The Wisdom of the Bullfrog: Leadership Made Simple (But Not Easy) – Admiral William H. McRaven

Summary: The title “Bullfrog” is given to the Navy SEAL who has served the longest on active duty. Admiral McRaven became the Bullfrog in 2011 having dealt with every conceivable leadership challenge.

The Wisdom of the Bullfrog draws on these and countless other experiences from his incredible life. Each chapter provides a Make Your Bed-like parable about the specific leadership traits required to be at the top of your game, including:

• Who Dares Wins
• Run to the Sound of Guns
• No Plan Survives First Contact with the Enemy

The Wisdom of the Bullfrog is Admiral McRaven’s treatise on the leadership qualities that separate the good from the truly great.  (Summary from book flap – Image from amazon.com)

My Review:  Retired U.S. Navy Admiral William H. McRaven is one of my auto-buy authors. I admire him as a person of integrity (see here and here) and own all of his books, including Make Your Bed, The Hero Code, and Sea Stories. When I saw an ad for The Wisdom of the Bullfrog, his new book about leadership, I actually gasped out loud and bought it immediately. That’s how big a fan I am. If McRaven wrote a car owner’s manual, I would read it. I am not without bias, but I will do my best to give you an honest review.

Admiral McRaven served as a Navy SEAL for 37 years and held the title ‘Bullfrog’ — an honor given to the longest serving Navy SEAL on active duty — from 2011 until his retirement in 2014.  In The Wisdom of the Bullfrog, McRaven imparts simple leadership lessons he has learned while serving his country. These leadership strategies come in the form of certain mottos, creeds, and  modern-dayparables — phrases imbued with special significance that remind the reader of a larger lesson.  

The Wisdom of the Bullfrog touches on eighteen different expressions that each convey a particular leadership lesson.  One of my favorite things about McRaven’s writing is that it seems like he can turn anything into a lesson on how to be a better person. What’s more, his words are so inspiring that it actually makes you want to follow his suggestions. 

For those who want more details, here is a brief list** of the 18 ‘mottos’ McRaven introduces, followed by my own personal takeaways (in italics): 

• DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR — Do the right thing for the right reasons, even when others aren’t.
• YOU CAN’T SURGE TRUST – Work hard, have a plan, deliver on your promises, show you care, and admit your mistakes. Be someone they can trust.
• WHEN IN COMMAND, COMMAND – Make the hard decisions. Take responsibility. If it all falls apart, keep it together.
• WE ALL HAVE FROG FLOATS – Do the job and do it well, even (and perhaps especially) when it feels ‘beneath’ you.  
• THE ONLY EASY DAY WAS YESTERDAY – Give it your all, everyday.
• RUN TO THE SOUND OF GUNS – Move quickly to address problems and be the face of the solution.
• SUA SPONTE – Do what needs to be done, without being told.
• WHO DARES WINS – Be bold. Have the courage to push forward and grab on to opportunities.
• HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY – Have hope, but not only hope. Be prepared. Put in the work. 
• NO PLAN SURVIVES FIRST CONTACT WITH THE ENEMY – Have a back-up plan for your back-up plan.
• IT PAYS TO BE A WINNER – Hold yourself and those you lead to a high standard. 
• A SHEPHERD SHOULD SMELL LIKE HIS SHEEP – Spend time with those you lead. Get to know them. Listen.
• TROOP THE LINE – Sometimes you need to solve the little problems.
• EXPECT WHAT YOU INSPECT – Care about the details.  
• COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE – Make sure everyone is on the same page.
• WHEN IN DOUBT, OVERLOAD – If you’re unsure, do more not less.
• CAN YOU STAND BEFORE THE LONG GREEN TABLE? – Make sure your actions are moral, legal, and ethnical. 
• ALWAYS HAVE A SWIM BUDDY – Find someone to trust in the trenches and be that person for someone else.

And, because I can, here are four of my favorite quotes: 

“The day you no longer believe you have something to prove, the day you no longer believe you must give it your all, the day you think you are entitled to special treatment, the day you think all your hard days are behind you, is the day you are no longer the right leader for the job.”

“If, as a leader, you fail to spend time on the factory floor, you fail to walk around the cubicles, you fail to talk to the interns, you fail to have coffee with the junior employees, then you will fail to understand what’s happening in your business.  And, as a leader, you will eventually just fail.”

“Every leader understands that nothing is more important to the success of a mission than the morale of the troops. But leaders often misunderstand the nature of morale. Morale is not just about the employees feeling ‘good,’ it is about the employees feeling ‘valued.’ 

“A king does not abide within his tent while his men bleed and die upon the field. A king does not dine while his men go hungry, nor sleep when they stand at watch upon the wall. A king does not command his men’s loyalty through fear nor purchase it with gold; he earns their love by the sweat of his own back and the pains he endures for their sake. That which comprises the harshest burden, a king lifts first and sets down last. A king does not require service of those he leads but provides it to them.” – from Steven Pressfield’s book, Gates of Fire, quoted by Admiral McRaven 

The Wisdom of the Bullfrog doesn’t spend as much time on the SpecOps side of things as previous books, but focuses more on the lessons that can be learned from leading the operations. Some of the stories McRaven shares will be familiar to people who have read his other books, but I thought they were worth hearing again, especially with the added leadership angle.  Some of the chapters resonated more than others or felt more relevant to my life, but all of them felt uplifting and encouraging.

Although The Wisdom of the Bullfrog wasn’t my all-time favorite of his books — that title is still held by Make Your Bed — I still think it is a relevant, easy-to-understand, and invaluable read written by a brilliant leader.  It will go on my ‘keep’ shelf next to all his other books, as wisdom worth remembering. 

**There is a QR code at the end of the book so you can access a printable version of these lessons.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

For the Sensitive Reader:  A few instances of profanity (mostly of the D and H variety). Occasionally reflective of McRaven’s Christian beliefs, but also respectful of other religions.