Who is the author of Staring Down the Wolf?

The author of Staring Down the Wolf is Mark Divine.

Management & Leadership

Staring Down the Wolf Book Summary - Staring Down the Wolf Book explained in key points

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Staring Down the Wolf summary

Name: Staring Down the Wolf
Rating: 4.4 (299 reviews)
Author: Mark Divine

Mark Divine

7 Leadership Commitments That Forge Elite Teams

4.4 (299 ratings)

17 mins

Brief summary

In 'Staring Down the Wolf' by Mark Divine, the retired Navy Seal offers tactical advice on how to overcome the fear and uncertainty that most leaders face. He draws on his personal experience and training as well as ancient warrior traditions to teach effective leadership strategies.

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Coaching Leadership Strategy Teamwork

Table of Contents

Staring Down the Wolf
Summary of 7 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 7

What’s in it for me? Learn leadership skills that let you thrive under pressure.

Nobody ever told you just how much fear would impact your adult life, right? Fear, like a vicious wolf, can hold you back from being the leader you want to be. But that’s all about to change. It’s time to challenge that fear wolf – and stare it down.

Using real-life examples from Navy SEALs training and missions, these blinks unveil what it takes to build elite teams and become a first-class leader. They’re your field manual for how to be brave in the face of fear or anxiety, how to communicate with integrity, and how to deal with defeat like a commander.

Tested under fire, these proven lessons lead to stronger decision-making in any stress-inducing setting, from Middle Eastern war zones to your workplace.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

how to bounce back better;
what Hell Week is; and
why curiosity may kill the cat – but saves the SEALs.

Commit to courage, learn to embrace risk, and train hard.

The Navy SEALs have an acronym to describe the world – VUCA – “volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous.” Inside each person are two wolves that navigate this VUCA world: the fear wolf of the mind and the courage wolf of the heart.

The fear wolf encapsulates all the things that hold you back emotionally – your fears, negative biases, and destructive patterns. This fear wolf also holds you back from accomplishing your goals. If you’ve ever felt stuck, chances are you needed to confront the wolf to set yourself free.

This confrontation is called “staring down the wolf.” It’s only by boldly facing your negative patterns and behaviors that you can lessen their impact, blow past your fear, and begin to feed your positive courage wolf.

The key message here is: Commit to courage, learn to embrace risk, and train hard.

As a former Navy SEAL, Mark Divine knows what it is to be dropped into situations where courage could mean the difference between life and death. But how did he summon his courage? By training – the right way. That involved adopting a risk-tolerant mindset that made him ready for anything.

Usually, our fear kicks in during stressful situations. That fear tells us to play it safe. Sometimes, though, playing it safe is the opposite of what’s needed – as demonstrated by a UN peacekeeping force in Mogadishu, Somalia.

In October 1993, a helicopter went down, stranding two pilots amid gunfire between hundreds of Somali forces. The Pakistani peacekeeping forces decided to wait for backup before acting, but the American forces knew that time was of the essence. Instead of allowing fear of combat to hold them back, they took a calculated risk to face gunfire and rescue the pilots. Their courage motivated the Pakistani forces to join, and together they helped the pilots escape.

Now, that was a risk so spectacular that it inspired an Oscar-winning movie, Black Hawk Down. But the same lessons apply for your life. The SEALs embrace risk because of their intense training, which recreates real-life battle situations and physically and mentally prepares them for just about anything. In fact, they’re primed to stare down their fear wolves when under pressure.

With their fear wolves silenced, they can then make informed decisions. They focus on the mission and put it above everything else. In this case, the mission was to rescue the pilots. The SEAL unit’s core principle, “no man left behind,” drove them to take the risk. So, ask yourself, what risks do you need to train for – and what’s going to drive your courage when it’s needed most.

Build trust by committing to transparency, humility, and follow-through.

SEAL Team Three commanding officer William McRaven, one of Divine’s mentors, found himself running a beach landing exercise early in his tenure. It was around two or three in the morning when the surf kicked up and became dangerously choppy. The scouts advised against doing the exercise, and the team debated whether to cancel or not. But when McRaven stated his preference to push forward, the team committed. The training exercise ended with everyone thrown overboard and several people in the hospital with broken bones.

McRaven made a huge mistake, risking his team’s trust in the process. And, for SEALs, trust quite literally has life-or-death consequences. It’s also critical to staring down your fear wolf. Without it, doubt creeps in, making it harder to commit to what’s needed for success.

