Where’s your focus?
I came across this quote recently, and it somewhat stopped me in my tracks:
“Amateurs talk strategy. Professionals talk logistics.”
I’d never heard it before, although apparently it’s fairly well known in military circles. It’s attributed to General Omar Bradley, a US Army many-starred general, and first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In other words, someone who knows a thing or two about campaigns.
One of my favourite Change Signal conversations so far has been with Charles Conn, who, as an ex-McKinsey guy and one of the most strategic people I know, railed the inherited military metaphors and structures that inform “old school” strategy. He’s a fierce advocate for running “small experiments.”
And ironically, it seems like the military might agree; at least in that the “strategy” bit of change is not nearly as important as people might think (especially, I’d wager, strategic consulting firms … the clue is in the name.)
Of course, Bradley’s not the first to understand this (and *HT* to Fred Gibbs on Quora for these quotes).
Sun Tzu: “The line between disorder and order lies in logistics …”
Napoleon Bonaparte: “An army marches on its stomach.”
General Foch (attributed): “Behind every great leader there was an even greater logistician.”
Tom Peters: “Leaders win through logistics. Vision, sure. Strategy, yes. But when you go to war, you need to have both toilet paper and bullets at the right place at the right time. In other words, you must win through superior logistics.”
Their focus was on overcoming their enemies and winning the battles.
But as a transformational leader, what’s helpful in this for you and your focus on change in your organization?
