Managing Officer Program

A science fiction novel that provides in-depth examples and discussion of principles of transformational leadership and its use in high consequence environments. The novel builds around leadership characteristics in which leaders:

• Possess a broad set of skills.
• Are self-aware and able to self-manage.
• Manage their relationships with others.
• Are aware of social cues and bonds.
• Are aware of management’s role.
• Come from all layers of society and are able to rise to their level of expertise.

Extreme Ownership is written by two former Navy SEALs, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, who now head a leadership training company. The experiences they share in this book are intense and eye-opening, not to mention unique. There aren’t many books out there that give such detailed glimpses into the lives of SEALs in action.

The book is structured in a very basic and clear way. The authors convey one main point per chapter by sharing a story from their battlefield experiences, then highlighting the main principle of that story, and finally giving a concrete example of how this principle applies in business settings.

Their main points can be summarized as follows:

• The leader is always responsible. (This is what they call “extreme ownership.” Basically, leaders must always own the mistakes and shortcomings of their teams.)
• Everyone on the team must believe in the mission.
• Work with other teams to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
• Keep plans simple, clear and concise.
• Check your ego.
• Figure out your priorities, and then act on them one at a time.
• Clarify your mission (i.e., your plan).
• Engage with your higher-ups; keep them in the loop — especially when they frustrate you.
• Act decisively, even when things are chaotic.

Rick Lasky and John Salka are two of the most dynamic and inspirational leaders in the fire service. Their book, Five Alarm Leadership, is a compilation of leadership lessons learned, situations handled, decisions made, and problems solved during their combined 60-plus years of fire service experience.

Also included is a special introduction by Chief (ret.) Bobby Halton, Editor-in-Chief of Fire Engineering magazine, outlining the nature of transformational leadership and its power to inspire excellence in the fire service.