Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Baibin

Are we required to take responsibility for those things which are not our fault? According to the authors of this book, if we want to succeed, then the answer is yes. Former Navy SEALs Jocko Willink and Leif Babin write a book on leadership that can apply—and, if you read it, will apply—to any area of leadership.

Babin and Willink’s central thesis is controversial to the extreme, yet they defend it admirably. Leadership, they claim, requires the principle of “Extreme Ownership”—namely, taking responsibility for all actions which were executed under your leadership and failed, whether you are responsible for them or not. They also devote considerable time to teaching leaders how they should relate to those serving under them. Explain everything, they instruct, and the day when you don’t explain, the people under your command will know that it is serious. Inject your passion into the mission, and make it clear exactly what you are doing and why you are doing it. If there are objections, address them right away; don’t wait until there is a crisis where a disagreement in purpose splits the team in half. Using real-life examples, such as an incident of friendly fire where a failure to communicate nearly ended tragically, the authors show rather than tell, and then explain further to quell any doubts about the significance and vital importance of their advice.

Filled with practical lessons for leadership, but also with real-world stories on both the battlefield and the business field, the authors, who founded a company that tries to help struggling businesses succeed, bring their expertise onto your bookshelf. I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised by how well these two non-professional authors write. It is an engaging book, partly because it combines stories with genuine excitement, such as those of conflicts in close quarters in the streets of Ramadi, where a bad move, or failing to take responsibility, could lead to your own death or that of your fellow soldiers, with something infinitely more practical for those of us who likely will never set foot on the battlefield. At once practical and extraordinary, this book, although thoroughly secular, recognizes facts about leadership and about moral agency that are explicit for those who hold to a Christian worldview.

My criticisms of this book are few and thus will be made in as short a time as possible. For those reading this book from a Christian background, it may be disappointing that the authors never once mention faith as critical to success in life. Furthermore, these two are genuine Navy SEALs, which means, sadly, that they speak (and write) as such. The language in this book is not, I hope, that used by an eighth grader. Be prepared to be disturbed. Thirdly, although in purpose each chapter purports to deal with a different topic and a different lesson learned in war, it does, after a while, seem repetitive, with the same facts being used several times to elucidate different theses and to prove different points. Fourthly, and lastly, the authors are a bit self-serving, always managing to have the last word on how they fixed up a problem in the world of business.

You do not have to be fighting terrorists in Afghanistan or throwing bombs in Ramadi to need this book. If you are leading a business, shepherding a church, or just trying to live your life to the best of your ability, as all of us are called to do, then this book is for you. Although the authors never mention religion, their instruction to take responsibility for your actions and those of others closely mirrors the Christian belief that each person is morally accountable to God for their actions. Furthermore, in this, you can see a type of Dostoevskyan concern for the actions of others. “We are responsible,” says Father Zosima in The Brothers Karamazov, “on behalf of all and for all.” This teaching is clearly taught in Extreme Ownership, but with a more practical twist. It is no longer purely philosophical; this time it could save your business, or your life.

Review Written by C. A. Gerber

March 25th, 2026