Posts Tagged Col. John Boyd

Leadership: Narcissism And Toxic Leaders

Dec 23

Posted by Matt in Jundism, Leadership | 1 Comment

This is an excellent run down of a particular type of ‘bad boss‘ that folks might run into out there. The article also talks about what to look for when finding potential leaders for an organization, in order to avoid these narcissistic toxic leaders. They boil it down to having emotional intelligence or the ability to focus on others (respecting others) as opposed to focusing purely on self (narcissism).

Under Jundism, you will find a couple of concepts that promote emotional intelligence. One is to ‘take care of your people’ and another would be ‘people support what they help to create’.  Both of these concepts require knowledge of your people. With that knowledge, you will have the brain power and experience of the group to tap into so you can build a better product or service.

Another more simplistic way to look at this, is to find and hire those individuals who are there ‘to do’ the job of a leader, and not there just ‘to be’ a leader or ‘To Be, Or To Do’ in the words of Col. John Boyd.

One final point that the article mentioned that rang true for both the military and any organization, and goes well with ‘the courage to do what is right’, is this quote.

“If the leader walks by and observes something wrong without making the correction, he has just established the new standard of behavior.”

If a company or military unit knows they have a toxic leader within their ranks, and they do nothing about it, they in essence are saying that it is acceptable. The troops are left wondering, does the organization as a whole really care about their welfare, if they knowingly allow these individuals to stay in these positions of power, or promote folks whom are toxic into these positions of power within the organization?

To that end, I would say that another quote from Boyd is in order–’people, ideas, hardware–and in that order’. Companies and the military must make the effort to ensure that good leaders are within their ranks, representing the organizations well, managing the mission and contract well, and taking care of their people. That they are exhibiting the necessary emotional intelligence to properly use an organization’s most important resource–it’s people. -Matt

 

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Jundism: In Praise Of Those Who ‘Do’….

Jun 30

Posted by Matt in Jundism, Kaizen, Leadership | 3 Comments

‘Only accurate rifles are interesting.’ -Townsend Whelen

This is a quick post, but important. For Townsend, only accurate rifles are interesting. I like that quote, and I think it works well with what I believe in, and that is ‘only those that do are interesting’. Over the years, I have received numerous emails from readers who had the courage ‘to do’ what is right. To quote Col. John Boyd, they chose the route of ‘to do’ when they came to that great crossroads of life that everyone experiences, and they wanted to share that with me.

These men and women are my heroes, and they are what inspire me every time I work on this blog or think about how to improve this industry and war effort. They are the unsung heroes of every company, military unit or government, that had the courage to stand up and demand excellence or battle with those who are unjust.  They have also done these things at peril to self, all because being righteous sometimes equates to being unpopular or not advancing in an organization. But at least they did not compromise what they believed in, and this is what makes them more interesting and more of a leader than any of those that strive ‘to be’.

There are other moments of jundism that I hear about that motivates me. Those that came up with the better idea, and fought hard for that better idea and won, are also my heroes. They might have built a snowmobile, and created a new idea, which is really awesome. Or they might have lost the battle, all because of someone else’s ego or pride.  Either way, that individual get’s my respect for fighting the good fight.

The other thing I like to focus in on with my exchanges with the readership, either here or at Facebook, is to empower those individuals in their personal battles. To actually give them the means to win those battles through sound strategy and good intelligence. ‘Know yourself, know your enemy’, as Sun Tzu would say.  But most importantly, win without fighting.

That last part is very important.  I want my readership to win their battles, and not face casualty. That is very hard to do though, and even in my personal battles, I have lost. But I have also won some battles, and the key is to learn from those losses and continuously improve upon your ability to win future battles. And of course, the ultimate in war fighting, or the battle of wills and ideas, is to win without fighting at all.

