2006. Ramadi, Iraq. 

A young officer leads an elite SEAL team. 

One blistering summer under the desert sun, the young officer and his team found themselves in the middle of whizzing bullets. Smoke and fire. Chaotic firefight.

As the dust (or fog of war) settled, the young officer discovered a horrifying truth: 

It was a friendly fire incident. 

The aftermath was brutal. 

One soldier killed. Multiple injuries, confusion, and a shaken team. 

When the young officer was called to report to his commanding officer. He knew the question that awaited him:

 "What happened?"

When asked, the young officer did something unexpected.

He took full responsibility. And blamed nobody.

Not the team. 

Not the communication. 

Not the chaotic environment.

He owned it all. Full stop. Period.  

“It’s my fault,” Jocko Willink said.

This incident became a cornerstone of Jocko’s philosophy, outlined in his book, "Extreme Ownership." 

It also lays the foundation for understanding a critical concept to grow your career —  self-leadership (and how to use it to grow your career.)

Leading yourself is a powerful skill. 

Many professionals often ignore this in their career development. At their peril.

Self-leadership involves taking control of your own professional and personal growth. You set your own goals and guide your own actions to achieve them.

It is the basis of all good leadership. 

It will also be the key driver to growing your career.

It was on mine. After joining a new company over ten years ago, I decided to focus on developing my self-leadership skills. This shift in focus helped me boost my career. It did so in ways I couldn't have imagined.

Since then, I’ve helped many colleagues and mentees. 

If you want to grow your career, self-leadership is the first rung on your career ladder.

From here on out, "Everything is your fault."

The Problem

Imagine you're at work, stuck in the same position for years. 

You watch others get promoted while you remain stagnant. You're frustrated, feeling like your career is going nowhere. You work hard but aren't making progress. 

What's holding you back?

Missed Opportunity?

Or, more than that?

This problem isn't just about missed promotions. It's about feeling stuck and unfulfilled. 

You start to doubt your abilities and lose confidence. Your motivation drops, and work becomes a grind. You're capable, but something's missing. 

You need a new approach to break free from this rut.

That's what happened to my friend years ago. 

Let's just call her Sarah.

Sarah is a marketing specialist at a mid-sized firm and was in the same position for five years. 

Sarah worked hard, met deadlines, and always helped her team. 

Yet, her career seemed to stall. She watched peers climb the ladder while she stayed put. Sarah felt invisible and undervalued. 

One day, she decided to take control. She learned about self-leadership and began implementing it. 

Within a year, Sarah was promoted. 

Twice. 

Here's the Ladder She Used:

➊ Start with Awareness. 

Every journey of self-leadership begins with awareness. Your's is no different. 

Realize that you need to take control of your career rather than wait for opportunities to come to you. 

This shift in mindset is the first step towards becoming a self-leader.

➋ Set a Personal Vision 

Set clear, actionable goals. Don't just seek out a promotion; seek out to develop your skills and expand your network.

Enroll in professional development courses. 

Seek out mentors within and outside your industry. 

Set specific milestones for your progress. 

With these goals in place, you will have a roadmap to guide your journey.

➌ Develop Discipline 

Goals are nothing without discipline. And action. 

Especially action.

Commit to a daily routine that fosters your growth. Dedicate time each day to learning new skills and stay consistent with your efforts. 

This discipline will help you build momentum and achieve your goals.

➍ Leverage Strengths 

Identify your strengths and leveraged them at work. 

By focusing on what you do best, you will be able to add significant value to your team and stand out in your organization. 

This strategic use of your strengths will make you an indispensable asset.

➎ Seek Feedback and Adapt 

Self-leadership isn’t a solo journey. 

Actively seek feedback from your peers and mentors. Use this feedback to adapt and improve continuously. 

This willingness to learn and evolve will be crucial to your success.

There you go. 

If you follow this Career Ladder, your story won't just be about how you advanced your career. Your's will be a story on how you took charge of your career. 

Remember your career ladder...

1. Be aware of your starting point. 

2. Set clear goals. 

3. Develop the discipline to achieve them. 

4. Leverage your strengths. 

5. Seek feedback and adapt. 

When you leverage self-leadership, you'll no longer wait for opportunities.

You'll create them. 

From here on out, like Jocko, - everything will be your fault.

See you on the next issue of Career Ladder.

To your success,

Dr. Lex ✍️

P.S. Be a rockstar and forward this career ladder to your friends and network!