Jocko Podcast

Latest Episodes:

564: Overcoming Fear, Making Movies, and the Way of the Warrior Kid. With McG. Oct 28, 2026

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Director, producer, and filmmaker McG joins Jocko Willink and Echo Charles to share his extraordinary journey from the Southern California punk rock scene to directing some of Hollywood's biggest films.

McG discusses working with Sugar Ray, Korn, and other legendary bands, breaking into Hollywood with Charlie's Angels, and the crippling anxiety that nearly destroyed his career when he couldn't board a plane to direct Superman. He explains how exposure therapy, discipline, and persistence helped him reclaim his life.

The conversation explores personal tragedy, overcoming fear, leadership, filmmaking, the realities of Hollywood, and the making of Way of the Warrior Kid, starring Chris Pratt.

A discussion about creativity, courage, resilience, and refusing to let fear dictate your future.

00:00:00 - Introduction: McG

00:01:39 - Growing Up in Newport Beach and Discovering Rock & Roll

00:05:47 - Battling Severe Anxiety and Panic Attacks

00:09:40 - Sugar Ray, Korn, and Breaking Into Music Videos

00:14:53 - Directing Charlie's Angels and Breaking Into Hollywood

00:19:03 - Losing Superman and Overcoming Fear

00:38:12 - Tragedy, Mental Health, and Finding Hope

00:59:00 - Personal Loss, Hollywood, and Lessons in Leadership

01:47:00 - Making Way of the Warrior Kid with Chris Pratt

02:35:16 - Bringing the Story to Life and Final Reflections

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Jocko Underground: Turn an Inferior Mindset Into an Iron Mindset Oct 26, 2026

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00:22 – Turn an Inferior Mindset into an iron mindset

18:03 – Military mission-planning principles to the emotional and financial challenges of other missions in everyday life.

24:58 – How do I cope with the death of my son, support my wife and surviving child, and find a way forward through grief?

30:37 – How do I detach from a difficult marriage while remaining fully committed to my responsibilities as a father?

41:27 – How do I distinguish between fulfilling my duty to my family and using responsibility as an excuse to avoid taking risks and pursuing my ambitions?

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563: The 3 Traits Every Great Leader Must Have According to Gen. Matthew Ridgway Oct 21, 2026

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Examining General Matthew Ridgway's timeless leadership principles, exploring the importance of character, courage, competence, and the moral strength to challenge bad decisions. From the battlefields of World War II and Korea to the distractions of modern life, they discuss what it takes to lead effectively, stay prepared, and earn the trust of others.

00:00:00 – General Matthew Ridgway: A Legendary Military Leader

00:05:33 – Is Leadership an Art or a Science?

00:10:03 – The Three Keys to Leadership: Character, Courage, and Competence

00:14:21 – Self-Discipline, Responsibility, and Leading by Example

00:20:41 – Physical Courage vs. Moral Courage

00:28:29 – When Good Leaders Must Challenge Orders

00:36:32 – Physical Fitness as a Leadership Requirement

00:48:38 – Modern Convenience Is Making Us Weak

00:56:32 – Be Ready: Leadership Requires Preparation and Presence

01:01:13 – Knowing Your People, Developing Leaders, and Leading from the Front

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Jocko Underground: Issues With Training Jiu Jitsu with Women Partners. Oct 19, 2026

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00:29 — Training Jiu-Jitsu With Women: My wife is uncomfortable with me rolling with women?

08:55 — Being a Warrior With a Disability?

16:06 — Regretting Wasted Years: How do I stop regretting lost time and know I'm doing enough?

23:57 — Dealing With a Disruptive Teenager.

36:47 — Military Service in the Age of Drones.

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562: The Deadly Cost of Bad Leadership. Lessons From Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. With Bing West Oct 14, 2026

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Marine combat veteran, author, and former senior defense official Bing West joins Jocko to discuss the brutal realities of war, the strategic failures of military and political leadership, and the lessons America continues to overlook. Drawing on firsthand experiences from Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, West reveals how flawed decisions at the highest levels can have devastating consequences on the battlefield.