To do this, you must know your adversaries well, and know yourself so you can figure out what ‘winning’ really means. Studying strategy, and borrowing brilliance is crucial. You must also avoid fights that end up in pyrrhic victories. Seek fights where your strength can defeat their weakness, and get that win. I want you to continue working in this industry and become a force of change, or to be the example.  That is winning.  To destroy yourself while destroying your opponent is losing in my book. Remember this when thinking of conducting legal battles, or battles with management and other individuals in your particular occupation.

Finally, it gives me great pleasure to know that jundism and this blog is bringing about a revolution in thought process. I have readers who are now students of good leadership, who are innovators, who are not afraid to do what is right, etc. They are also students of strategy and are continuously improving. These  readers and leaders have embraced these ideas, and have used them to their advantage.  It is a privilege and honor to be a part of that process and serve this family.

For those that fall under the category of ‘to be’, all I have to say is that you do not earn my respect. Although there is something I do like about this loathsome group…..  I like to study you, so I can empower those that aspire ‘to do’, to defeat you. -Matt

“Tiger, one day you will come to a fork in the road,” he said. “And you’re going to have to make a decision about which direction you want to go.” He raised his hand and pointed. “If you go that way you can be somebody. You will have to make compromises and you will have to turn your back on your friends. But you will be a member of the club and you will get promoted and you will get good assignments.”
Then Boyd raised his other hand and pointed another direction. “Or you can go that way and you can do something – something for your country and for your Air Force and for yourself. If you decide you want to do something, you may not get promoted and you may not get the good assignments and you certainly will not be a favorite of your superiors. But you won’t have to compromise yourself. You will be true to your friends and to yourself. And your work might make a difference.”
He paused and stared into the officer’s eyes and heart. “To be somebody or to do something.” In life there is often a roll call. That’s when you will have to make a decision. To be or to do. Which way will you go?”- Col. John Boyd

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Strategy: Egyptians Share Secrets Of Uprising

Feb 10

Posted by Matt in Egypt, Strategy, Tunisia | 1 Comment

      This is fascinating stuff. Like most folks, I have been following the protests and political upheaval with some interest. But what I am really interested in is the strategies and tactics behind such things.  Because really, the best way to win a war or achieve an objective, is to not fight at all. Removing a leader and it’s regime via internal uprising or coup (bloodless preferred) , is far better than expending all the resources, treasure and blood that is involved with conducting an all out war to remove such a beast.

     What I thought was most impressive is that it sounded like what won the day was really good strategy on the part of the activists, and not Twitter or Facebook or whatever gadgets that the media likes to point to as the source.  These protesters played a better game than the riot forces and the Mubarak regime did, and they did it by borrowing brilliance or what I call ‘mimicry strategy’.  They saw how the folks in Tunisia did this, and copied it.  They also used whatever communications tool they could to network the masses and get them to where they needed to be.  So they did word of mouth tactics, they used the internet, they used flyers, they used the cell phone and text messaging, they used everything they could to get the word out.

     Further more, on the technology side of things, there are more cellphones in Egypt than internet users.  And the government eventually shut down the internet, leaving protest organizers to go back to more traditional ways of organizing.  But as you can see with their strategy, they wanted to create just one successful protest that would get people off their asses and out into the streets.  Once they got the people out, the protest would fuel itself because people would be motivated by other people and their actions.  Momentum is what they were seeking, and that is what they achieved.

    Also, I really dug the ‘Site 21′ strategy mentioned.  I think Col. John Boyd would be impressed with this strategy, as would any military strategist.  The protest was well planned and executed, and it used decoy marches to fool the police.  With that planning, they were also able to create a focal point or schwerpunkt at this Site 21, and depend on the masses to collect there and overwhelm any police forces that could respond. This massive show of people would be the fuel for future protests. This would further build on the inception of the Tunisian success in Egypt idea in everyone’s brain.  Success breeds success.

