The Way of the SEAL: Think Like an Elite Warrior to Lead and Succeed

261 Pages·2013·1.23 MB·English

by  Mark Divine

Praise for The Way of the SEAL and Mark Divine
“The Way of the SEAL is a revelation. This book will transform you into a
person for whom success—in all areas of life—is as natural as breathing.
From small business owners to titans of finance, everyone can benefit
from Mark Divine’s brilliant insights.”
—SUSAN SOLOVIC, AWARD-WINNING ENTREPRENEUR, MEDIA PERSONALITY, AND
BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF GIRLS’ GUIDE TO POWER AND SUCCESS
“Using his experiences as a martial artist, a United States Navy SEAL,
businessman, and teacher/trainer, in The Way of the SEAL, Mark Divine
delivers a set of tools and techniques that have been proven to develop a
strong sense of purpose, a high level of mental toughness, and an ability
to be more productive.”
—ROBIN BROWN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF SCRIPPS GREEN HOSPITAL
“The Way of the SEAL is The Book of Five Rings for the twenty-first
century. Mark Divine is a true master.”
—DON MANN, FORMER U.S. NAVY SEAL AND AUTHOR OF NEW YORK TIMES
BESTSELLER INSIDE SEAL TEAM SIX
“This is not just another business book; it’s a combination of practical
steps and insights from a man who understands the true meaning of
leadership and personal excellence.”
—CARMINE DI SIBIO, GLOBAL MANAGING PARTNER–CLIENT SERVICES AT EY
“Going into the 2012 Olympic Games, we were four cyclists who had only
recently started training together for this event. . . . Mark Divine provided
unique advice that helped us become a more tightly coordinated team.”
—JENNIE REED, DOTSIE BAUSCH, SARAH HAMMER, AND LAUREN TAMAYO, 2012 U.S.
WOMEN’S CYCLING TEAM, SILVER MEDALISTS
“The Way of the SEAL is a clear, actionable blueprint for personal
success that contains the tactics and strategies to help you achieve your
goals and become the person you want to be.”
—HOWARD LOVE, FOUNDER OF LOVETOKNOW.COM, SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR, AND
VENTURE CAPITALIST
“Whether you are a Fortune 500 CEO, an entrepreneur building your own
empire, a student, or an athlete, what you’ll find in Commander Divine’s
book The Way of the SEAL is the complete roadmap for creating the next
highest version of yourself. It’s a must read!”
—JOE STUMPF, MASTER REAL ESTATE COACH AND FOUNDER OF BY REFERRAL ONLY
“Mark is more than a Navy SEAL, he has the ability to teach all of us how
to be one in everyday life.”
—JOE DE SENA, FOUNDER OF SPARTAN RACE
“Commander Mark Divine is a proven leader inside the elite U.S. Navy
SEAL community and outside as a successful business owner and
mentor to civilians. If you’re ready to take a stand, and find purpose in
your life, look no further than The Way of the SEAL.”
—BRANDON WEBB, FORMER U.S. NAVY SEAL AND AUTHOR OF THE NEW YORK TIMES
BESTSELLER THE RED CIRCLE