00:00:00 – The Brutal Reality of Combat in Vietnam

00:04:17 – Bing West's Early Life and Marine Corps Career

00:08:42 – The Strategic Failures of the Vietnam War

00:14:49 – Winning the Trust of the Local Population

00:21:56 – The Deadly Cost of Search and Destroy

00:33:41 – The CIA, RAND Corporation, and Origins of Navy SEAL Operations

00:44:45 – Iraq, General Mattis, and the Importance of Decentralized Command

00:52:29 – Fallujah, Ramadi, and the Consequences of Emotional Decisions

01:07:00 – Political Leadership and the War in Iraq

01:25:00 – Afghanistan: Repeating the Mistakes of Vietnam

01:44:50 – The Jupiter Complex: The Danger of American Arrogance

01:57:45 – America's Military Readiness and the Future of Warfare

02:12:35 – Leadership, Accountability, and America's Future

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Jocko Underground: When You're Ready For a New Chapter | Battling Fatigue In Life Oct 12, 2026

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00:00:00 – When You're Ready For a New Chapter?

00:06:33 – Struggling with chronic fatigue syndrome?

00:13:32 – Are leaders born with natural leadership abilities, or can leadership be learned?

00:24:00 – How do I choose between multiple job offers, and what advice do you have for starting my career?

00:43:28 – How do I recognize that I'm not good enough and need to improve without constantly beating myself up?

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561: The Art Of Command. Action, Initiative, and Judgement. Oct 07, 2026

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Breaking down General Melvin Zais’s 1977 speech Leadership and the Art of Command, exploring action, initiative, delegation, discipline, judgment, and the realities of leading people. After a lifetime of combat and command, Zais ultimately reduces effective leadership to one essential principle: you must care about your people.

00:00 – General Melvin Zais: A Lifetime of Leadership

02:16 – Leadership Defies Definition

08:24 – Stop Talking. Take Action.

17:36 – The Basics of Good Leadership

24:59 – The “It Factor,” Luck, and Creating Opportunity

32:30 – Leadership Is Getting Others to Perform

44:40 – Be FOR Something, Not Against Everything

50:02 – You Must Care

52:40 – What Caring Actually Looks Like

59:30 – You Have to Actually Like Your People

1:03:21 – Discipline Without Breaking People

1:05:46 – Finding the Line

1:08:12 – Caring Is in Your Own Best Interest

1:09:34 – Taking Care of Your People Means Pushing Them

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Jocko Underground: My View on Non-Combatant Military Members | How to Get Your Life Back Oct 05, 2026

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00:01:06 — Do combat veterans view conscientious objectors/noncombatant medics as honorable?

00:05:34 — My 3-year-old may have autism and kids are starting to make fun of him. How do I help him—and myself—handle it?

00:24:30 — I got sober and used harsh self-criticism to stay disciplined. How do I shift toward self-compassion without losing discipline?

00:33:03 — After several devastating life events, I’ve fallen into drinking, weed, and avoiding my goals. How do I get my head right and attack life again?

00:40:00 — I’m a high-school strength coach burned out by an unsupportive administration. How do I stay committed to the kids while deciding whether to fight or build an exit plan?

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560: Leadership Is A Skill. Train It. With Jamie Cochran. Sep 30, 2026

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Jamie Cochran breaks down real-world leadership lessons from Echelon Front clients and organizations. They discuss overcoming resistance, merging cultures, developing leaders, taking ownership without doing everything yourself, and why leadership is a skill that must be continuously practiced.

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Jocko Underground: The Reality When Your Boss Sucks and You Don't Respect Him At All. Sep 28, 2026

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00:40 — How do I respect a leader I don’t respect or trust?

15:21 — How do I solve problems aggressively without being out of control?

27:22 — Should I keep pursuing more responsibility if it’s making work stressful?

38:55 — How do I stay calm when my kids are melting down?

54:38 — How important is competing in Jiu-Jitsu, and is it worth the injury risk?

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