Social Impact Authors: How & Why Author Mike Sarraille of Legacy Expeditions Is Helping To Change Our World
Leadership is about driving impact and influencing people to be their best selves. It’s about giving them a shared vision and inspiring them, so they want to align with what’s best for the team or organization. While not everyone will agree, people need to align to achieve a common goal. Ultimately, leadership is about positive influence, impact, and accountability. As leaders, we should hold people accountable for their actions to help them learn from their mistakes so they can eventually stand on their own two feet. An example of this could be a manager who sets clear expectations for her team, holds them accountable for their work, provides constructive feedback, and creates an environment where everyone feels valued and supported.
As part of my series about “authors who are making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Mike Sarraille.
Mike Sarraille is the Founder and CEO of Talent War Group, Co-founder of Legacy Expeditions and retired US Navy SEAL officer and enlisted Recon Marine and Scout-Sniper and Amazon best-selling co-author of The Talent War, as well as the ‘Everyday Warrior’ columnist and podcast host for Men’s Journal.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into the focus of our interview, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I had a relatively normal childhood with loving, nurturing parents who were strict when they needed to be. They ensured I had a solid foundation of Christian values upon which they structured personal responsibility and leadership lessons. Their foresight prepared me for success in the military and beyond by providing a framework for growth; it also was my primary motivation for writing this book. One of my favorite quotes comes from Sir Isaac Newton, who wisely said, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” These insightful words encapsulate my objective for The Everyday Warrior, and that’s to honor the coaches, mentors, and family members responsible for helping me get to where I am today by passing on their wisdom and teachings so that others may also succeed. While people from my life inspired this book, it’s far from autobiographical. Instead, it’s the cumulative work of four great guys discussing and reflecting on the breadcrumb trails that led them to success and the high performers responsible for creating them.
When you were younger, was there a book that you read that inspired you to take action or changed your life? Can you share a story about that?
Many books have influenced my journey to varying degrees, but Anton Myrer’s Once an Eagle remains the most pivotal. This book, widely considered mandatory reading for military leaders, was given to me by my mentor Chris Fossil, the author of One Mission, who received it from General Stanley McChrystal. Someday, I’ll continue the tradition by passing it down to a promising young officer. It’s an epic tale of two military men with opposing views on leadership. Sam Damon, the protagonist, is a soldier’s officer who leads with love, empathy, kindness, and respect; of course, everyone loves him. On the other end of the leadership spectrum, you have Courtney Massengill, the antagonist, whose actions are politically driven. While the book is full of nuance, the overarching lesson is that it’s better to lead from a place of honesty, vulnerability, and compassion than to prioritize selfish pursuits.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I fell flat as a leader too many times to count, but I can’t pinpoint a specific instance. The impetus of most, if not all, of these mistakes, was the misguided belief that leaders have all the answers. Each failure brought me closer to the realization that it’s okay to admit when I don’t know something. It was an important lesson because I learned that leadership is about having the humility to admit weakness, the ability to find people who balance those shortcomings, and the discernment to consider the team’s collective intellect when making decisions. After all, we either adapt or die.
Can you describe how you aim to make a significant social impact with your book?
As discussed in the book, not all warriors are warriors in the traditional sense, but those I served with in the Joint Special Operations Command certainly were. I consider these men and women the finest, most lethal warriors in the world, and the data clearly shows that very few reach this top tier. While they were nothing short of exceptional, they were far from the chest-beaters depicted in Hollywood movies. These elite warriors were kind, empathetic, and respectful people who ascended to the top of their chosen profession based solely on their intellect, work ethic, and natural leadership abilities. There’s a lot we can learn from them, and that’s why The Everyday Warrior is a collection of lessons I learned while serving alongside these next-level performers for more than two decades. After all, breadcrumbs left by high performers can lead us to success — but it’s up to us to follow them. We’re saying, here are the breadcrumbs I’ve picked up along the way; implementing a few can help you adopt the warrior mindset. Developing a warrior mindset has nothing to do with war; it’s about continuous growth and pursuing progress. Bruce Lee said, “A warrior is an average man with laser-like focus,” and he was right — anyone can choose a warrior mindset. Early on, I sat down with the other three guys responsible for this book, George Silva, Jason Boulay, and Brian Gordan, to discuss what we hope to achieve with this release. We all agreed that it includes helping people realize they’re not victims and giving them the framework to live a life of accountability and discipline. That’s the impact we want to have.
Is there a way to measure that?
While there are no quantitative ways to measure success in this area, there are qualitative factors we can use to gauge our progress. For example, we’re starting to receive emails from people who’ve read the book — they’re letting us know that they enjoyed it and saying thank you. The fact that it’s happening so soon after the book’s release is humbling.
Can you share with us the most interesting story that you shared in your book?
As a SEAL, I had the privilege of learning from some truly great coaches and mentors. Sometimes, especially early in my career, I followed their example by emulating what they did. In the book, I share a letter that profoundly impacted me and showed that you never know what your actions mean to others. It was from a young Marine officer named Jimmy, who ended up under my command overseas. While I only had three months with him, it was evident he was intelligent. It was his first deployment, and he had a comedic way of doing things. The nature of our job meant my guys were in harm’s way, so it wasn’t the time to joke. At first, I tore into him, then spent the next three months pouring into him. Fast forward to 2018 — I received a letter from Jimmy after he saw that I had started a nonprofit called Vetted Foundation. While he thanked me for investing in him and mentoring him, he had no way of knowing how badly I was struggling when that letter reached me; I was financially broke, the foundation was failing, and I was dealing with survivor’s guilt from losing brothers overseas. Jimmy did more for me with that letter than I ever did for him in those three months. At that moment, I realized the most significant currency in life is impact. I made a small impact on Jimmy’s life, but he made a major one on mine by sending me that letter — as if he knew I needed it.
