Question: How can I implement a culture of extreme ownership for new recruits from day one?

The best way to introduce, develop, and maintain a culture of Extreme Ownership with your team is to model it. When your new recruits first arrive to work, they will see right away how you lead, and over time they will embrace it. When you take Extreme Ownership, your team will take Extreme Ownership. When you make excuses and blame others, your team will make excuses and blame others. That’s how leadership works. Culture change doesn’t happen overnight. But as you continue to implement the EO mindset and use the Laws of Combat to make sure your team wins, you will see a transformation.

If you want people to take ownership, you must give them ownership. Give your new people responsibility, let them lead projects, present briefs to leadership, run meetings, and everything else you do. When things go well, give them credit. This will encourage them to take more ownership in other areas. When things don’t go well, take the blame and train them more. This shows recruits that mistakes aren’t the end of the world if they take ownership and learn from them. When your recruits see how successful they and the team are, they will maintain the culture even after you’re gone.