Archive for the ‘Ethics’ Category

Richard Martin’s Monday Morning Brilliant Manoeuvres – 22 April 2013

Posted: April 22, 2013 in Brilliant Manoeuvres, Business Continuity, Contingency Planning, Crisis Leadership, Enterprise Robustness, Ethics, Exploiting Change, Geopolitics, Leadership, Leadership Principles, Military Lessons, Monday Morning Brilliant Manoeuvres, Never Fight Fair, Personal Development, Strategy
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Brilliant Manoeuvre
No one can predict the future, much to the chagrin of many economists and financial theorists and their media acolytes, who prefer assumptions of perfect knowledge and decision-making in all circumstances.

Discussion
I’m breaking my deliberate policy of not commenting on political issues this week in order to comment on reactions to the Boston Marathon bombings last Monday. My personal opinion is that the response of government and law enforcement agencies at all levels has been brilliant in the circumstances. However, there are already Monday Morning Quarterbacks saying that the government overreacted by shuttingn down Boston on Friday and part of Saturday. The problem is that the ones responsible for making these decisions can only plan and act based on information available at the time and the factors they felt they needed to consider. Just throwing out there that they overreacted without knowing those things is pure speculation based on specious counterfactuals or a personal hobby horse. If there is something I learned from a 26-year military career and my study of military strategy and history, it is that decisions that can look sub-optimal in hindsight may have been the best at the time given the circumstances of friction, uncertainty, and the fog of war. In this particular case, only a full after-action review will permit the systemic learning to occur. Saying it was an overreaction is nothing but pure hindsight bias.

Tip
The more complex and risky the undertaking, the more likely that friction will wreak havoc. We must compensate by building robustness, resiliency and redundancy into our plans and systems.

From the Vault
A Superb Example of Crisis Leadership in Action

By the way…
My ideas were featured in the March 25th Globe and Mail: A military approach to business.

Richard Martin is a consultant, speaker, and executive coach. He brings his military and business leadership and management experience to bear for executives and organizations seeking to exploit change, maximize opportunity, and minimize risk.

© 2013 Richard Martin. Reproduction and quotes are permitted with proper attribution.

Richard Martin’s Monday Morning Brilliant Manoeuvres – 25 March 2013

Posted: March 25, 2013 in Brilliant Manoeuvres, Business, Entrepreneurship, Ethics, Exploiting Change, Leadership, Leadership Principles, Management, Military Lessons, Monday Morning Brilliant Manoeuvres, Never Fight Fair, Personal Development, Strategy
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Brilliant Manoeuvre
Leaders must know when it’s time to lead from the front and when it’s time to let others take the reins.

Example
German general Erwin Rommel was one of the most effective and respected commanders of World War II. He was renowned for leading from the front and knowing when it was time to exercise his influence and authority at the decisive point of battle. During the crossing of the Meuse River in 1940, he was at the front and realized that a window of opportunity had opened. Without dithering, he took command of two additional regiments from neighbouring divisions (he was commanding the 7th Panzer Division) in order to secure the river crossing and press the advantage of the German forces on the western bank of the river. During his command of Afrika Korps in North Africa, he was often caught behind enemy lines because he was so far forward. He would also fly over the battlefield to reconnoitre in his Storch plane. Both of these were necessary to stay in touch with the fluid manoeuvring in the desert, but they also demonstrate the risks that must be weighed to be effective in leadership. Rommel was willing to take those calculated risks because he wanted to be at the point of decision and exercise his leadership in person. All great military commanders have demonstrated this talent throughout history. The same applies in business. You have to know when and where to exercise your leadership. Leading from the front is needed to set the example, the tone, and the pace of an operation or project. On the other hand, once things are fully underway in the right manner, it is time to pass the baton to a trusted subordinate to continue with the project so the leader can focus his or her efforts on another strategic initiative.

Tip
A leader must be an example of professional competence, good conduct, and probity to earn the full respect, loyalty, and confidence of the people under his or her responsibility.

By the way…
My ideas are featured in today’s Globe and Mail: A military approach to business.

