JP Dinnell Podcast 111 – "Prioritize and Execute | The 3rd Law of Combat"

Release Date: November 7, 2025
Hosts: JP Dinnell & Lucas Pinckard

Overview

In this episode, JP Dinnell—a decorated former Navy SEAL and Director of Experiential Leadership Training at Echelon Front—joins co-host Lucas Pinckard to dive deep into "Prioritize and Execute," the third law of combat leadership. Through war stories, leadership lessons, candid personal reflections, and actionable strategies, the duo break down how detachment, clear prioritization, and calm execution are critical to success in any challenging environment—on the battlefield, in business, and within the family.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Milestone Birthdays, Reflection, and Comparison

Timestamps: 00:53–04:27

• Lucas shares his perspective on turning 40: Although society creates expectations for change and self-evaluation at milestone ages, real growth often happens unexpectedly and outside those projections.
• The importance of gratitude and savoring relationships, experiences, and personal development over comparing oneself to others’ external measures of success.
• Notable Quote:

  “Comparison is the ultimate thief of joy. …Is it good to have healthy comparison? Yeah, for sure—absolutely. But there needs to be a balance.” — JP Dinnell (03:35)

2. Shifting Priorities and Embracing Change

Timestamps: 04:27–05:56

• JP: Priorities, friendships, and business ideas inevitably shift. Acceptance and adaptability enable growth; rigidity causes stagnation and stress.
• Anchoring in consistent fundamentals, but being okay when life doesn’t go as planned.

3. Detachment as a Leadership Superpower

Timestamps: 05:56–10:01

• Teaching detachment reduces panic:
  • “Stop, relax, look around, gather information, analyze that information, and then make a decision.”
• Emotional decisions usually lead to poor outcomes—leaders must avoid letting emotion dictate words and actions.
• Story: JP recalls advice from Jocko Willink after losing his temper as an instructor:

  “Losing your temper is a sign of weakness, because when you lose your temper… you’re not in control.”
  — JP Dinnell recalling Jocko’s feedback (07:04)

• Importance of right message & right delivery; detachment helps leaders maintain composure and avoid undermining their own authority.

4. Apology, Ownership, and Leadership Capital

Timestamps: 10:01–13:13

• JP describes an emotional moment apologizing to a SEAL team after yelling at them—a powerful example of extreme ownership and repairing relationships.

  “I was frustrated… I should not have been yelling at you guys. You guys are my guys… Man, I’m sorry. I love you guys.”
  — JP Dinnell (11:04)

• Redemption and maintaining trust rely on being honest about mistakes and showing respect.

5. Righteous Anger vs. Losing Your Temper

Timestamps: 13:13–14:27

• Discernment between righteous anger and sinful action; losing your temper is not righteous anger.
• Lucas:

  “The word is really clear: in your anger, do not sin.” (13:23)

6. Culture, Criticism, and Thick Skin in Team Settings

Timestamps: 14:27–18:18

• Military/Team culture often expects thick skin and the ability to handle criticism and detachment from overt emotion.
• Leaders must train others to absorb feedback and understand priorities, while resisting the temptation to abuse authority (i.e., yelling does not equate to winning).

7. Leadership, Communication, and Losing the Mark

Timestamps: 18:18–21:00

• Yelling derails alignment. When leaders communicate with frustration, team members may focus on redeeming the relationship instead of the message.
• Effective leadership requires simple, clear, and respectful communication.

8. Leadership in the Family – Controlled Stress for Kids

Timestamps: 21:00–24:00

• Parents must sometimes apply controlled stress to help kids grow; sheltering them from all adversity stunts development.

• Knowing each child’s response to feedback and stress is crucial.

  “If I just do everything for them and give them an easy life, I’ve failed them.”
  — JP Dinnell (21:33)

9. Combat Simulations & Debriefing: Lessons from the SEAL Teams

Timestamps: 24:00–27:28

• “Prioritize and Execute” in a combat context:
  • Maintaining discipline of fields of fire, SOPs (standard operating procedures), and constant after-action debriefs to capture and pass on lessons—“SOPs written in blood.”
• JP:

  “Those debriefs facilitate and expedite growth…one team, one fight.” (26:11)

10. On Pain, Accountability, and Growth in Leadership

Timestamps: 27:28–29:22

• Allowing struggle and the right kind of pain is vital to growth, whether for kids or employees.
• Over-involvement and coddling prevent real development; accountability and support must be balanced with hands-off space.
• Lucas: Uses the butterfly analogy—helping too much can cripple later independence.

11. Finding the "Sweet Spot" — Let Them Ride the Struggle Bus

Timestamps: 32:45–36:13

• There’s no perfect balance; the “sweet spot” is closer to hands-off, letting people figure it out through struggle and the pain of failure (within bounds of safety).
• JP shares stories from childhood: doing things the hard way, learning lessons, and earning pride through effort.

