Operation Excellence: Succeeding in Business and Life -- the U.S. Military Way
240
Operation Excellence: Succeeding in Business and Life -- the U.S. Military Way
240Paperback
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Overview
What can the military teach you? Plenty. Military success demands the same things as daily life: loyalty, effort, honor, intelligence, teamwork, and execution. The difference is that, in the civilian world, we've grown comfortable with taking half measures. We do what needs to be done, but the level at which we do it is passable at best. Passable doesn't cut it in the military, and from this day forward, it doesn't cut it in your life, either.
Operation Excellence shows you how to harness the success strategies of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps and apply these strategies to every facet of your life. Colonel Bender will show you how the Arsenal of Victory—discipline, confidence, and sacrifice—combined with 50 Train Tough Strategies, can bring superior results in:
- wealth and success
- business and leadership
- physical and mental health and well-being
- personal relationships
Featuring riveting anecdotes both from Colonel Bender's own exemplary career and from more than 200 years of American military successes and failures, Operation Excellence illustrates the power of preparation, motivation, execution, and perhaps most importantly, lessons learned. Do you want to be all that you can be? Do you want to display confidence and execute at the highest level in everything you do? This book is like your personal drill sergeant. It will give you what you need—sometimes advice, other times a good butt-kicking—and it will drive you to a level of commitment you never knew you could give to anything.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781400242450 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | AMACOM |
| Publication date: | 01/17/2023 |
| Pages: | 240 |
| Sales rank: | 1,035,883 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d) |
Read an Excerpt
Operation Excellence
By Mark Bender
AMACOM Books
Copyright © 2004 Mark BenderAll right reserved.
ISBN: 0-8144-0822-2
Chapter One
Operation MotivationYou Can't Say No to the Drill Sergeant
It is not enough to fight. It is the spirit which we bring to the fight that decides the issue. It is morale that wins the victory. -General George Marshall
I hadn't been at Army Boot Camp more than a few hours when I started asking myself, "How do I get out of this?"
There really wasn't an honorable way out. I was stuck. There was nowhere to go but forward.
The drill sergeant got into me right off the bat, correctly identifying me as someone who needed extra work. Nothing in my experience had adequately prepared me for the sheer discomfort of his presence for the next six weeks. He spit out rewards and punishments like machine gun fire. He pressed his barrel chest right up against me and put his huge head right in my face as he explained things. Worse, he had standards. And there was no way around him.
He was loud. He was excitable. The smallest things were of earth-shattering importance. His energy was unflagging. He ran us everywhere. We did push-ups for punishment and push-ups as a reward.
He told us to follow only lawful orders, that nothing the Army told us to do relieved us of the obligation to think. I kept waiting for an unlawful order from my drill sergeant. It never came.
My drill sergeant was supremely confident. My drill sergeant was technically competent. There was no task he gave us that he couldn't have performed better himself. I could not say no to the drill sergeant. Despite our strained "relationship," he earned my trust.
He made it clear the gate to graduation went through him. We were either going to be the best platoon in Charlie Company or we weren't going anywhere. And the only way we were going to be the best platoon in Charlie Company was to work as a team. Our motto became "Cooperate and Graduate."
As our team developed, he raised the standards. But a funny thing happened. As we became self-motivated, his approach changed, and we began working as much for our buddies as we did for him. By graduation we were ready to take on the world-together.
That drill sergeant was the best thing that ever happened to me. My drill sergeant demonstrated the kind of energy, drive, and bedrock motivation it would take to navigate the competitive shoals of the United States Military. In the end, he was an inspiration. At the time, I thought he was just a pain in the end.
I have to laugh when I hear executives tell their staffs, "No drill sergeants!" These guys obviously never had drill sergeants. If they had, they'd be hiring drill sergeants.
