There's a moment in business where everything feels like it's falling apart—a job goes sideways, a customer's upset, and your first instinct is to say, "This isn't my fault." Been there? Me too.

But what if I told you that the most powerful thing you can do as a leader is to say, "This is on me—let's fix it." That mindset? It's called extreme ownership, and it has completely changed the way I lead my team, run our business, and show up every day in the trades.

In this episode, I'm breaking down what extreme ownership really means, how Jocko Willink, a former Navy SEAL inspired this approach, and the four principles that will level up your leadership game—fast. I'm also sharing a behind-the-scenes look at what happened when we launched the HVAC side of our business and it didn't go as planned. (Spoiler alert: there were a lot of lessons.)

If you're ready to stop playing the blame game and start leading with clarity, confidence, and accountability, this one's for you. Let's get into it.

Episode Highlights:

[01:34] Today we're talking about a leadership mindset that completely shifted the way that I run our business, lead my team, and

show up as a woman in the trades. It's called extreme ownership, and it comes straight from the former Navy SEAL and

commander named Jocko Willink.

[02:14] True leadership kicks in when everything is going wrong. I'm going to break down the key principles from Extreme Ownership and how they apply to your business.

[02:42] As a leader, you're responsible for everything in your business.

[03:13] There are no bad teams, only bad leaders.

[04:13] An ultimate leadership story from the book about Jocko's SEAL unit on a mission in Ramadi.

[05:25] There was miscommunication and chaos and a friendly fire situation broke out. Jocko took full responsibility.

[06:11] In the trades, we have the chance to say, "that's on me, and let me fix it" when something goes wrong.

[06:38] 1. Take ownership always. It's not about taking blame. It's about taking control of the situation.

[07:53] A personal example from when we decided to open up our HVAC side of the business.

[09:04] 2. No excuses. Just solutions. Leaders focus on the next steps not excuses.

[11:02] 3. Believe in the mission. If you're not sold on your company's vision, neither is your team.

[12:37] It's important to have an empowering mission that your team can get behind.

[13:28] 4. Decentralized command. You can't micromanage every area of the business.

[14:45] As a leader in the trades, when you take full responsibility, you remove the ability for other people to question your leadership.

[15:09] Extreme Ownership means that all of it belongs to you, the mistakes and the victories.

[15:33] When something doesn't go as planned, I want you to pause and ask, what could I have done differently? What can I do now to fix it? And how do I lead better next time?

Resources & Links Related to this Episode

● Pure Plumbing & Air

● Pure Plumbing & Air Facebook

● Alexis Aranda Instagram

● Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win (New Edition)