Richard Martin is a consultant, speaker, and executive coach. He brings his military and business leadership and management experience to bear for executives and organizations seeking to exploit change, maximize opportunity, and minimize risk.

© 2013 Richard Martin. Reproduction and quotes are permitted with proper attribution.

Richard Martin’s Monday Morning Brilliant Manoeuvres

Posted: November 5, 2012 in Brilliant Manoeuvres, Business, Contingency Planning, Crisis Leadership, Enterprise Robustness, Ethics, Exploiting Change, Geopolitics, Leadership, Military Lessons, Never Fight Fair
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Brilliant Manoeuvre
Active, covert threats will continue to grow, and companies must be on the lookout for attacks not just from direct business competitors, but also from actual and potential opponent groups.

Example
At the end of 2011, the computer networks of Stratfor, a strategic forecasting consultancy, were hacked. Financial and other confidential client records were stolen. A group that was opposed to Stratfor’s activities was presumably at the origin of this breakin. Stratfor’s systems and operations were compromised for over a month, and the company had to invest considerable sums and effort to get back on track.

Tip
Most of the intelligence that can be generated about threats and opportunities is staring us in the face, if we are open to seeing it. We have to keep an open mind and be on the lookout for significant changes. We have to keep employees apprised of the situation and objectives so they can also be on the lookout for threats and opportunities, and communicate these to management.

Richard Martin is a consultant, speaker, and executive coach. He brings his military and business leadership and management experience to bear for executives and organizations seeking to exploit change, maximize opportunity, and minimize risk.

514-453-3993 (toll free 888-453-3993)

richard.martin@alcera.ca

More information about Brilliant Manoeuvres: How to Use Military Wisdom to Win Business Battles

Richard’s Speaking

Richard’s Blog: Exploiting Change

Richard on Twitter: boldleadership

Richard’s Email: richard.martin@alcera.ca

Richard’s Company Website: www.alcera.ca

© 2012 Richard Martin. Reproduction and quotes are permitted with proper attribution.

Richard Martin talks about leadership, based on his book Brilliant Manoeuvres: How to Use Military Wisdom to Win Business Battles

Posted: October 30, 2012 in Announcements, Book Reviews, Brilliant Manoeuvres, Business, Enterprise Robustness, Entrepreneurship, Ethics, Exploiting Change, Leadership, Leadership Principles, Marketing and Business Development, Military Lessons, Never Fight Fair, Opportunity, Innovation and Adaptation, Personal Development, Risk Management, Strategy, Video
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In this video, Richard talks about chapter 10 of his book, Brilliant Manoeuvres.

Chapter 10. Follow Me! The Art of Leadership
Competence is the heart of leadership. It can be learned, evaluated, and honed through the consistent application of time-tested principles of military leadership.

© 2012 Richard Martin. Forwarding and quotes permitted with full and proper attribution.

Richard Martin talks about morale and motivation, based on his book Brilliant Manoeuvres: How to Use Military Wisdom to Win Business Battles

Posted: October 29, 2012 in Announcements, Book Reviews, Brilliant Manoeuvres, Business, Enterprise Robustness, Entrepreneurship, Ethics, Exploiting Change, Leadership, Leadership Principles, Marketing and Business Development, Military Lessons, Never Fight Fair, Opportunity, Innovation and Adaptation, Personal Development, Risk Management, Strategy, Video
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In this video, Richard talks about chapter 9 of his book, Brilliant Manoeuvres.

Chapter 9. “The Moral is to the Physical as Three Is to One”—Morale, Cohesion and the Motivation to Perform
The real test of morale is adversity. It is based on cohesion and unity and is the main contributor to individual and team motivation.

© 2012 Richard Martin. Forwarding and quotes permitted with full and proper attribution.

