Never Enough

A Navy SEAL Commander on Living a Life of Excellence, Agility, and Meaning

By Mike Hayes
Never Enough by Mike Hayes
Author: Mike Hayes
ISBN: 9781250753373
ON SALE: 02/09/2021

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In Never Enough, Mike Hayes—former Commander of SEAL Team TWO—helps readers apply high-stakes lessons about excellence, agility, and meaning across their personal and professional lives.

Mike Hayes has lived a lifetime of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. He has been held at gunpoint and threatened with execution. He’s jumped out of a building rigged to explode, helped amputate a teammate’s leg, and made countless split-second life-and-death decisions. He’s written countless emails to his family, telling them how much he loves them, just in case those were the last words of his they’d ever read. Outside of the SEALs, he’s run meetings in the White House Situation Room, negotiated international arms treaties, and developed high-impact corporate strategies.

Over his many years of leadership, he has always strived to be better, to contribute more, and to put others first. That’s what makes him an effective leader, and it’s the quality that he’s identified in all of the great leaders he’s encountered. That continual striving to lift those around him has filled Mike’s life with meaning and purpose, has made him secure in the knowledge that he brings his best to everything he does, and has made him someone others can rely on.

In Never Enough, Mike Hayes recounts dramatic stories and offers battle-and boardroom-tested advice that will motivate readers to do work of value, live lives of purpose, and stretch themselves to reach their highest potential.

A confident professional man in a suit jacket and a blue shirt stands against a neutral background, looking directly at the camera with a friendly yet serious expression.
Mike Hayes is the former Commanding Officer of SEAL Team TWO, leading a two thousand–person Special Operations Task Force in Southeastern Afghanistan. In addition to a twenty-year career as a SEAL, Mike was a White House Fellow, served two years as Director of Defense Policy and Strategy at the National Security Council, and has worked directly with both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Beyond his military and governmental service, Mike is currently the Chief Digital Transformation Officer at VMware. He joined VMware in October 2020, and leads the company’s worldwide business operations and the acceleration of the company’s SaaS transition. Previously, he was SVP and Head of Strategic Operations at Cognizant Technology. Mike also served in Chief of Staff and COO roles at Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest and most successful hedge fund. Mike holds an M.A. in Public Policy from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and received his B.A. from Holy Cross College. His military decorations include the Bronze Star for valor in combat in Iraq, a Bronze Star for Afghanistan, and the Defense Superior Service Medal from the White House. Hayes is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a member of the board of directors of Immuta, a data governance company, and of the National Medal of Honor Museum, and a senior advisor to Inherent Group, an impact investment firm. He lives in Westport, Connecticut with his wife and daughter.

Praise for Mike Hayes

“Mike Hayes’s great strength is his understanding that leadership comes from putting others first. As a result, Never Enough is the book you didn’t know you needed — filled with constructive ways to be better leaders and better people. Here’s the recipe for uniting and strengthening our nation. Here’s how to unlock excellence.”

Brad Meltzer
Bestselling Author of THE LINCOLN CONSPIRACY

“Part thrilling adventure tales, part sensible, widely applicable advice for working with a team, Hayes' first book should find a wide audience on all levels of the corporate ladder.”

BOOKLIST

"Never Enough is a brilliant and wonderfully insightful compilation of stories and timeless lessons gained from a successful life and career as a Commanding Officer in the Navy SEALs, a Policy Maker in the White House and a Technologist in Corporate America. As we confront a future filled with both remarkable promise and unsettling uncertainties, the book is a reminder that leading a life of excellence, agility and meaning is the best way to not lose sight of the fact that in all of our human endeavors, the journey is more important than the destination."

Frank D'Souza
Co-founder and Former CEO of Cognizant Technology Solutions

“I’ve known Mike for over two decades and seen his incredible leadership and dedication to the SEALs, our military, and our nation. Mike’s experiences and wisdom make Never Enough a valuable read that I strongly recommend to anyone looking to live a more extraordinary life.” 

William McRaven
Former Commander, USSOCOM and #1 Bestselling Author of MAKE YOUR BED

"In business, it's critical to think strategically, move quickly, and be ready to pivot at any moment -- in other words, you have to think like a SEAL.  In Never Enough, Mike Hayes applies the lessons he's learned as a SEAL to the business world.  It's essential reading for anyone looking to reach the next level."

Steve Case
Former CEO and Chairman of AOL

"Being an entrepreneur takes guts, grit, and the willingness to take a risk -- but it's nothing like the risks Mike Hayes has taken during his extraordinary life.  Whether you're building a business or building a life, Never Enough is an incredible manual for getting the best out of yourself, your team, and your community. Just like Mike is a one-of-a-kind achiever, his book is a one-of-a-kind must-read." 

Neil Blumenthal
CEO of Warby Parker

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