THE LESSON

About this video

McPhee recounts a formative experience from his time in Iraq where he learned a critical lesson about teamwork and ego. After being left out of a high-profile helicopter assault mission on Zarqawi’s associates, McPhee’s resentment and individual pride led his team sergeant to orchestrate a humbling encounter where McPhee fought all twelve members of his team consecutively, ultimately getting beaten down to teach him that individual capability means nothing without team cohesion.

Key takeaways

• McPhee argues that recognizing you’re part of a team is more important than individual skill or achievement, and that ego can blind you to this reality
• McPhee teaches that humility and redundancy in preparation (ensuring every weapon, radio, and supply is checked) are marks of a good soldier, not just combat performance
• McPhee contends that sometimes the hardest lessons come through physical and emotional adversity orchestrated by those who know what you need to learn

Episode details: published July 11, 2020 · 63.3K views · 5:19 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. McPhee’s service stories are his own accounts, attributed to him — not independently verified. His tactical and firearms instruction is his doctrine, presented as his teaching — not legal or safety advice from Self Growth Videos.

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