Navigating complexity in warfare : a reading of Extreme Ownership and The Dichotomy of Leadership through complexity leadership theory

This article presents a nuanced perspective on leadership-related popular literature, suggesting that it warrants attention from critical scholars due to its broad influence across various communities and contexts. Focusing specifically on retired Navy SEAL officers Jocko Willink and Leif Babin’s books, Extreme Ownership (2017) and its sequel The Dichotomy of Leadership (2018), the study employs complexity leadership theory (CLT) to analyze combat leadership principles articulated in these works. Findings reveal a substantial alignment between Willink and Babin’s practice-oriented framework and CLT, particularly evident in how CLT’s leadership types incorporate these principles. In the context of the armed forces, enabling leadership heavily relies on the operational system, which sets the parameters for adaptive actions that enabling leadership seeks to promote within these constraints (e.g. standard operating procedures, disciplined training, and Commander’s Intent). The study also suggests that Willink and Babin’s books serve as a counterbalance to the romanticization of complexity and collective command, a phenomenon highlighted in previous research. Ideally, theory and practice converge, as demonstrated in this article. It shows that the practice-oriented insights of Willink and Babin find support in theoretical knowledge. Conversely, these insights derived from practice potentially contribute to the development of CLT in the context of warfare.