Claiming Responsibility

Jocko Willink, an American podcaster and a former Navy SEAL who received multiple awards for his heroics during the Iraq war, considers what he learned at his most difficult times in his talk on ownership.

He introduces his speech by summarizing the evil of war and the severe devastation that it causes to many. In addition, he says that war is "an incredible teacher," as it has the power to ingrain unforgettable messages into those who partake in it. This is due to the fact that it shows humanity at its absolute worst. Because of this, it also shows some of humanities' "most glorious moments," as it truly exposes people.

Throughout his talk on ownership, Jocko Willink considers the power of people when they react to traumatic situations with responsibility and determination. He says that he realized this when his troops were in an accidental altercation with other friendly troops, which resulted in a lot of bloodshed. After the event, Jocko Willink was asked to give a debrief. Although he could have put blame on multiple people, he simply walked into the meeting and asked who was at fault. In response, multiple SEALs tried to place blame on themselves for different reasons. Despite this, he took complete responsibility as their commander and told them what steps could be taken in the future to ensure something like this never happened again. Although he admits this hurt his pride, he says doing so was vital in maintaining his integrity as a leader and this resulted in him gaining more trust and respect from those around him.

In addition, this prompted the rest of his team to do the same in the future, making it easier for problems to be solved and their team mentality to stay intact. He encourages his audience to do the same in all aspects of their lives, as taking ownership will lead them and their loved ones down the correct path every time.