Jack Carr is a former Navy SEAL who for 20 years led special operations teams as a Team Leader, Platoon Commander, Troop Commander, and Task Unit Commander. Jack is also the #1 New York Times Best Selling author of 8 books and his debut novel, The Terminal List, was adapted into the #1 Amazon Prime Video series starring Chris Pratt.

Watch this conversation on YouTube. And SUBSCRIBE!

Order Our NEW USA TODAY Best-Selling BOOK, The Score That Matters. “People spend far too much time obsessing about external scoreboards and not nearly enough time thinking about their internal one. Hawk and Cupps offer an important corrective, arguing the most important measure is whether or not you are living in alignment with your core values.” — Brad Stulberg, Best-Selling Author of Master of Change

Be part of “Mindful Monday” — Text Hawk to 66866

The Learning Leader Show

  •  When Jack was little, he hoped to grow up and do two things. Be a Navy SEAL and become an author.
  • Jack’s grandfather died at war. “It’s in my blood.”
    • “You have to prove that you can add value to your tribe.”
  • “Great warriors run to the sound of the guns to be with their fellow service members.”
  • Commonality of the best SEAL Leaders:
    • Trust, up and down the chain of command
    • High character
    • Good decision-maker: The decisions you’ve made in the past are your currency.
    • Do things you don’t have to do. Run with the squad, put rounds down range. You don’t have to be the best at it, but you should be very good at all of the things the people you’re leading are doing.
  • Reading novels: “When I was young, I was reading for the magic in those pages.”
  • PUT IN THE WORK… Jack has been putting in the work since he was little. He read books for the magic in those pages. All of that reading has helped inform him of what great storytelling looks like. And then he PUT IN THE WORK. If you want to be a published author, you need to WRITE. It’s that simple. Do the work, and get the manuscript done. And then take the next step. A lot of people want to be published authors. Not everyone wants to write. Like Ronnie Coleman said, “A lot of people want to be a bodybuilder, but nobody wants to lift these heavy weights every day.”
  • Leadership and Decision Making:
    • Military Leadership: The interview underscores the importance of adaptive, creative problem-solving, especially in unpredictable environments.
    • Accountability: Carr discusses the lack of accountability at the upper echelons of command and its long-term consequences, asserting the need for responsible decision-making.
  • Mentor, Brad Thor: “Brad told me that the only difference between a published and unpublished author is that the published author doesn’t quit.
  • Nonfiction Writing:
    • “Targeted” Book: Carr’s nonfiction book, “Targeted: Beirut 1983”, explores the untold origin story of the war on terror, focusing on the Beirut barracks bombing and its long-lasting implications.
    • Research and Collaboration: He partnered with Pulitzer Prize finalist James Scott to ensure historical accuracy and depth.
  • Writers Block – One thing I’ll share from Steven Pressfield is that he said “Hey, you never hear of a trucker getting trucker’s block”. Writer’s block does not exist – you just have to go do it.
  • Attributes of a SEAL:
    • Trust and Character: Trust up and down the chain of command is paramount in the SEAL teams. It’s built through character, past decisions, and continuous personal improvement.
    • Continuous Improvement: Carr emphasizes a constant drive to be better each day, both in the military and in his writing career.
  • Books to recommend: ONCE AN EAGLE by Anton Myrer.
    • It is advice that a wise Sam Damon shares: “You can’t help what you were born and you may not have much to say about where you die, but you can and you should try to pass the days in between as a good man.” In the end that really says it all.
  • Advice:
    • Never miss an opportunity to make someone’s day… Make that your default setting. Work to add value to others’ lives. Make their day. Help them. Make introductions, LISTEN to them, offer ideas to help solve their issues
  • Apply to be in my Learning Leader Circle.
Resources:

More Learning:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 216: Jim Collins — How To Go From Good To Great

Episode #300: AJ & Keith Hawk – How To Instill Work Ethic & Curiosity In Your Children

Episode #303:  General Stanley McChrystal – The New Definition Of Leadership

Time Stamps

00:52 – Jack’s Childhood Aspirations

03:06 – Discovering the Navy SEALs

06:16 – The Joy of Reading for Pleasure

06:51 – Creating the Book Club Podcast

09:25 – Jack’s Writing Journey and Inspirations

15:44 – Leadership & Trust in the SEAL Teams

19:04 – Building Trust Amongst the SEALs

21:06 – Aggressive Creative Problem Solving as a SEAL

24:60 – Writing Non-Fiction: The Untold Story of the Beirut Bombing

28:38 – The Impact of Leadership Decisions in Beirut

36:41 – Lack of Accountability in the Military

39:46 – Advice for Aspiring Writers

43:18 – The Power of Helping Others & Chris Pratt

45:51 – Closing Thoughts and Future Projects