How To Build Grit and Resilience Like A Navy SEAL

Brent Gleeson, Founder & CEO of TakingPoint Leadership was featured on Big Think, the world’s largest archive of lessons learned through interviews, presentations, and discussions from people changing how people work, live, and experience life.

This Big Think interview was moderated by Nathan Rosenberg, founding partner of management consulting firm Insigniam. During the live session, Brent Gleeson shared what it means to be resilient in times of hardship and how our characters are revealed and strengthened by adversity.

Most of us have been knocked down or experienced discomfort during this pandemic. How can we get back up, and better yet, how can we thrive? Find out in the interview below.

Interview Discussion Topics & Key Takeaways:

• There is a surprising similarity between Navy SEAL training and entrepreneurship
• 3 mental attributes that make SEAL candidates successful, according to research: Passion, Persistence, and Purpose  
• Why grit and resilience are muscles that need to be exercised in order to grow
• SEAL reality check #1: “No plan survives first contact with the enemy.” (Agility is critical for success)
• SEAL reality check #2: “Stay in your 3-foot world.” (When life feels chaotic, focus on or reprioritize whatever is in your immediate control)
• How to overcome “battle fatigue”: A leader’s mindset is contagious. How will you choose to lead?
• Strategies for “working backward from the end”: How to get in touch with your core values, identify supporting behaviors, and course-correct as needed
• 3 strategies for engaging your team in the mission: Find influencers in the middle of the organization, identify team charters, create accountability mechanisms
• 6 critical aspects of high-performing teams:
  1. Leaders who make engagement (i.e. emotional connection to the vision) a leadership priority
  2. The right goals
  3. proper planning
  4. transparent debriefing in which feedback loops drive a culture of learning
  5. total buy-in
  6. 100% accountability

Audience Q&A

• Advice for aspiring Navy SEALs: How to find out more about the SEAL program and possibly find a mentor
• Advice for dealing with the negative impacts of the economic downturn: Strive for personal/professional/organizational transformation even when the obstacles you face feel insurmountable (e.g. start hunting for new opportunities now; appreciate what you have; create a “seeking” practice for understanding the suffering in your life; embrace creativity, innovation, and community)
• The meaning of “embrace the suck” – it’s a military motto and the title of Brent’s new book
• Why we need to push the boundaries of our comfort zone every day in order to grow mentally, physically and spiritually
• How to set your day up for success: Establish a routine (e.g. be disciplined about wellness and dietary habits, make daily time for yourself/practice your personal form of spirituality, commit to learning every day)
• How self-discipline unlocks the opportunity for achieving your goals

 

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15 Characteristics of High-Performance Teams

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