Richard Martin talks about logistics, based on his book Brilliant Manoeuvres: How to Use Military Wisdom to Win Business Battles

Posted: October 28, 2012 in Announcements, Book Reviews, Brilliant Manoeuvres, Business, Enterprise Robustness, Entrepreneurship, Ethics, Exploiting Change, Leadership, Leadership Principles, Marketing and Business Development, Military Lessons, Never Fight Fair, Opportunity, Innovation and Adaptation, Personal Development, Risk Management, Strategy, Video
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In this video, Richard talks about chapter 8 of his book, Brilliant Manoeuvres.

Chapter 8. Bucks, Bullets and Bully Beef—Logistics and the Sinews of War
Logistics is the technique of rational calculation, and it should be applied to all aspects of business, not just transportation and warehousing.

© 2012 Richard Martin. Forwarding and quotes permitted with full and proper attribution.

Richard Martin talks about intelligence, based on his book Brilliant Manoeuvres: How to Use Military Wisdom to Win Business Battles

Posted: October 27, 2012 in Announcements, Book Reviews, Brilliant Manoeuvres, Business, Enterprise Robustness, Entrepreneurship, Ethics, Exploiting Change, Leadership, Leadership Principles, Marketing and Business Development, Military Lessons, Never Fight Fair, Opportunity, Innovation and Adaptation, Personal Development, Risk Management, Strategy, Video
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In this video, Richard talks about chapter 7 of his book, Brilliant Manoeuvres.

Chapter 7. Is Military Intelligence Really an Oxymoron?
The objective isn’t to know everything, as that is impossible, but to know more than your competitors and opponents.

© 2012 Richard Martin. Forwarding and quotes permitted with full and proper attribution.

Richard Martin talks about the ‘fog of war’ and friction, based on his book Brilliant Manoeuvres: How to Use Military Wisdom to Win Business Battles

Posted: October 26, 2012 in Announcements, Book Reviews, Brilliant Manoeuvres, Business, Enterprise Robustness, Entrepreneurship, Ethics, Exploiting Change, Leadership, Leadership Principles, Marketing and Business Development, Military Lessons, Never Fight Fair, Opportunity, Innovation and Adaptation, Personal Development, Risk Management, Strategy, Video
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In this video, Richard talks about chapter 6 of his book, Brilliant Manoeuvres.

Chapter 6. No Plan Survives Contact with the Enemy—Planning, Friction, and the Fog of War
The best-laid plans always go awry, and what to do about it.

© 2012 Richard Martin. Forwarding and quotes permitted with full and proper attribution.

Richard Martin talks about working with limited resources, based on his book Brilliant Manoeuvres: How to Use Military Wisdom to Win Business Battles

Posted: October 25, 2012 in Announcements, Book Reviews, Brilliant Manoeuvres, Business, Enterprise Robustness, Entrepreneurship, Ethics, Exploiting Change, Leadership, Leadership Principles, Marketing and Business Development, Military Lessons, Never Fight Fair, Opportunity, Innovation and Adaptation, Personal Development, Risk Management, Strategy, Video
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In this video, Richard talks about chapter 5 of his book, Brilliant Manoeuvres.

Chapter 5. You Can’t Be Everywhere at Once—Exploiting Limited Resources
The art of juggling always-limited resources so they can be concentrated at the right time and place to achieve the biggest bang for the buck.

© 2012 Richard Martin. Forwarding and quotes permitted with full and proper attribution.

Richard Martin talks about selection and maintenance of the aim, from his book Brilliant Manoeuvres: How to Use Military Wisdom to Win Business Battles

Posted: October 24, 2012 in Announcements, Book Reviews, Brilliant Manoeuvres, Business, Enterprise Robustness, Entrepreneurship, Ethics, Exploiting Change, Leadership, Leadership Principles, Marketing and Business Development, Military Lessons, Never Fight Fair, Opportunity, Innovation and Adaptation, Personal Development, Risk Management, Strategy, Video
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In this video, Richard talks about chapter 4 of his book, Brilliant Manoeuvres.

Chapter 4. Selection and Maintenance of the Aim—The Principle of the Objective
Selection and maintenance of the aim is the master principle of war (and business) because it aligns everyone in the organization to a clear and overarching purpose.

© 2012 Richard Martin. Forwarding and quotes permitted with full and proper attribution.

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