The Bartlesville Bruin Academy staff were highlighted in the State Department of Education's December 2023 newsletter for its book study. This year they are reading Extreme Ownership. Extreme Ownership is taking absolute responsibility for everything that impacts you or your team’s mission. This includes challenges, successes, failures, and everything in between. With extreme ownership, you can start solving problems and stop playing the blame game.
Main themes of the book:
Believe, communicate and listen Leaders must have a resolute belief in the team’s mission. They must also communicate the strategy very clearly to subordinates and allow them to ask questions until they also believe in the mission and strategy. Finally, the leader needs to continue listening and supporting subordinates in order to maintain belief and ensure flawless execution.
Put ego and personal motivations to the side Your ego and personal motivations must be subordinate to the mission. As a leader, your job is to ensure that the mission gets done, not to worry about how people perceive your work or making life as easy as possible for you. It takes real strength of character to put your ego to the side.
Work as a team To achieve a mission requires multiple teams to work hand-in-hand. Do not fall into the trap of working as separate units on the same mission. Work as one team on one mission