Jocko Exposes Gen Z and Millennial's Issues

Summary

In podcast episode 122 of Joo Underground, Eko Charles discusses the concept of 'extreme ownership' with a focus on leadership and its application to the challenges faced by different generations in the workplace. He addresses the common complaints about Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha, emphasizing that issues with younger workers are often leadership problems rather than generational ones. Charles advocates for self-reflection and taking responsibility for one's actions and attitudes, rather than blaming others. He uses historical examples and personal anecdotes to illustrate the importance of leading by example and fostering relationships to influence and guide others effectively.

Takeaways

• 📚 The concept of 'extreme ownership' is discussed, emphasizing the importance of taking responsibility for one's actions and attitudes.
• 👥 The conversation highlights generational differences, particularly the challenges faced by Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha in the workplace.
• 💼 The speaker refutes the idea that younger generations are inherently disinterested in hard work, instead suggesting that leadership plays a pivotal role in their engagement.
• 🚫 The podcast challenges the tendency to blame younger generations for workplace issues, advocating for self-reflection and leadership improvement.
• 🤔 The idea that all problems are leadership problems is presented, suggesting that effective leadership can mitigate issues across different generations.
• 🗣️ The importance of active listening and communication is underscored, as it is key to influencing and being influenced by others.
• 👨‍👧‍👦 The conversation touches on parenting, suggesting that setting a positive example is crucial for guiding children's behavior and choices.
• 🔄 The speaker illustrates how taking ownership can lead to self-improvement and better outcomes, rather than blaming external factors.
• 💡 The podcast encourages the audience to consider how their actions and attitudes can influence those around them, promoting a culture of personal responsibility.
• 🌐 The host promotes their podcast as a platform for deeper discussions, inviting listeners to subscribe and engage with their content outside of mainstream platforms.

Q & A

What is the main concept discussed in the podcast episode with Eko Charles?

The main concept discussed is 'extreme ownership,' which emphasizes taking full responsibility for one's actions and attitudes, especially in leadership roles.

Why does the woman at the event question Eko Charles about the new generation's work ethic?

The woman questions Eko about the new generation's work ethic because she perceives them as not working as hard, questioning everything, leaving jobs easily, and prioritizing work-life balance and remote work over traditional office environments.

How does Eko Charles respond to the woman's concerns about the new generation?

Eko Charles responds by pointing out the contradiction in her complaints and the concept of extreme ownership he had just discussed. He suggests that the issues she raises are actually leadership problems, not problems with the new generation.

What does Eko Charles mean when he says 'all problems are leadership problems'?

Eko Charles means that leaders should take responsibility for the outcomes of their teams, including the attitudes and behaviors of their members. He implies that if there are issues with a team or organization, it reflects a failure of leadership rather than the individuals themselves.

Why does Eko Charles bring up the Vietnam War in the discussion?

Eko Charles brings up the Vietnam War to illustrate the difference between good and bad leadership. He contrasts leaders who blamed draftees ('draes') for the war's problems with those who took responsibility and led effectively, showing that leadership is key to addressing challenges.

What is the significance of the term 'Boomer' in the context of the podcast?

In the context of the podcast, 'Boomer' is used colloquially to refer to older generations, often in a dismissive way. It highlights the generational divide and the tendency to stereotype or generalize the attitudes and behaviors of different age groups.

How does Eko Charles suggest leaders should approach the issue of younger generations and work culture?

Eko Charles suggests that leaders should take ownership of the issue and not blame the younger generation. Instead, they should lead by example, understand the needs and desires of the younger workforce, and adapt their leadership styles to engage and motivate them effectively.

What is the importance of the word 'they' in the context of extreme ownership?

The word 'they' is significant because it often shifts the blame or responsibility onto others. Eko Charles emphasizes that leaders should use 'extreme ownership' to reflect on their own actions and leadership, rather than pointing fingers at others.

Why does Eko Charles mention the importance of setting an example for younger generations?

Eko Charles mentions the importance of setting an example because it's a powerful way to influence and lead. He argues that if leaders demonstrate the values and behaviors they want to see, younger generations are more likely to follow suit.

