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 We are committed to both the quality of our products and the service we provide to our customers. We value your comments, so please feel free to contact us. The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. Adult Trade Publishing 44 South Broadway White Plains, NY 10601 For more Reader’s Digest products and information, visit our website: www.rd.com (in the United States) www.readersdigest.ca (in Canada) 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