12. Detachment, Emotional Blindness, and Decentralized Command

Timestamps: 38:06–41:02

• “Detaching from everything” (physically/emotionally) allows leaders to objectively see flaws in plans and accept feedback.

• Leaders who are too connected to ‘their’ plan become adversarial and miss opportunities for improvement.

  “If you’re emotionally connected to it, it’s blinding.”
  — Lucas Pinckard (39:07)

13. Cover & Move: When Your Priority Isn’t THE Priority

Timestamps: 39:51–41:02

• True teamwork means sometimes shelving your own priorities to help another team succeed if their objective is critical to the broader mission.
• Recognizing and acting on organizational priorities—even if they conflict with personal ones—is maturity in leadership.

14. Training in Controlled Environments & Real Accountability

Timestamps: 41:46–44:56

• Real training provides controlled environments for failure, learning, and internalizing “Prioritize and Execute.”
• Key Tip: Don’t discount training as a waste of time; make it real, actionable, and followed-through.

15. Buy-in, Ownership, and Driving Lessons Home

Timestamps: 44:56–48:18

• Effective consultants and leaders drive ownership back to the client/team.

• Training must produce value and actionable takeaways; the goal is always for others to sustain the lessons on their own.

  “Your number one priority leaving this training is driving these things into the organization.”
  — JP Dinnell (46:55)

16. Prioritizing & Executing Big Visions in Business and at Home

Timestamps: 48:40–55:54

• Building alignment in the family and organization is key for big visions or pivots.

• Honest self-assessment: What are you and your team (or family) truly capable of?

• Take small, iterative steps—avoid overcommitting or making giant mistakes.

• Reach out to those with experience, but carefully filter advice; doubters are plentiful.

  “If it’s something for your family, it should be something you and your wife have alignment on. And even your kids.”
  — JP Dinnell (49:21)

• Amanda’s unwavering support for JP’s workload and absences—thanks to shared vision and alignment—illustrates the power of this principle.

  “Zero—zero times has Amanda ever complained about me leaving. Zero, bro, in nine years.”
  — JP Dinnell (51:10)

17. Closing Thoughts: Detachment, Do the Work, Build Your Legacy

Timestamps: 61:59–end

• Chaos is inevitable; teach yourself to detach from emotions to think logically.
• Collect information and facts before making decisions—detachment is a superpower.

  “Detachment is a superpower. …Go do the work that is needed, put in the effort to build your legacy, and never settle.”
  — JP Dinnell (63:54)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “Comparison is the ultimate thief of joy. … Is it good to have healthy comparison? Yeah, for sure—absolutely. But there needs to be a balance.”
  — JP Dinnell, (03:35)
• “Losing your temper is a sign of weakness, because when you lose your temper… you’re not in control.”
  — JP Dinnell recalling Jocko Willink’s leadership, (07:04)
• “If I just do everything for them and give them an easy life, I’ve failed them.”
  — JP Dinnell, (21:33)
• “If you’re emotionally connected to it, it’s blinding.”
  — Lucas Pinckard, (39:07)
• “Zero—zero times has Amanda ever complained about me leaving. Zero, bro, in nine years.”
  — JP Dinnell, (51:10)
• “Detachment is a superpower. …Go do the work that is needed, put in the effort to build your legacy, and never settle.”
  — JP Dinnell, (63:54)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Introduction, Reflections on Turning 40 — 00:01–04:27
• Detachment & Leadership Stories from the SEAL Teams — 05:56–13:13
• Parenting, Controlled Stress, and Growth — 21:00–24:00
• Combat Simulations, Debriefs, and SOPs — 24:00–27:28
• Hands-Off Leadership and “Riding the Struggle Bus” — 32:45–36:13
• Training & Ownership in Organizations — 41:46–48:18
• Building and Aligning Vision at Home and Work — 48:40–55:54
• Final Thoughts on Legacy and Detachment — 61:59–end

Memorable Moments

• JP’s emotional story about apologizing to his SEAL team after yelling at them, modeling humility and ownership (10:01–13:13).
• The butterfly analogy for struggle—helping too much can cripple growth (29:23).
• Amanda Dinnell’s nine-year perfect record of support, a testament to aligned vision and ownership in marriage (51:10).
• Multifaceted insights on detachment—how not taking things personally can unlock calm, effective leadership.

Style & Tone

Authentic, direct, and woven with real-life stories. JP’s military precision and Lucas’s relatability as a family man and pastor create a blend of actionable insight, humility, and camaraderie.

Recommendations

For Listeners:

• Seek ways to detach in high-stress moments; make decisions with logic, not emotion.
• Regularly reflect on your true priorities, and give yourself (and others) room for growth amidst setbacks or “struggle.”
• In both family and business, ensure all key players are aligned before launching major initiatives.
• Don’t be afraid of pain or struggle—both are necessary for meaningful development.

This summary is designed to equip you with the substance, lessons, and spirit of the episode—ready to apply the "Prioritize and Execute" law of combat in your own sphere of leadership!