A READER’S DIGEST BOOK
Copyright © 2013 Mark Divine and Allyson Edelhertz Machate All rights
reserved. Unauthorized reproduction, in any manner, is prohibited.
Reader’s Digest is a registered trademark of The Reader’s Digest
Association, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Divine, Mark.
The way of the SEAL : think like an elite warrior to lead and succeed /
by Mark Divine; with Allyson Edelhertz Machate. -- 1st Edition.
pages cm
ISBN 978-1-62145-109-9 (alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-1-62145-110-5 (epub)
1. Leadership. 2. Strategic planning. 3. United States. Navy. SEALs. I.
Title.
HD57.7.D594 2014
650.1--dc23
2013035217
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Acknowledgements
This book has been quite a journey, but it’s just the first leg of a longer
journey into an adventurous new world. Of course, I did not write this
book alone—it represents ideas and insights I have gained over many
years and from many mentors. My cowriter, Ally, prodded and poked me
to make it better every step of the way, providing organization to my
disparate thoughts and making this a much better book in the process.
Thank you, Ally! My editor at Reader’s Digest Books, Andrea Au Levitt,
provided invaluable input into the structure and tone of the book, while
Kevin Moran, my trustworthy agent, kept working to find a home for WOS
long after I had moved on to other projects. Andrea and Kevin, thank you!
Let me acknowledge my first true mentor, Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura,
founder of Seido Karate. Kaicho and his incredible tribe of students and
teachers provided a solid foundation upon which I built my own mental
toughness, emotional control, and spiritual strength. Thank you, Kaicho
and the Seido team!
My yoga teacher, Tim Miller, deserves special mention as well. Tim is a
legend in the yoga community and, lucky for me, lives in my hometown of
Encinitas, California. Tim is the first American yoga instructor certified by
Pattabhi Jois, the founder of modern Ashtanga yoga. Tim and Kaicho
taught me that the training is “the way” and to walk my talk. I am grateful
to Anthony Robbins for inspiring me when I was a young SEAL through
his book Awaken the Giant Within. I read it cover to cover a couple of
times during deployments with the SEALs. The value development
exercise I offer in this book was inspired by Tony. Also thanks to
Unbeatable Mind student Bill Keefe, who works for Tony at his resort in
Fiji, for such strong support.
I greatly appreciate Ken Wilber for his incredible contribution of integral
theory to the world—WOS is influenced by his work. Other teachers,
mentors, and friends I would like to thank include Tom Brown, from the
Tracker School; Shane Phelps, of Saito Ninjutsu (Shane inspired the “five
mountains” philosophy); Greg Glassman, founder of CrossFit (Greg
inspired my SEALFIT physical training); Robb Wolf, author of The Paleo
Solution (Robb inspired my views on nutrition and fueling); Jerry
Peterson, founder of SCARS (Jerry taught me self-confidence and
inspired my training on that topic); and authors Seth Godin, Roy Williams,
and Steven Pressfield, who have also inspired me through their works.
In the SEAL Teams, I was fortunate to work with some of the most
focused, intelligent, and intense warriors in the world. They guided my
development as a SEAL, especially when I screwed up. The list includes,
but is not limited to, Admirals McRaven, Harward, Metz, and Bonelli;
Captains McTighe, Paluso, Wilson, and O’Connell; Commanders Zinke
and Washabau; Master Chiefs Crampton, Laskey, Naschek, and Martin;
as well as my other teammates at ST-3, SDVT-1, ST-17, NSWG-1, and
SOCPAC.
I’m super grateful to my SEALFIT and CrossFit teams of coaches,
supporters, and staff, including Lance Cummings, Chriss Smith, Dan
Cerrillo, Brad McLeod, Charlie Moser, Shane Hiatt, Sean Lake, Dan
Miller, Dave Castro, Rory McKernan, Greg Amundson, Tony Blauer, Erik
Larson, Derek Price, Jeff Grant, Michael Ostrolenk, Stu Smith, Tommy
Hackenbruk, Lindsey Valenzuela, Valerie Voborol, Rich Vernetti, Cindy
Chapman, Catherine Chapman, Melanie Sliwka, and many others, for
their loyalty, skill, and humor.
Thanks to Susie and Lees Divine (my mom and dad), who have been
there for me and taught me so many different lessons throughout my life.
I am eternally grateful for my wife, Sandy, who has been an amazing
friend and supporter through my entrepreneurial roller-coaster ride. Also
my buddy and son, Devon, who keeps me laughing and honest. Thanks,
Sandy and Devon!
Finally, I am grateful beyond words for all my teammates and their
families, who have sacrificed so much for this country. Hooyah!
—Mark Divine
Table of Contents
A Note to the Reader
Introduction: Lead from the Field
Principle 1: Establish Your Set Point
Make a Stand
Find Your Purpose
Embrace Risk, Loss, and Failure
Exercises
Principle 2: Develop Front-Sight Focus
Prepare Your Mind
Envision Your Goal
Define the Mission
Simplify the Battlefield
Exercises
Principle 3: Bulletproof Your Mission
Select High-Value Targets
Explore Your Options
Communicate the Mission
Dirt-Dive the Mission
Exercises
Principle 4: Do Today What Others Won’t
Find Your 20X Factor
Embrace the Suck
Build the Three Ds (Discipline, Drive, and Determination)
Exercises
Principle 5: Forge Mental Toughness
Control Your Response
Control Your Attention
Develop Emotional Resilience
Set Effective Goals
Visualize Powerfully
Exercises
Principle 6: Break Things
Apply Total Commitment
Fail Forward Fast
Navigate Gaps for Opportunity
Innovate and Adapt Quickly
Exercises
Principle 7: Build Your Intuition
Expand Your Awareness
Strengthen Your Sensory Perception
Uncover Your Background of Obviousness
Open Up to Your Inner Wisdom
Exercises
Principle 8: Think Offense, All the Time
Develop Unwavering Confidence
Activate Your Radar
Do the Unexpected
Execute with Velocity and Agility
Exercises
Training in the Way of the SEAL
Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast
The Way of the SEAL Integral Development Model
Assess Your Starting Point