I really enjoyed Paul’s letter to the Phillipians. Out of that letter comes my favorite verse, Phillipians 4:13. Today, I read Phillipians 2:3 “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vain glory; rather humbly regard others as more important than yourselves.” It is great advice.
In Extreme Ownership, the sentiment is echoed in “Check Your Ego”. Now, we all have an ego, it is what drives the most successful people in life. However, failure to keep one’s ego in check can have a negative effect as well. The inability to stay humble can cloud our judgement. It can affect how we plan, how we execute, and it can even impact our sense of self-preservation. Jocko and Leif echo Paul’s sentiments in talking about Extreme Ownership. The fact is, implementing Extreme Ownership requires us to check our ego and to be humble. Further, in families, business or in teams, admitting mistakes, taking ownership, and developing a plan is critical for any team to be successful, and the same goes for any relationship.
The next time you know someone else is wrong or it was “their fault”, remember to check your ego and ask yourself, “What results do I want here?” More often than not, it is some business outcome, or personal/relationship growth, not just proving the other person wrong.