What is the purpose of Joo Underground podcast moving to their own platform?

The purpose of Joo Underground podcast moving to their own platform is to mitigate reliance on external platforms, to have more control over their content and audience interaction, and to strengthen their community of listeners.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Extreme Ownership and Leadership

The speaker discusses the concept of extreme ownership, particularly in the context of leadership and the challenges faced by different generations in the workplace. He recounts an event where he spoke about combat leadership and the importance of taking ownership. After his talk, a woman approached him with concerns about the new generation's work ethic, questioning their commitment to hard work, job longevity, and their desire for work-life balance and remote work. The speaker challenges her perspective by connecting it back to the concept of extreme ownership he had just presented, emphasizing that it's not the new generation's problem but rather a leadership issue. He argues that all problems are leadership problems and that leaders should take responsibility for the attitudes and behaviors of their teams, rather than blaming external factors or generations.

05:01

🔄 The Cycle of Influence and Responsibility

In this paragraph, the speaker extends the conversation to include the broader implications of extreme ownership in personal and professional relationships. He uses the Vietnam War as an analogy to illustrate how good leaders take responsibility for their troops, whereas poor leaders blame their soldiers for failures. The speaker then transitions to discuss the role of social media in the lives of younger generations and how the older generation often fails to understand or adapt to these changes. He emphasizes the importance of leaders and parents taking ownership of their influence on others and adjusting their behavior to positively impact those around them. The speaker argues that by taking ownership and adjusting one's own actions, one can influence others more effectively, rather than simply blaming or criticizing them for their behavior.

10:01

👨‍👧‍👦 Leading by Example and Building Relationships

The final paragraph delves into the practical applications of extreme ownership, specifically in the context of setting an example and building relationships. The speaker discusses the importance of leaders and parents demonstrating the values and behaviors they wish to see in others. He points out the irony of parents urging their children to follow a path they themselves do not find fulfilling. The speaker suggests that by showing interest in others' aspirations and providing guidance based on one's own experiences, leaders and parents can foster more meaningful relationships and influence positive change. He concludes by promoting the Joo underground podcast as a platform for further discussion and connection, emphasizing the desire for direct communication with their audience and a community that supports each other.

Keywords

💡Extreme Ownership

Extreme Ownership is a concept that emphasizes taking full responsibility for one's actions and their outcomes, regardless of external circumstances. In the video, it is discussed in the context of leadership and how it applies to managing different generations in the workplace. The speaker uses this concept to argue that leadership problems, rather than generational issues, are often the root cause of workplace challenges.

💡Generational Labels

Generational Labels such as Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha are used to categorize different age groups based on the time period in which they were born and grew up. The script mentions how these labels are often used to generalize the characteristics and behaviors of these groups, which can lead to stereotypes and misunderstandings. The speaker points out the importance of not relying on these labels to define individuals or to explain workplace dynamics.

💡Work-Life Balance

Work-Life Balance refers to the equilibrium between an individual's professional and personal life. The script discusses how younger generations are often perceived as prioritizing work-life balance, possibly leading to a desire for remote work and flexible hours. The speaker uses this as an example of how leadership should address these needs rather than blaming the generation for the shift in workplace expectations.

💡Remote Work

Remote Work is the practice of working from a location other than the traditional office setting. It is mentioned in the script as a preference among younger workers, which some may view as a lack of commitment. The speaker argues that instead of criticizing this preference, leaders should consider how to adapt and lead effectively in a remote work environment.

💡Leadership

Leadership is the act of guiding, directing, and influencing others towards achieving goals. The video emphasizes that leadership is crucial in addressing the challenges posed by different generations in the workplace. The speaker suggests that effective leadership involves understanding and adapting to the needs and expectations of all employees, rather than blaming generational differences.

💡Boomer

In the script, 'Boomer' is used colloquially to refer to older generations, particularly Baby Boomers, but it has come to be used more broadly to describe anyone who is seen as out of touch with younger generations. The speaker highlights the importance of not resorting to ageist labels and instead focusing on effective leadership and communication.

