Second Shot: Lessons from a Sniper

The Second Shot

I recently read The Second Shot: A Green Beret's Last Mission by Gene Yu. It’s the story of a daring hostage rescue and how Yu, an unlikely civilian, became the hero of the operation. One passage from the book stuck with me, and I’ve found myself coming back to it again and again:

"The unofficial sniper motto is 'One shot, one kill,' but at US Army Sniper School, I learned the real skill is in the second shot. It's about quickly adjusting after a miss to hit the target—a lesson I've applied to life, where success often comes from second chances rather than first-shot luck." Yu, Gene. The Second Shot: A Green Beret's Last Mission (pp. 74-75). Little A. Kindle Edition

Not many of us succeed on our first try. In fact, when people do hit the bullseye right out of the gate, they often struggle to replicate that success later. Mastery—whether in life, work, or even sharpshooting—comes from practice, failure, and learning from mistakes. The real magic lies in how you respond when things don’t go as planned.

Take the sniper world as an example. Hitting the target on the first shot may sound ideal, but often it’s luck more than skill. Wind, distance, and even temperature can throw things off. That’s why the second shot is so important—it’s the one that shows what you’ve learned.

And a great sniper isn’t alone in this process. They work closely with a spotter, who adjusts for windage, elevation, and other variables after seeing the first shot. It’s a team effort. Both roles are critical, and together they refine the shot to hit the mark. This dynamic mirrors life in so many ways: collaboration and feedback are often the keys to success after a misstep.

Life throws its own unpredictable variables at us. Sometimes we miss because of factors we couldn’t anticipate. But the lesson is clear: resilience and adaptability matter more than getting it perfect the first time. Learning from failure, recalibrating, and taking another shot—that’s how we grow.

This mindset applies to more than just sniping or elite missions. It’s true in your personal and professional life. Challenges and setbacks are inevitable, but they don’t have to be the end of the story. If we take the time to reflect, adjust, and try again, we improve not just our results but our perseverance and confidence.

The lesson of the second shot is this: success isn’t defined by a perfect start. It’s shaped by how we respond to setbacks, what we learn from them, and how we lean on the people who help us adjust our aim. Resilience and teamwork lead to mastery, not just luck.