13 Hours…

Just devoured the book titled, 13 Hours written by Mitchell Zuckoff with the Annex Security Team. Tons of leadership lessons in history. If you are a leader and haven’t yet developed the desire to deeply study some kinda history, you are basically handicapping yourself. Anyway, the book is written as a first hand account of the thirteen hours of battle between terrorists in Benghazi and American “Operators.” Operators are the name given to contract soldiers, in this case a combo of former SEAL’s, Marines, and Rangers. The Operators were left to fend for themselves and disobeyed orders after waiting for twenty, long minutes and being told by leadership to “stand down.” The book is not about the political bullshit that oversimplifies the fog of war. The book is about what happens when adversity strikes and how much a timely response matters.

If you are a leader and you’re reading this short rant, remember, in our politically correct and risk averse culture we tend to wait too long. I’m not saying you need to rush into decisions and dive headlong into un-chartered waters just to appear responsive. Sometimes you move quickly, sometimes you react with caution. However, if you’re like most of my clients, you are mostly waiting too long to act when adversity strikes. You worry too much about what other people think. You want more data before deciding. And, you don’t have a strong enough trust in your gut or even in your “trusted” advisors. So, you wait. In your case, most likely, it’s not life and death – just a missed opportunity to capture a new market, exit a not so good one, hire a keeper, or fire a not so good one. Study history, you’ll see. The greatest leaders are with those they lead when adversity strikes. They are calm under fire. And, they take charge and turn on their command/control persona because somebody has to when we’re knee deep in the shit.

Every week I put leaders under pressure in BTL practice. I attempt to get under their skin and see if they can take it. As I told two fine folks today, I’m one of the few who challenges the head of their system. I tried to encourage them that he’s not as tough an s.o.b. as he appears. Without so much as thinking, they both shared how much they wished they  could do the same, but, you know, it’s too dangerous when your livelihood depends on it. Thank God a few operators weren’t operating in such debilitating fear of their big bosses in Washington D.C. Thank God. What, my friend, is holding you back from operating according to what your guts informing you?

As a wise man once said long ago – Study history or simply repeat it…