my great surprise, the graduating class embraced the speech. The ten lessons I learned from Navy SEAL training, which were the basis for my remarks, seemed to have a universal appeal. They were simple lessons that deal with overcoming the trials of SEAL training, but the ten lessons were equally important in dealing with the challenges of life- no matter who you are.

6. 

   Death Before Dishonor (Be a person of integrity)

   You Can't Surge Trust (Be trustworthy)

   When In Command, Command (Be confident in yourself)

   We All Have Our Frog Floats (Have a little humility)

   The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday (Demonstrate that you have stamina)

   Run To The Sound Of The Guns (Be aggressive in solving problems)

   Sua Sponte (Encourage your employees to take the initiative)

   Who Dares Wins (Be prepared to take risks!)

   Hope Is Not A Strategy (Do the detailed planning necessary for success)

   No Plan Survives First Contact With The Enemy (Have a Plan B)

   It Pays To Be A Winner (Establish standards of conduct and performance

   A Shepherd Should Smell Like His Sheep (Spend time on the "factory floor")

   Troop The Line (Listen to your employees)

   Expect What You Inspect (The quality of your work will depend on the quality of your oversight)

   Communicate, Communicate, Communicate (Communicate your actions)

   When In Doubt, Overload (Work hard to covercome your shortfalls)

   Can You Stand Before The Long Green Table? (Be accountable for your actions)

   Always Have A Swim Buddy (Have a partner in your leadership journey)

   p. 203

7. 

   Why is there a reluctance to be the face of the solution? Because if you are going to be the face of the solution, it likely means you had a hand in the problem. Good leaders understand that organizations are going to have challenges. That's why you were hired to lead. Embrace the challenge. Accept the fact that you must attack each problem with vigor and that sometimes only you, the leader, can solve the most vexing of institutional crises. Never shy away. Never retreat from a difficult problem.

   p. 64

That’s all the quotes.

7 quotes in the collection · come back when we add more