Commit to integrity, clarity, and authenticity in order to cultivate respect.

After 9/11, Captain Jim O’Connell, a shining example of how to lead with respect, was called back from retirement as second-in-command of an elite SEAL counterterrorism unit. Although he had a comfortable post-retirement life, he returned because he believed his country needed him. Little wonder, then, that his team had immense respect for him.

You might think that a military leader automatically gains respect just by climbing up the ranks. But, even for SEAL teams, respect is earned – not given. And just like Captain Jim O’Connell, leaders can earn respect through their communication and actions every single day. So stare down the fear wolf of emotional baggage, and reclaim whatever may be causing you to fumble.

Challenge is a catalyst for growth, so commit to pushing yourself.

One of the most famous rites of passage during SEAL training is Hell Week. It’s exactly what it sounds like – six days of hell designed to break down trainees. It tests physical endurance, mental strength, ability to work under duress, and more. Think strenuous operational training under nasty conditions while sleep-deprived.

And since a SEAL should always expect the unexpected, a bit of unpredictability is also sprinkled into the mix. One night, Divine’s trainee class was relieved to get a four-hour break after a two-day session of physical drills and paddling off the coast. They were put in a warm, comfy room and were finally allowed to rest . . . for 40 minutes! Then, sirens and smoke grenades rattled them awake, and they were commanded back out to the surf.

Strive for excellence by committing to curiosity and innovation, but keep it simple!

Navy SEALs aren’t just good – they’re excellent. They go above and beyond in challenging the status quo, solving problems others haven’t even thought of and doing things previously deemed impossible.

This commitment to excellence comes from an insatiable curiosity – something Richard Marcinko, aka “Demo Dick,” knows all about. He was one of the most effective operators in the Vietnam War, where he innovated new ways to fight the enemy. He later became the first commanding officer of SEAL Team Six (so named to dupe Soviet Intelligence; it was actually just Team Three).

To become more resilient, focus on being adaptable and maintain a positive attitude.

No matter what, you’re going to fail. It’s inevitable. Everyone fails from time to time, regardless of expertise, attention to detail, or follow-through. And SEALs are no exception. Yes, they often succeed in the face of insurmountable odds, but they also fail plenty of times.

What sets the SEALs apart from others is what happens after they fail. They don’t just accept defeat and let their fear wolf in – they bounce back. This resilience makes all the difference. By learning from their mistakes, being adaptable, and refusing to quit, SEALs make the best out of bad situations and learn how to prevent them from happening again in the future.

Keep teams aligned through open and focused communication.

Before retiring, Mike “Mags” Magaraci was the most senior enlisted SEAL in the counterterrorism unit. He was a leader of leaders, and many senior officers reported to him. Far from being easy, the job was like herding lions. The very qualities that make SEALs elite – like independence and a willingness to challenge the status quo – also make them challenging to rein in.

Mags had one major issue: How could he get all these leaders on the same page? His solution ended up being simple but elegant. He scheduled a weekly videoconference called the “engaged leadership reflection session” to share visions, missions, and big-picture updates. It also gave leaders an opportunity to answer questions that promoted alignment on focus, innovation, successes, failures, and morale. It wasn’t rocket science, but the payoff from everyone being on the same page was massive.

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What is Staring Down the Wolf about?

Staring Down the Wolf (2020) is a leadership guide to forging great teams in the face of adversity. Drawing upon the teachings of the Navy SEALs, one of the world’s most elite military units, it shows what it takes to command an elite team.

Staring Down the Wolf Review

Staring Down the Wolf by Mark Divine (2020) is an insightful guide that empowers readers with strategies to conquer challenges and achieve success. Here's why this book is a must-read:

Packed with practical tools and exercises, it equips readers with actionable methods to develop mental toughness and resilience.
Combining wisdom from ancient warrior traditions with modern leadership principles, the book offers a unique approach to personal and professional growth.
Through compelling real-life stories and practical advice, the book provides a captivating narrative that keeps readers engaged throughout their journey.

Who should read Staring Down the Wolf?

Leaders seeking to align and strengthen their teams
Military aficionados
Anyone who needs inspiration to push past their plateau

About the Author

Mark Divine is a former Navy SEAL who has trained thousands of aspiring Navy SEALs. He owns and runs the SEALFIT Training Center in San Diego, California, where he helps athletes, military professionals, SWAT teams, first responders, SOF candidates, and everyday people build strength and character.

Categories with Staring Down the Wolf

Management & Leadership

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