The Shawn Ryan Show: John “Shrek” McPhee – The Sheriff of Baghdad | SRS #133

I loved this podcast with John “Shrek”McPhee on the Shawn Ryan Show. I have so much to learn from his insane experiences. I don’t care that some of his stories sound exaggerated, which they obviously are based on common sense and also some accounts from similar operators in the military. However, there’s more than enough in that mix of madness to learn some interesting perspectives for overcoming challenges. I learn from everyone. We all should.

McPhee’s journey from South Chicago to Delta Force reveals a career built on tactical innovation, brutal efficiency, and unreal level of focus. He’s a former Sergeant Major who didn’t just survive decades of special operations. No way. He thrived in that environment. He loved it. And he revolutionized how special operations teams approach combat.

After an abusive childhood, which included homelessness at age 12 and living in a brothel, McPhee joined the Army at 21 and quickly progressed through Rangers and Special Forces to Delta. His singleton missions remain legendary, which involved traveling alone for weeks through Pakistan, hitchhiking in local trucks, screaming at Taliban checkpoints to appear insane, and filming high-value targets with no backup support. In Iraq, his team ran dozens of raids regularly and systematically dismantled Saddam’s networks. He also killed the enemy in numbers that were “too many to count.” He had the time of his life back then. After retiring in 2011, McPhee founded SOB Tactical, and he’s trained 15,000 students to in shooting tactics. Today he teaches, engages in podcast interviews, and roams the United States visiting martial arts dojos to train.

Here are a few bits from the McPhee-Ryan podcast that can apply as useful lessons for anyone in any profession:

Autonomy Requires Competence
McPhee thrived when he was given autonomy because he’d already developed technical proficiency. You can’t demand independence on a team without first proving capability. Work hard. Master your craft. Then earn freedom. And if you can’t get that freedom dump that team and find a new one.

Control What You Can Control
From an abused childhood to Taliban checkpoints, McPhee’s survival depended on emotional control. He learned it as a kid and scaled the skill in the military. You can’t control incoming mortars, but you can control your response them. We all work with people we’d love to just delete, don’t we? We can’t. We must deal with them. And the first step is to control your own emotions so you can properly respond to the situation.

Teams Beat Individuals
Even the most talented individual can’t beat a coordinated team of skilled people. The lone wolf mythology is bullshit. A dozen alpha wolves working as a pack crushes any solo operator.

Immediate Feedback Prevents Long-Term Damage
Address issues immediately. McPhee’s didn’t let moral injuries fester on his teams. How many cancers are slowly and quietly growing on your team? I bet a lot. Look for them. Remove them. Or your best people will leave.

Biology Affects Performance
McPhee said his “PTSD symptoms” were partly nutritional deficiency and hangovers. Optimize for sleep and nutrition and reduce substance abuse. He’s simple that way. Your body is by far the single most important thing in this life and nothing even comes close. Take care of it.

Strategic Patience, Tactical Aggression
McPhee didn’t sprint 25-mile ruck marches like some others, which would have led to exhaustion. He also didn’t kill everyone immediately, which would destroy critical intelligence. Instead, he was patient strategically. But when the situation called for overt aggression he delivered. Sounds like planning and implementation to me. Most people don’t plan, they don’t adjust when circumstances change, and then just wing the action hoping for the best.

Preparation Compounds
McPhee turned his worst O-course run into a top-three finish through relentless extra work with experts. He turned pistol weakness into program dominance the same way. Consistent preparation in off-hours creates performance advantages when it matters. Practice. Learn. Do. Repeat. Most people try this but they lose momentum over time and give up. Keep going.

Protect Your People Even When They Hate You
Sending a subordinate who needed more work back to Ranger School made him hate McPhee temporarily but saved his career later on. Good leaders make unpopular decisions that serve long-term interests. If you need everyone to like you, you can’t lead effectively. Earn respect. Be aware of all the individuals on your team, not just the ones who are thriving. Who’s falling behind? Who needs more work?

Efficiency Is Speed and Accuracy Applied Simultaneously with Perfect Technique
This is McPhee’s mantra for shooting. Doing things fast and wrong creates a mess that just needs to be fixed. Doing things slow and perfect misses critical deadlines. It’s the combination (efficient technique executed quickly and accurately) that wins. This takes practice. Again, most people try this but they lack the persistence to excel in both skills at the same time.

Your Past Doesn’t Define Your Future
McPhee went from homeless at 12, living in a brothel with his brother, to the top of military special operations. Keep going. Keep improving. Keep learning. You’ll get your break. Most fail because they just give up.

The podcast ran over three hours. I’m sure you can find many more lessons to be learned. I like these though. For now, anyway.