*** STRATEGY 4 ***
Harness the Power of Shock. History is replete with cultures and human beings responding to shock. Think of the United States after Pearl Harbor. Shock got us focused. Shock got us moving. But the greater challenge is to conceptualize shocking scenarios and prepare accordingly. Get ahead of the shock curve and anticipate-then feed off the energy. Attune to life's minishocks. Use them for motivation.
Human Motivation 101
Let's begin with a brief discussion of human motivation.
Was it not Abraham Maslow who developed Maslow's hierarchy of needs? The name so indicates, although it may have been Abe's brother, Moe.
In any event, the hierarchy helps explain what makes people do the things we do.
First, we must eat. Most of us eat too much, so we can pretty much take this one for granted.
Second, we want to feel safe-even if we aren't. We want to feel that life is predictable and orderly, and that bad things won't get us.
Third, we want to belong, to find love and gain a sense of self-esteem, perhaps through achievement.
Last, if there's any energy left, we want to self-actualize, to have the sense that we're living up to our potential.
All of human motivation can pretty well be jammed into one of these four categories-unless you refer to the motivation chapter of your typical Psychology 101 textbook. If you do, you'll find twelve pages on sexual motivation, ten pages on hunger and eating disorders, six pages on achievement motivation, and a couple pages on the need to belong (where, you may be interested to note, a one-paragraph discussion of religious motivation takes place). You will definitely not find God in the index.
When you boil it all down you find that action is always preceded by motivation. When you're after peak performance you've got to be hungry. The lion hunts only when it's hungry.
Human sexuality is also a powerful force. But our libido is not just the seat of our sexual passion, it also drives our passion for life. Passion and desire are at the heart of our ambitions. We're built with the drive to achieve and to find our place at the conference table, to be part of a team.
It's actually pretty simple. The question is, how can we harness these basic motivations and propel ourselves forward at a higher speed?
The answer is that motivation needs props-structures to hold us up when the going gets tough, when internal or external stress threatens to overwhelm our motivation.
One of these props is shock. The doctor tells you to quit smoking or you'll be dead in a year. A bully kicks sand in your face at the beach. Terrorists launch an attack. Shocking events wake us up to reality. Used correctly, shock gets us moving. But the greater challenge is to get ahead of the shock curve, to be strong enough and smart enough to deter bullies and terrorists and to avoid bad news from the doctor.
That leads us to belief. What do you believe in? Mom? Apple pie? The American way? Do you believe in God?
Your beliefs impact your motivation.
Take the guy who really doesn't believe in anything. No God. Love stinks. Whatever will be will be. How motivated would you expect that guy to be?
I'm not going to tell you what to believe. I am going to tell you that you better find out what those beliefs are and harness them.
Until you have harnessed your beliefs, you aren't ready to go on the quest, the ultimate motivational prop. Without beliefs, life is spectator sport. Beliefs put you in the saddle, ready to move out. If nothing else, believe you can make a difference. Believe that your honest effort can make the world a better place. Join the team.
Look, I know there's a lot of philosophy out there telling you to just sit around and watch the world go by. Eliminate your desires and lower your expectations. That stuff has its place, but it's not my schtick. To me, that's called a vacation. Any idiot can go on vacation. I'm here to get you moving. Would you need me to tell you how to sit on your butt? I don't think so.
A quest mentality gets you moving. Seeing your life as a quest provides a focus and direction the rest of the crowd doesn't have. You establish goals, your core beliefs jack up your motivation, and you're ready for some earth-shattering challenges.
You supply the goals. Whatever works for you.
When they asked George Mallory why he wanted to climb Mount Everest, he answered simply, "Because it's there."
It helps to know what's there before you establish your goals.
Mallory saw the mountain. Mother Teresa saw poverty. Jerry Lewis saw sick kids that needed help. Maybe you see 40 pounds of fat. Whatever.
The point is to see what's there for you and turn it into a quest. Consecrate yourself to the mission. Have high expectations for what you can accomplish. See yourself in a fight to the finish. Get ready to push yourself beyond your old limits.
