You can't build anything without a strong foundation. Here are 4 leadership basics to consider:
- Jakob Hysek
- Dec 22, 2025
- 3 min read
Before taking the next step, you need to have a solid stance. This holds especially true when you think about building something - you need a strong foundation.
When you want to learn anything, this means covering the basics first. It does not matter if we are talking about a sport like skiing, where you can't perform a fast carving turn without a solid basic position first, or whether we are talking about leading people.
The 4 Leadership Basics
Jocko Willink & Leif Babin are retired Navy SEAL officers. Their book on leadership, called "Extreme Ownership" is not only a great read due to the storytelling, but also a collection of valuable insights. They took their lessons from the battlefields and translated them into general leadership lessons.
According to them, even for the highest performing teams (SEAL teams) on the planet:
Advanced tactics mean doing the basics well. They admit that doing the basics well is anything but easy, but the more focus you put on it, the further you can develop:
The 4 basics of leadership to follow are:
Cover and Move
Simple
Prioritize and Execute
Decentralized Command
Cover and Move
This is the only principle where the name is drawn directly from a firefight tactic. You should never move under fire unless someone else covers you and holds down the enemy. The general idea holds in any setting, though:
It is never about you or your immediate team. The focus should always be on the overall team and organization, the strategic mission, and on moving together towards it.
"If you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together".
The goal is to have team players who take care of each other while having the bigger picture in mind. That is what it takes to win.
That’s Cover and Move.
Simple
Have you ever tried to follow instructions you did not understand? How did it turn out?
We tend to complicate things. Every industry uses its own abbreviations, language, etc. By wanting to sound super smart, we let complexity creep into our directions, emails or presentations, so much so it ends up confusing your team.
When your team does not understand, they can't execute.
Simplicity & clarity beat complexity. Cut through the noise. Find the words you would use to explain it to a small child. Make sure you and everybody around you understands what is needed, so they can execute.
That’s Simple.
Prioritize & Execute
Have you ever heard of the Eisenhower principle?
"I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent." - Dwight D. Eisenhower
Following this quote, the Eisenhower matrix/principle was derived to evaluate situations, problems, or tasks by figuring out whether they are urgent or important. This helps you take a step back from the noise and prioritize.
Detachment is a superpower. When the stacks are high, your emotions can take over. To lead effectively, it is your job to keep or regain an overview. Figure out what the priorities are, make a decision, and follow through.
That’s Prioritize and Execute.
Decentralized Command
How often do you get a question from your team that leaves you wondering, "How did they not know? Why wouldn't they just decide and execute themselves?"
Ownership creates buy-in, and buy-in creates speed. Think back to simple: Make sure your team understands not only what the goal and plan is, but also why. When your team knows what the overall mission is and what their part is, it empowers them to solve problems on their own, if you let them.
"The key to a high-performing team is members who are empowered to lead at every level." (Source)
This means enabling your teams and giving your employees the trust and freedom to make a decision.
That’s Decentralized Command.
These are 4 leadership basics. They are simple, not necessarily easy.
Understanding the basics is usually never the problem. Implementing is, especially under pressure. That's where you need practice.
Practice makes perfect. Try to incorporate them in everything you do!
If you have a strong grasp on the foundation, your next steps will be incredible, and you, your team and your organization will win.
Which leadership principles are you following?
Do you and your team need a brush-up on the basics?
The first step is always a conversation. So let us have one:
We will address your questions in a 15-minute conversation and determine whether and how we can work together.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Comments