William H. McRaven Quotes

On May 17, 2014, I was honored to give the commencement speech for the graduating class from the University of Texas at Austin. Even though the university was my alma mater, I was concerned that a military officer, whose career had been defined by war, might not find a welcoming audience among college students. But to my great surprise, the graduating class embraced the speech. The ten lessons I learned from Navy SEAL training, which were the basis for my remarks, seemed to have a universal appeal. They were simple lessons that deal with overcoming the trials of SEAL training, but the ten lessons were equally important in dealing with the challenges of life- no matter who you are.

During Navy Seal training the students are all broken down into boat crews. Each crew is seven students — three on each side of a small rubber boat and one coxswain to help guide the dingy. Every day your boat crew forms up on the beach and is instructed to get through the surf zone and paddle several miles down the coast. In the winter, the surf off San Diego can get to be 8 to 10 feet high and it is exceedingly difficult to paddle through the plunging surf unless everyone digs in. Every paddle must be synchronized to the stroke count of the coxswain. Everyone must exert equal effort or the boat will turn against the wave and be unceremoniously dumped back on the beach. For the boat to make it to its destination, everyone must paddle. You can’t change the world alone — you will need some help — and to truly get from your starting point to your destination takes friends, colleagues, the goodwill of strangers and a strong coxswain to guide you. If you want to change the world, find someone to help you paddle.

Over the past three years, I have been stopped on the street by great folks telling me their own stories: How they didn't back down from the sharks, how they didn't ring the bell, or how making their bed every morning helped them through tough times. They all wanted to know more about how the ten lessons shaped my life and about the people who inspired me during my career. This small book is an attempt to do so. Each chapter gives a little more context to the individual lessons and also adds a short story about some of the people who inspired me with their discipline, their perseverance, their honor, and their courage.

The Rangers have a Latin saying, Sua Sponte. It means, Of Your Own Accord. In other words, doing what needs to be done, without being told to do so. There is often the misguided belief that soldiers only follow orders, but the strength of the American military is that the great soldiers, the truly great leaders, do what is right without being told. They do what is right to protect their men and women. They do what is right to uphold the reputation of their unit. They do what is right to bring honor to their country. They do what needs to be done, whether ordered to do so or not. This sense of initiative separates the great leaders from the mediocre ones. No one ordered Ralph Puckett to run with reckless abandon into the open field, but someone had to do it.

Death Before Dishonor (Be a person of integrity)
You Can't Surge Trust (Be trustworthy)
When In Command, Command (Be confident in yourself)
We All Have Our Frog Floats (Have a little humility)
The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday (Demonstrate that you have stamina)
Run To The Sound Of The Guns (Be aggressive in solving problems)
Sua Sponte (Encourage your employees to take the initiative)
Who Dares Wins (Be prepared to take risks!)
Hope Is Not A Strategy (Do the detailed planning necessary for success)
No Plan Survives First Contact With The Enemy (Have a Plan B)
It Pays To Be A Winner (Establish standards of conduct and performance
A Shepherd Should Smell Like His Sheep (Spend time on the "factory floor")
Troop The Line (Listen to your employees)
Expect What You Inspect (The quality of your work will depend on the quality of your oversight)
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate (Communicate your actions)
When In Doubt, Overload (Work hard to covercome your shortfalls)
Can You Stand Before The Long Green Table? (Be accountable for your actions)
Always Have A Swim Buddy (Have a partner in your leadership journey)

It's been 37 years to the day since I graduated from UT.

1. Foster a culture of action, allowing the rank and file to take the initiative and fix problems that need addressing.
2. Accept the fact that this will lead to zealousness and the occasional screwup. This overenthusiasm is better than a culture of inaction.
3. Praise those who attempt to solve problems on their own, even if the results are not as expected.

1. Be fair and honorable in your business dealings. It's the only way that you and your employees can leave a legacy to be proud of.
2. Never lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do. The culture of your organization starts with you.
Own your lapses in judgment. It happens to everyone. Correct the problem and return to being a person of good character.

Legend has it that during a conversation with Admiral "Bull" Halsey, Nimitz confessed his apprehension. The weight of the decision about Midway was overwhelming him. Halsey, blunt as ever, reminded the admiral of Nimitz's own personal conviction. "You once old me," Halsey began, "that when in command, command."
It was the clarion call that Nimitz needed. He understood that commanders are expected to make the tough decision. To act with purpose. To be confident and lead from the front. To accept the challenge and steel yourself for the rough waters ahead. A commander must command. Command the situation. Command the troops. Command your fears. Take command.

1. Be aggressive. When you see a problem, do something about it. That's what is expected of leaders.
2. Move to a place where you can best assess the nature of the problem and provide guidance and resources to resolve it as quickly as possible.
3. Communicate your intent every step of the way.

As Americans, we should be frightened — deeply afraid for the future of the nation. When good men and women can’t speak the truth, when facts are inconvenient, when integrity and character no longer matter, when presidential ego and self-preservation are more important than national security — then there is nothing left to stop the triumph of evil.

But it doesn't mean that every day has to exhaust you. Being a great leader doesn't mean you have to have superhuman strength. It only means that you have to recognize that it will require effort, every day. And some days you just won't bring it. That's okay. That's normal. But then, bring it the next day. You will only fail as a leader when you think that today is going to be easier than yesterday.

There is this great scene, that sometimes goes unnoticed. Clarence takes George to the graveyard, and there; there is a headstone of George’s younger brother, Terry. George notices that Terry died when he was just three years old, then George looks at Clarence, the second class wingless angel, and says that can’t be right. Harry not only lived past three years old, but he also saved an entire ship of being sunk by Kamikaze pilots, but reminds George, that because Paul was never born then, and he actually wasn’t there to save his younger brother from choking.

If you think for a moment that your McCarthy-era tactics will suppress the voices of criticism, you are sadly mistaken.

The day you longer believe you have something to prove, the day you no longer believe you must give it your all, the day you think you are entitled to special treatment, the day you think all your hard days are behind you, is the day you are no longer the right leader for the job. Leadership requires energy. It requires stamina. It requires resilience. It requires everything you have and then some. The men and women that work for you will feed off your energy. If you look unprepared to deal with the challenges of the day, they will see this. If you look beaten down because today was harder than yesterday, they will feel this. If you are not prepared to give it your all, they will know this. And if you think this is just about leaders in combat, you're mistaken. This is about every great leader who was given a difficult task and asked to inspire, motivate, and manage the people under their charge.