Real leadership isn't about being perfect — it's about taking ownership when you fall short and leading through forgiveness, accountability, and humility. In Episode 107 of the JP Dinnell Podcast, JP and Lucas break down what true Extreme Ownership looks like when you've made mistakes, hurt people, or fallen off track.
Leadership demands more than strength — it demands forgiveness: forgiving others, forgiving yourself, and giving your team the freedom to learn and grow. Drawing from Navy SEAL training, combat experiences, and real-world lessons from business and faith, JP shares how the most effective leaders build trust not by pretending to have all the answers, but by owning their failures and working relentlessly to make things right.
This episode explores:
Why excuses destroy leadership credibility
How forgiveness restores broken trust in teams, families, and relationships
What happens when you choose humility over ego
Why leaders must admit mistakes publicly to build stronger teams
How forgiveness doesn't make you weak — it makes you unstoppable
Forgiveness isn't about letting people off the hook — it's about freeing yourself from bitterness so you can lead with purpose and clarity. As JP explains, the best leaders are not the ones who never fail; they're the ones who take responsibility, learn from it, and move forward stronger.
Through this discussion, you'll hear how biblical principles connect to modern leadership: from Christ's model of forgiveness to practical lessons in humility and redemption that apply on the battlefield, in business, and at home. Forgiveness and leadership go hand-in-hand because leadership is a people business — and people make mistakes.
If you've ever wrestled with guilt, pride, or resentment, this episode will challenge you to look inward and take ownership. True leadership begins the moment you stop blaming others and start leading yourself.
Timestamps & Key Takeaways: 00:00 – Why leadership requires humility 05:15 – The danger of the victim mindset 10:42 – How to rebuild trust through forgiveness 18:20 – Why accountability builds stronger teams 26:45 – The freedom that comes from owning your failures 33:50 – Applying biblical forgiveness in leadership
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JP Dinnell is a former U.S. Navy SEAL and now a Leadership Instructor, Speaker and Strategic Advisor with Echelon Front, where he serves as Director of Experiential Leadership Training Programs.
J.P. is also a pro team athlete and spokesperson for Origin Maine and Jocko Fuel, an American clothing and supplement company.
J.P. has a signature Energy Drink flavor "Sour Apple Sniper" with Jocko Fuel. Jeremiah spent nearly a decade in the SEAL Teams with three combat deployments. Sent to the violent terrorist stronghold of Ar Ramadi, Iraq in 2006 with SEAL Team Three's Task Unit Bruiser, J.P. served as point man, machine gunner, and lead sniper for Delta Platoon opposite the American Sniper, Chris Kyle, who was in Charlie Platoon.
For his leadership and courage under fire, JP was awarded a Silver Star, 2 Bronze Stars with Valor and the Army Commendation Medal with Valor helping Task Unit Bruiser to become the most highly decorated special operations unit of the Iraq War.
He worked closely with SEAL Officers Jocko Willink, his Task Unit Commander, and Leif Babin, and was the driving force on many of the daring combat operations Jocko and Leif wrote about in Extreme Ownership.
Upon his return, J.P. again worked directly for Jocko as a training instructor at Naval Special Warfare Group One Training Detachment, where he orchestrated realistic and challenging training scenarios for Special Operations Urban Combat training and Close Quarters Combat training to better prepare SEAL units for the real-world battlefield. He also served as a Combatives Instructor, Marksmanship Instructor and earned his Master Trainer Specialist qualification while helping Jocko rebuild and enhance these training programs into the highly effective platforms they are today.
J.P. brings exceptional experience and frontline leadership perspective from the winning mindset and culture of Task Unit Bruiser.
