I can’t recommend this book highly enough!

One Sunday morning not too long ago, my pastor made reference during his sermon to Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win.  I knew I had to check it out.  The title alone causes a guy like me to want to take a second look. Between Amazon and my Kindle, I was reading it within minutes.

The principle of Extreme Ownership is quite simple. The authors, two former Navy SEALs, suggest that a leader must own everything in his or her world.  They analyze real-life scenarios from the battlefield, a place you and I will likely never go, and apply the lessons learned there to the workplace.

What applications of extreme ownership can be made in the nonprofit world? First, some complaints I’ve heard:

• Donations are down. We won’t make budget this year.
• We don’t have enough volunteers to serve our constituents.
• Nobody knows what we do.
• We don’t know any people with lots of money.
• Our board doesn’t do anything.

In any situation, whether it’s a budget issue or an un-engaged board, the leader who exhibits Extreme Ownership must own that situation.  Rather than laying the blame on someone else or on outside factors, or acting like a victim to circumstances, the leader must ask “What could/should/will I do differently next time in order to own a better result?“

When I began reading the book, I immediately noticed how this principle applies directly to every organization I serve and every leader I work alongside.  I’ve had the pleasure of recommending it to several of those leaders and have seen the difference the principle of Extreme Ownership can make.

I definitely recommend this book without any hesitation. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Your friend,

Kent Stroman,
America’s ASKing Coach

PS: I’d love to hear what you think of this book. When you finish, let me know how you can apply Extreme Ownership to your job!