     Also it should be noted that ‘know yourself, know your enemy’ was extremely important to the success of these strategists.  They had protested and failed before, so they had that to learn from.  They had years to study the Egyptian riot police and how they operated.  They also learned what it took to motivate the people through a source of constant give and take feedback gold on such places as Facebook, Twitter, and activist forums.  And lets not forget the simple act of just talking on a phone or sending text as well?  The cellphone to me was probably the most important technological tool used, just because it was the one tool that everyone in the country had access too.

     Now for the down side.  Who knows what the outcome of all of this will be?  Will the Muslim Brotherhood take over in Egypt? Are we seeing the seeds of a Islamic Revolution throughout the region, much like what happened in Iran back in 1979?  Will the military in Egypt join with the people and their desired leader, or join with Mubarak and hurt the people to break the uprising? Or will the military just dissolve? Not to mention how all of this will impact the price of oil, US regional strategies and national interests, or even Egypt’s neighbor Israel?

     I don’t know, but I do know that other political uprisings will emerge because now there is a template.  Mimicry strategy, along with adding that one little edge specific to their region is the kind of stuff we will continue to see. Most importantly, there is momentum building and oppressed peoples will be more enthused to do something. -Matt

Go to Site 21!!!! This is our Tunisia!!!!

Egyptians Share Secrets of Uprising

FEBRUARY 10, 2011

By CHARLES LEVINSON And MARGARET COKER

CAIRO—The Egyptian opposition’s takeover of the area around the parliament this week began with a trick.

First, they called for a march on the state television building a few blocks north of their encampment in Tahrir Square. Then, while the army deployed to that sensitive communications hub, they moved into the lightly defended area around the parliament to the south.

The feint gave a taste of how a dozen young activists managed to outwit Egypt’s feared security forces to launch a historic uprising now in its 17th day—and hint at how the organizers hope to keep pressure on a regime that has dug in its heels.

On Jan. 25, the first day of protests, the organizers had a trick up their sleeves in the impoverished slum of Bulaq al-Dakrour, on Cairo’s western edge.

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Aviation: Drone Operators Climb On Winds Of Change In The Air Force

Feb 28

Posted by Matt in Aviation, Technology | No Comments

     Like with contractors, drones have been the ‘new thing’ that the military has been trying figure out. Now a kid who is really good at video games, could essentially fly these drones.  Hell, I think drone piloting will only become easier and more user friendly in the future.  We will also see drones that are more intuitive, that will actually help out the drone archer in their missions.  Of course we will also see autonomous drones come on to the scene, but I believe the military will still want some kind of human interface to be that ‘elephant chisel’ for that drone.

     I don’t think human flight will go away in the Air Force per se. It’s just now commanders have the choice between risking the life of a pilot for a mission versus using a UAV. So human powered missions will more than likely be the stuff that requires the utmost in human discretion.  Humans can also feel out a situation and provide more random strategies in the air, that machines would have a hard time deriving patterns from.

     But yet again, a human in a small box in Nevada, could apply the same strategies with a highly maneuverable UAV.  There are no physical limitations for the drone archer either.  They can go to the bathroom, eat, work in shifts, and the G Forces or altitude of the aircraft will not impact the mission.  Most importantly, there is no fog of war for the pilot.

     That leaves another question.  For some pilots, physically being in the battle, is a good thing.  It empowers them by heightening their senses and really pushing their strategies and desire to kill the enemy.  In other words, there are high stakes involved with human piloting, and that causes a person to really perform. The drone archer in the box, just looks at it like a video game. There might be a strategic edge to a pilot that is ‘more connected’ to the battlefield.  Who knows, and this stuff is a little out of my lane.  Either way, drones are here to stay, and they are causing a significant shift in military aviation mindset. I wonder what Col. John Boyd would have to say about drones? -Matt

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Combat Generation: Drone operators climb on winds of change in the Air Force

By Greg JaffeSunday, February 28, 2010

The question, scrawled on a Pentagon whiteboard last fall, captured the strange and difficult moment facing the Air Force.