💡Vietnam War

The Vietnam War is used as an analogy in the script to illustrate the importance of leadership. The speaker contrasts the attitudes of leaders who blamed draftees ('draftees') for the war's problems with those who took responsibility and led effectively. This example is used to argue that good leadership involves taking ownership of situations and influencing outcomes positively.

💡Influence

Influence in the context of the video refers to the ability to affect or change the behavior, opinions, or beliefs of others. The speaker discusses how leaders can influence their teams by first allowing themselves to be influenced, which builds trust and rapport. This concept is integral to the discussion on how to lead effectively across generations.

💡Social Media

Social Media is mentioned as a platform where younger generations primarily communicate and engage. The script discusses the challenges that arise when older generations do not understand or dismiss the importance of social media in the lives of younger people. The speaker suggests that understanding and adapting to these new modes of communication is part of effective leadership.

💡Example Setting

Setting an example is the act of demonstrating desired behaviors or attitudes to others, often as a means of influencing them. In the video, the speaker talks about how parents and leaders can influence others by modeling the behavior they wish to see. This concept is used to argue that leaders should lead by example, showing the values and work ethic they expect from their teams.

Highlights

The concept of extreme ownership is discussed in relation to leadership and personal responsibility.

The speaker shares an anecdote about a woman who approached him with concerns about the new generation's work ethic.

The speaker emphasizes that problems with the new generation are actually leadership problems.

The importance of not blaming others and instead taking personal responsibility for issues is highlighted.

The speaker connects the concept of extreme ownership to historical examples, such as leadership during the Vietnam War.

The idea that all problems are leadership problems is reiterated, suggesting that leaders should lead rather than blame.

The speaker discusses the importance of self-reflection and how it relates to the concept of extreme ownership.

The conversation shifts to the influence of social media on younger generations and the role of leadership in guiding them.

The speaker suggests that leaders should set an example and not just dictate behavior to others.

The importance of building relationships and allowing for mutual influence is discussed in the context of leadership.

The speaker explains how taking ownership can lead to solving problems rather than just pointing fingers.

The idea of setting an example as a parent and the impact it has on children's choices is explored.

The speaker talks about the need for leaders to listen to those they lead in order to influence them effectively.

The concept of extreme ownership is applied to personal life scenarios, such as parenting and work-life balance.

The speaker encourages listeners to take action and not just complain about the younger generation.

The importance of direct communication and connection with the audience is emphasized as the podcast moves to an independent platform.

The podcast invites listeners to subscribe and support their move away from external platforms for better engagement.

The speaker concludes by encouraging listeners to mobilize and join the 'Legion of Troopers' for stronger community connections.