*** STRATEGY 5 ***
Harness the Power of Belief. Until you have harnessed your beliefs, you aren't ready to go on the quest. Without belief, life is a spectator sport. What do you believe? On what basis do you hold these beliefs? What you believe impacts your motivation. Your core beliefs are those truths you have validated over and over again. Know what they are.
Sink or Swim?
At 12:14 a.m. on July 30, 1945, with 1,199 men aboard, the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. Twelve minutes later she sank. Some 900 men survived the initial explosions and fire and were cast into the shark-infested waters of the Philippine Sea. Only after five terrible days were all the survivors picked up. Without food or water, exposed to the elements and the attacking sharks, only 317 men lived to tell the tale. If you saw the movie Jaws, you'll recall the old fisherman's gut-wrenching recollection of the nightmare.
Responses to the crisis varied widely from one sailor to another. The men hit the water in varying states of mental and physical distress. Some were injured or burned; some had life jackets and others did not. Some gathered in teams and fought to keep each other alive. Leadership and sacrifice played key roles in saving the lives of many. Every man aboard the USS Indianapolis, whether he survived or perished, paid a tremendous price to defend our freedom-reminding us of the endless horrors of war.
Imagine yourself floating alone in the ocean, abandoned. No need to worry about sharks or how you came to be there. But you're alone, with land many miles off.
What assets do you have?
Let's take inventory.
You have your mind, your brain. Your mind has stored information on survival situations, shipwreck stories, and your ability to swim. Your brain functions as a product of your experiences-and training. Inside your mind are your decision-making and problem-solving faculties, the machinery to help you decide whether to swim for land or to float as long as possible in the hope of being picked up. Your mind is synonymous with your heart, reflecting the level of toughness, determination, and emotional control you bring to the situation.
The state of your body might be critical. Is it fit? Have you eaten recently? Are you hydrated?
What is your level of hope?
Do you have friends or family who will surely be searching for you?
Are you feeling lucky?
Do you believe in God?
How long you survive will likely be determined by the answers to these questions. Reduced to floating protoplasm, we have an excellent opportunity to take a look at ourselves.
What do you have to live for? Have you pretty much seen and done it all? Do you feel that your mission in life is complete? Maybe your time has come. Letting go won't be so hard. Maybe it's time to go.
Or maybe you still have work to do, and people who depend on you. You're a fighter by nature, and this is just one more crazy situation to work your way out of. Something to overcome.
*** STRATEGY 6 ***
Inventory Your Assets. What is the state of your mind? Your body? Your relationships? Your career? In the military we make inventory a continuous process. We always want to know where our people and equipment are, and whether they're ready for battle. Take stock of your assets, so you can fully access them on your quest.
One Tough Sissy
Captain Harry Truman had no business serving in World War I. He was practically blind in one eye, wearing thick, corrective glasses from age 8. Harry memorized the eye chart so he could join the Army, a patriotic act of self-sacrifice almost beyond our imagination today.
Throughout the war Truman carried in his breast pocket a picture of Bess Wallace, the only woman he would ever love. He first saw Bess at age 6 in Sunday School, and it was love at first sight. Bashful around girls, it would take Harry five years to get up the courage to actually speak to young Bess, who came from a well-to-do family. Harry came from a family that struggled to make ends meet; they lacked the social standing of the Wallaces. Bess was athletic, described as "a hell of a third baseman and tennis player." Harry couldn't play games because of his eyes; he played the piano and was looked upon as a sissy.
Harry was 26 when he began courting Bess in earnest. He visited her on Sundays and kept up a steady letter-writing campaign from the family farm south of town. But Bess had the pick of a wide field, and her mother was sure she could do better than Harry.
He proposed marriage in one of his letters. She politely declined. He wrote back and thanked her for not ridiculing him-and continued the barrage. He fashioned a grass tennis court and threw a party for her. She didn't come. But the letters and visits continued. After two more years Bess finally admitted that if she ever were to marry, she would marry Harry. It was a big if, but there was hope.
