Never Enough

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

By: Mike Hayes

Narrated by: Mike Hayes

Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's Summary

This program is read by the author.

In Never Enough, Mike Hayes - former Commander of SEAL Team TWO - helps listeners 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 listeners to do work of value, live lives of purpose, and stretch themselves to reach their highest potential.

A Macmillan Audio production from Celadon Books

©2021 Mike Hayes (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

Critic Reviews

“I was inspired by Never Enough and Mike Hayes’s determination to constantly push himself to achieve excellence. It’s an important lesson brought to life by his unique combination of experiences as a decorated Navy SEAL commander, a senior White House official, and successful business executive. Mike writes with humility, candor, and a sharp sense of humor; this is a must read for anyone hoping to learn how to lead through adversity and bring out the best in themselves and their teams.” (David McCormick, CEO of Bridgewater Associates)

"Never Enough is the ultimate playbook for leading a winning team, whether in a boardroom or on the field. Mike Hayes's leadership style was forged on the frontlines as a Navy SEAL, but the lessons that he's distilled in his book could be applied to every person - players, coaches, and beyond - I work with on a daily basis." (Kirk Ferentz, head football coach, University of Iowa)

"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)

"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) 

Team, Teammate, then Self

I heard Mike on Dan Crenshaw's podcast recently and they mentioned this book. While this book can certainly stand on its own, I find it a great compliment to Fortitude. The underlying message(s) in this book are universally relevant, however, I think the stories will resonant most with those who can directly relate. Fantastic read for transitioning military folks as Mike draws correlations between the military, government work, and commercial enterprise.

How to be HEROIC

First, thank you Mr. Hayes for all your sacrifices, leadership, and service so we can enjoy our freedom!

Your beautifully written stories moved me and inspires me to do more every day. You have written a modern day guide on how to be HEROIC in all facets of life. Well done! It should be required reading in high school. Our students need to learn these lessons more than ever.

I have a 7-year-old daughter and I will certainly pass down your lessons and help her be HEROIC like you, your daughter, and all the heroes portrayed in your book.

Thank you Sir!

Words to live by

A motivational and inspirational book in nicely written and presented words. There are many lessons to be learned from this book but for me the most important is that through service to others our life gains meaning and purpose.
Read/listen to the book, hear carefully what Mike Hayes has to say, and then pass it on to someone else you care about so that they may be inspired.

Great Resource for Life Decisions

This book is a great inspirational guide. The choices the writer had to make serving the country was never easy, but the lesson learned is that hard choices leads to right decisions.

Highest possible recommendation!

I finished the Audible version (the author narrates – and I like hearing the story in his own words) and enjoyed it so much, I will also be picking up the printed version soon as a reference. It’s that good. You can read all about the specifics of the book elsewhere, but for me personally, it breaks down to this:

There are plenty of great quotes and books reminding us that we are the product of the choices we make, and Mike’s book does that too. Where ‘Never Enough’ stands apart, however, is by serving as an Owner’s Manual telling us HOW and WHY to make those choices. This is not a book about the military (Mike was a SEAL Team Commanding Officer) or government (he served in the White House under two presidents) or business (he served in the C-suite for the world’s largest hedge fund and continues to serve in other senior business roles), but he draws from all those experiences to tell an incredible story and offer great advice that is both entirely accessible and applicable to everyone.

Not that my opinion means much, but I give it the highest possible recommendation.

One of the best books I have ever bought

This book was an absolute inspiration. I went on to buy a hardcopy just so that I could see the words and use them in my daily life.

Never Enough IDEAS!

Inspiring and insightful book with practical advice and solid tips to help navigate your career and your life. We read NEVER ENOUGH in our Book Club at work and it generated so many ideas on how to deliver customer service and connect with our clients and our communities. I always like books narrated by the author and Mike Hayes did an amazing job. This is a must read!

Good if you like retelling of lots of experiences

I couldn't get into it. Nothing wrong with the book, just not for me. I need less story telling and more advise I guess. To be fair, I didn't get past chapter two.

Excellent book on leadership (and a way to help Gold Star Families)

Mike Hayes has lived a rich life with diverse experiences, from the SEALs to the White House to corporate America. In each turn, he has magnified his leadership opportunities and influence on others. There is nothing in this book that you don’t already know, but Mr. Hayes gives us important reminders of how to make a consistent impact in any role (with some cool SEAL stories to illustrate!). Worth your time, and the proceeds help Gold Star Families!

Vulnerable and somehow Relatable. Amazing!

Hi Mike, thanks for sharing these stories. I can imagine it was challenging to bring this to life. The authenticity shines through and the stories are so relatable. Its such a pleasure to learn of you, and your experiences and perspectives. And it’s teachings.
Thanks,
Ryan