Transcripts

this is the Joo underground podcast

number 122 sitting here with Eko Charles

uh have you ever heard of the idea the

concept of taking ownership maybe taking

extreme ownership sure yeah

so I'm at an event the other day and I

just get done talking I walk off the

stage at this event where I had just

concluded

and a one hour presentation talking

about the laws of combat leadership and

closing with the concept of extreme

ownership how important it was where it

came from why it was important what

happens when you don't have that

attitude what happens when you do have

that attitude so I go through the whole

thing all of it I get done and I get off

stage and talking to some people and

maybe the second or third person that

comes to me a woman comes up to me and

she

says do you get asked a lot of questions

about this new

generation this new generation this has

become an all-encompassing term for both

for for three groups and I don't know if

you're tracking on these three groups

Millennials Jen Z and you know what the

the current

is uh yeah uh what Alpha oh no I don't

Jen Alpha so Jen Alpha is the is the

group right now so these but people kind

of lump all the them together just like

anyone that's not in one of those three

groups gets called a boomer right so

you're familiar with that term right

yeah Boomer Boomer officially would be a

baby boomer but right now it's just

anybody that's like older than you is a

boomer yeah so even are you tracking

that yeah I'm not I haven't heard that

but I know the okay Boomer thing that's

like a thing like oh you're just old

right yeah yeah exactly so my kids will

call me a boomer even though I'm

technically and really very technically

I'm Gen X 100% I'm right in the middle

of the Gen X zone yeah I'm not oh maybe

Gen X turn no no no but my kids will you

know they'll be like oh well Boomer okay

Boomer so the same way that anyone

that's older gets called Boomer

sometimes Boomers call anyone that's

younger a millennial or or gen Z I

haven't heard any of the Boomers say

genen Alpha yet but that's cuz they

don't know cuz they're Boomers

yeah so this woman asked me she's like

you get asked a lot of questions about

you know this new

generation you know and I said oh what

do you mean she goes well you know they

don't like to work as hard and they want

to question everything and if they don't

like a job they'll just leave and they

don't stay at a particular place for

very long and they have this whole idea

of of work life balance and and they

like remote work and they don't want to

come into the office so was this

whole Litany of accusations

all about they they they they and so I'm

sitting there and I'm kind of smiling

and nodding my head you know almost as

an affirmation I'm giving her the

indication that I'm sort of like nodding

my head oh yeah oh gosh yeah they don't

like to work as hard yeah they don't

want to come into the offices yeah

they're concerned about I'm kind of

nodding my head not in an extreme way

but she's basically she's she's getting

encouraged by my reaction MH and then

she say you get ask a lot of questions

about that and I said oh yeah I get

asked that question all the

time and I looked at her I said hey you

remember the thing that I was just

talking about three minutes ago that

whole concept the the whole name of the

event that we're at by the way is called

this extreme ownership event it wasn't

one of my events it was another company

running an event based around the

principle of extreme ownership I said so

the name of the event extreme then the

the last 15 minutes when I was up there

and I told a bunch of

different

applications and shortfalls and how to

properly take ownership remember that

and she said yeah and I said well how

does it sound if I'm supposed to have

that

attitude and now I come down here and

say they are the problem this new

generation is the

problem is that does that sound does

that does that mesh with what I just got

done saying if I got up there and said

hey when you you have a problem you need

to take ownership of the problem and get

the problem solved and now I come down

here and say yeah there's something

wrong with that generation I can't work

with them is that does that sound like

that even comes remotely close to being

in the same Lane and she's kind of

nodded her head yeah okay I understand

so I said listen it's not their

problem it's a leadership problem like

all problems are leadership problems and

then of course I went down the whole

road cuz this is a question I've

answered over and over again cuz people

have this question over and over again

and by the way sometimes it is what do

you do with all these Boomers that think

they know everything I get that question

it's all the same it's all the same what

would I do with my peers that they

graduated from college and now they

everyone's got these questions about

them they they they

they but I like one of the one of the

things that I bring up is the Vietnam

War you have an unpopular War you have

draes conscripted into the military into

a job that they don't want to do in a

war that they don't believe in thousands

of miles away from their home with no

correlation to their future and all of

that is doing a job that might get them

killed and you can find plenty of

military leaders that will blame all the

problems of Vietnam oh we had these

draes that weren't dead yep you can find

those leaders or you can find guys like

hackworth you can find guys like mukama

you can find guys like halmore that had

dra draes and love their

draes why is that because their draes

would push back if they didn't agree

with something and they actually had to

lead their

draes so bad leaders blamed the draes

good

leaders stepped up and

led now it's the same thing here but

that's why I'm talking about that the

reason I'm talking about that is

because I'm not doing a good job I

clearly didn't do a good job with that

woman of conveying to

her

that this

idea applies to you and it applies to

everything that you do it's such a

obvious example and this is a warning

it's a warning cuz I I know there's a