If only he could find his fortune....
Harry borrowed money to mine for zinc in Oklahoma. The enterprise failed. He borrowed more money to drill for oil. The well went bust and Harry sold his stake. The company continued, dug a little deeper, and struck it rich. At age 33, Harry Truman was penniless and a failure.
As Harry prepared to serve his country in World War I, Bess Wallace finally agreed to his marriage proposal. This time it was Harry who said no, he didn't want to subject Bess to marriage with a "prospective cripple."
But Harry Truman returned whole and with renewed confidence from his military success. Among other feats, he commanded Battery B of the Second Battalion, 129th Field Artillery-a unit that fired 10,000 rounds in numerous engagements-without losing a soldier. Harry was now a leader of men, described by one of his soldiers as "one tough son of a bitch of a man."
Six weeks after returning home from France, Harry and Bess were wed. The marriage would last their lifetimes, persevering through numerous trials and tribulations.
Harry Truman was persistent. Harry Truman was determined. Harry Truman had character. And those same qualities that ruled his love life would take him to the White House-as president and commander in chief. When Harry Truman locked on a target he was one tough sissy.
How Bad Do You Want It?
In Train Tough the Army Way, a book about cutting-edge sports strategies, I introduced one of life's key questions-"How bad do you want it?"
At the time, I saw this question mainly in terms of sports motivation. It's a simple technique in which players ask themselves that question before stepping up to the plate in baseball, approaching the free throw line in basketball, or breaking out of the huddle before a field goal attempt in football. The object is to give a one-word answer-"BAD."
Crystallizing motivation in a single word, one that you believe in, is like pulling the lanyard on an artillery gun. Boom! You're ready for action. In action, motivation overcomes the twin monsters of fear and self-consciousness. Effective action is guided by reasoning and imagination. But, in a word, you've got to want it-BAD.
Looking at the courtship of Harry and Bess Truman, I realized that the how-bad-do-you-want-it question applies to all of life.
Continues...
Excerpted from Operation Excellence by Mark Bender Copyright © 2004 by Mark Bender. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
ForewordIntroduction
PART ONE The Arsenal of Victory
1. Operation Motivation?You Can't Say No to the Drill Sergeant
2. Discipline? It's Habit Forming
3. Confidence? The Ultimate Lifestyle
4. Sacrifice? Sorry, You Really Can't Have It All
PART TWO The Business of the United States Military
5. Endstate? Understanding the Mission
6. Learning? No Such Thing as Graduation
7. Problem Solving? We're Here to Fix Things!
8. Ethics? One Dilemma After Another
PART THREE The Combat Business Model
9. Organization? The Structure of Success
10. Execution? The Art and Science of High Performance
11. Teamwork? With the Emphasis on Work
12. Leadership? Something for Everyone
PART FOUR Your Personal Battle Plan
13. Tactics? Going for the Win
14. Health? Choose or Lose
15. Wealth? Leveraging the Military Mind
16. Relationships? The Toughest Game in Town
Afterword Motivating for the Road Ahead
Acknowledgments
Index
What People are Saying About This
"Aristotle claimed that the aim of life is the development of character. Operation Excellence is a hard-hitting, no-nonsense book full of practical principles to make a better, stronger person — to improve your character."
—Brian Tracy, internationally known speaker, development consultant, and author
"Mark Bender's unique perspective and approach makes living in success practical, fun, and totally achievable for anyone."
—Tim McCarthy, host of the award winning Internet-radio broadcast Living In Success
"Operation Excellence pumped me up!"
—Pete Pierce, President, Punch Software
Paul Tulenko, syndicated columnist: "Playing off tactics used by the United States Military, you will learn EXACTLY what it takes to understand your problem, learn how to structure your challenge such that you can find a solution, how to go for the win, and how to create the wealth you desire whether it is money or something else.This is a terrific book. I give it 5 stars. (Only the Bible the Constitution receive 6 stars.)"