What was the “aha moment” or series of events that made you decide to bring your message to the greater world? Can you share a story about that?
That moment was when I was on the road with my company, Talent War Group. We’re an executive search firm that teaches companies about leadership development and focuses on using culture to drive team and organizational performance. I began noticing that each time my team would finish a presentation or workshop, people from the audience would come up to ask how they could implement what they had learned in their personal lives. I realized that if you help everyone within your organization be the best version of themselves, the aggregate level of performance for the organization increases; it’s true for private companies, the military, federal agencies, and nonprofits. I couldn’t believe I had missed this during my 20 years in the military. This was my aha moment when I decided to focus on individuals first and then worry about the collective later.
Without sharing specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
I shared the story about Jimmy a little earlier. Anything I may have given him, he paid back tenfold. Pour into people without the expectation of return because the goal of helping others should never be self-gain. You’ll sometimes find it pays dividends, but more importantly, a legacy of kindness is not easily forgotten.
Are there three things the community, society, and politicians can do to help address the root problem you’re trying to solve?
First, whether you’re a parent, a boss, or a leader, it’s imperative to set an excellent example for the younger generation. People will be what they see. Doing the right thing and behaving in a manner consistent with our values and principles will inspire tomorrow’s leaders to do the same. Second, we must be mindful of the message our conduct sends, which goes double for the elected officials in our nation’s capital. We must hold our leaders accountable for their actions and remind them of their sacred oath to uphold our nation’s founding principles. Finally, we must also take responsibility for how our actions impact the next generation. If we continue breaking our commitments and failing to honor our values, we cannot blame the next generation for flailing in the face of adversity.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Leadership is about driving impact and influencing people to be their best selves. It’s about giving them a shared vision and inspiring them, so they want to align with what’s best for the team or organization. While not everyone will agree, people need to align to achieve a common goal. Ultimately, leadership is about positive influence, impact, and accountability. As leaders, we should hold people accountable for their actions to help them learn from their mistakes so they can eventually stand on their own two feet. An example of this could be a manager who sets clear expectations for her team, holds them accountable for their work, provides constructive feedback, and creates an environment where everyone feels valued and supported.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
In the book, we discuss the 11 warrior principles. First, holding yourself to a higher standard and establishing a warrior mindset is essential. It’s necessary to do the right thing, even if it’s challenging. I was amazed in the Marines, especially the Recon community, and in the SEAL teams that guys never thought twice about doing the right thing. Even if it was tough and meant they couldn’t sleep for an entire night, they always did the right thing. Second, continuously pursue self-improvement and strive to know ourselves better. That’s a leadership principle I borrowed from the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps. This lifelong process helps us reassess who we are and what we believe. An example would be when I left the military in my late 30s and began taking the time for self-reflection. I learned so much about myself, which put me on the path to success. Third, we need to take ownership of our lives and not play the victim. This is especially important today, where the victim mentality is becoming more prevalent. But it’s important not to confuse vulnerability with victimhood. Fourth, don’t take shortcuts; instead, live life one step at a time. Whether losing weight or climbing a mountain, there are no shortcuts or life hacks to lasting success. Finally, it’s important to learn from failure and not let it define you. Failure is the greatest teacher, and if we can learn from it, we will become better human beings. An example was a Force Recon Marine I knew who was humbly confident and wouldn’t let failure define him — instead, he’d use it to learn and improve. When he failed, he’d smile, get back up, dust off, and attack it from a different angle.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favorite quote is, “Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.” It reminds me that even though I may not be the best at everything, I can still be a part of amazing teams and contribute to their success. It’s not about who gets the credit but about the team winning. Regarding someone I would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, I would choose either President George W. Bush or President Barack Obama. As Commander and Chief, they each faced impossible decisions that put mothers and fathers, sons and daughters in harm’s way; I’d be interested to hear how they approached pivotal situations and if they felt any survivor’s guilt. It would be fascinating to get a first-hand account of what it’s like to sit behind the resolute desk and command the free world. On a more lighthearted note, I would love to share a bottle of whiskey and a good steak with Bill Murray. He has a unique perspective on life, and I would love to hear about his journey and experiences. It would be a fun and insightful conversation. Overall, having the opportunity to sit down with these individuals would be a valuable and enriching experience.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
The truth is, this part of the job makes me cringe — but a great leader once asked me, “If you’re not selling yourself, who’s going to do it?” You can find our new book, The Everyday Warrior: A No-Hack, Practical Approach to Life, on Amazon and learn more about the incredible work those on my team do every day at mikesarraille.com, talentwargroup.com, and legacyexpeditions.net. Thank you for this opportunity to share my thoughts and stories with you and your audience.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Social Impact Authors: How & Why Author Mike Sarraille of Legacy Expeditions Is Helping To Change… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.