bunch of people listening right now that

are thinking oh yeah clearly this this

woman it she doesn't understand extreme

ownership yet

clearly but the idea of extreme

ownership is so

counterintuitive that you have to truly

pay attention if you don't truly pay

attention if you don't aim the idea of

extreme ownership at yourself and you

don't put a filter over your

mouth you should have a filter over your

mouth and one of the words that should

get at least at least held up a little

bit to run a reconfirmation check on is

the word they because the minute you say

they you're you're you're you're talking

about someone else you're not talking

about yourself anymore so when you say

they don't want to come to work the

filter should catch that and say hold on

run a rescreen on

that I'm doing a bad job of explaining

why it's important to come into the

office at work that's the 180

difference and if you're not careful if

you don't run a filter on your mouth and

run a filter on your mind the whole

concept of extreme

ownership will have very limited value

very limited value so be

careful aim the concept of extreme

ownership at

yourself so that's what I got I uh I

know

this friend

that he was she was uh we're talking

about social media and these young kids

nowadays right and they're on social

media them yep yep they are yep yeah

yeah and uh so this um so the my friend

was like oh you know so we're kind of

the subject of how much uh how how many

issues come from social media and kids

using it right and all this stuff um and

then it's like okay so the idea of hey

why why you know like why are they on

social media then right like this this

person's specific kids and she was like

no no that's that's that's how kind of

real kind of dismissive but just that's

how kids are communicating nowadays so I

was thinking hm Well yeah if you let

them make that decision just like that's

like saying oh hey why are you feeding

your kids Oreo cookies for breakfast

every morning because well that's what

they're eating nowadays Well yeah if you

make let them make that decision yes

they're they're kids you know what you

got in the cupboard bro yeah exactly

right so which that kind of reminds me

of like yeah that whole thing where it's

like yeah they are acting this way or

whatever well

yeah but why though yeah and if they are

acting that way and it's on them what

can you do about it not much but if

you're allowing that behavior you're the

one that can adjust it yeah so you if if

you don't take any ownership of it and

you go that's just the way the kids are

yeah okay well that's what the kids are

going to do if you say oh I how much

influence do I have over these kids oh I

don't have very much influence oh why is

that oh it's because I don't have

relation good relationship with them why

I don't have a good relationship with

them oh it's because I don't spend any

time with them or it's because oh I

don't allow them to influence me so

therefore I can't influence them okay so

I need to allow them to influence me

more and then they will be more

influenced by me oh well they're not

listening to me oh how can I get them to

listen to me oh I need to listen more so

it's it's just it's it all works yeah it

it works if it

works you know when you teach Jiu-Jitsu

and you get to the point where you

someone's mounted and and you say okay

now you tra their leg and you roll them

over and now you're in their guard and

it's it's this whole whole thing you go

oh yeah that's how it is when you say oh

well how's your relationship well they

don't they don't listen to me oh why

don't they listen to you oh it's because

you don't listen to them you if you pull

that thread it will connect back

together to the fundamental principles

that we talk about all the time and

you'll be able to solve these problems

yeah yeah I found that to be the case

but if you just cut the thread at it's

them you won't solve any problems yeah

and especially the it and obviously now

this is more like conceptually even

though I'm sure this is absolutely true

down on the streets but you know anytime

you're dealing with older generation

frowning upon a younger generation it's

like BR you got to show them how then if

they're doing it wrong show them what's

right show I'm the right way to do it

then you know and then at the same time

if you apply like what you're saying and

even the idea of building the

relationship I think that and I know you

say it and I'm not saying you but I

still think it feels a little bit

underrated

yeah it's underrated to me that's like

that is one of the catalysts for the

that's like the biggest if you can just

do that like other stuff you can sort of

just figure out on your own in a lot of

ways not it's not perfect but that will

solve so many of your problems rather

than hey do this you should be able to

do this already you should be acting

this way already

mhm interesting idea of setting an

example cuz you could be let's say

you're a parent mm mhm and you have this

job and you work really hard but you

don't really like

it and your kid is starting to listen to

rock and roll music

and not doesn't want to go to

college and wants to do something else

and you say why don't you go to college

you need to do you need to get an

education so you can get a job like me

and they're looking at you dude you're

not happy you're miserable yeah why do I

want to be like you yeah so what you

should do is when when your kid goes oh

I I think I'm I I don't want to do what

you do oh okay well what do you want to

do well or why don't you want to well it

doesn't seem like you're really that

happy

oh okay well you that's a good point now

do you have a plan because you're going

to need money so let's so now we can

start having instead of saying you don't

know what it's like no but you got to

pay attention to the example that you're

setting if you're setting an example of

being

miserable of of course your kid's going

to look at you and say h I'm not really

going to follow on those foot prints if

you're setting an example

of that is a little excerpt of what we

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