“Why does the country need an independent Air Force?” the senior civilian assistant to Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, the service’s chief of staff, had written. For the first time in the 62-year history of the Air Force, the answer isn’t entirely clear.

The Air Force’s identity crisis is one of many ways that a decade of intense and unrelenting combat is reshaping the U.S. military and redefining the American way of war. The battle against insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq has created an insatiable demand for the once-lowly drone, elevating the importance of the officers who fly them.

These new earthbound aviators are redefining what it means to be a modern air warrior and forcing an emotional debate within the Air Force over the very meaning of valor in combat.

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Jundism: Save Your Pennies

Feb 9

Posted by Matt in Building Snowmobiles, Job Tips, Jundism | 2 Comments

     This is a new addition to Jundism, and I wanted to back this precept up with plenty of historical reference. From Bushido or the Boy Scout Law, to Col. John Boyd and Miyamoto Musashi. As you can see, being thrifty is a concept that needs attention.

     For your personal life, being thrifty means you can survive in between your gigs because you saved your pennies. In my experience, you need to be able to last for up to a year to two years without a contract sometimes. You just cannot depend upon a job to be there for the long term, despite what your employer or contract might say. The smart contractor saves their pennies so they can weather the down times.

     Being thrifty also means being fiscally responsible, and not creating a situation in your life where your decision making process could be impacted by debt.  It absolutely kills me to hear guys say ‘man, I would leave this crappy contract tomorrow, if I didn’t have a house payment to make’.  With that said, how many guys are out there, that are a slave to a poorly managed contract and don’t say anything to make it better, all because they owe money back home and fear employer reprisal?

     So strategically speaking, if you could focus on saving your money and entering into contracts from a position of strength, then that makes sense.  Boyd recognized the power of being frugal, and it certainly allowed him to not be influenced by others and be free from the constraints of debt. Imagine being able to say ‘If these guys do not do the things necessary to properly manage this contract, I am leaving’, all because you have enough money back home to survive through the unemployment.  Of course I always recommend that folks have a new job lined up before leaving a crappy contract, but if you cannot put up with the shenanigans, then leave.  Having money saved up at home, gives you that freedom to be able to do that. (having retirement money, allows you never to work again, but good luck getting to that level-lol)

     Also, if your brain is clogged with negativity because you have bill collectors or ex-spouse pressing down on you all the time, then how does that mindset translate to your decision making process out in the field? If you are stressed out from money issues, and have your finger on a trigger of a weapon in a war zone, how is that helpful in your shoot or no shoot situations?  Money and poor relationships seems to be some of the main culprits of adding stress to an already stressful job.  A good strategy is to get your finances in order before a contract overseas, so you can think clearly and have one less thing to worry about.

     Then there is the IRS and getting a clearance for work.  Financial problems are the one thing that really screw up a lot of guy’s chances for getting a clearance, and thus a job.  Especially if you lied about problems, or didn’t know everything about your finances when you submitted a SF 86 form.  I recommend getting a background check done on yourself, and know all the little financial secrets about your life.  It’s called ‘being prepared’, and having that information will help you when applying for jobs that require clearances.  And if you owe the IRS money (or whatever tax collector agency in your country), you will only hurt your chances for work, and that kind of debt will yet again impact your mental stability.  Pay your debts, clear your mind.  It’s that simple.

     There is no retirement plan with this stuff either. How you play your cards now, will influence how you do later on in life.  Put your money in a Roth IRA, or some Index Fund and feed them both with dollar cost averaging. Compounding interest and time are your friends, when it comes to saving money. Invest in your health, and insure you have a good health plan. Get a good CPA during tax time.  Enlist the help of a financial advisor, and get a good strategy going for saving your money. Most importantly, make sure you have covered all the loose ends with supporting your family.  Especially if you get wounded, or worse yet, if you get killed.  All of these items will help to put your mind at ease, if you put the proper time into researching and building your financial strategy.

     Finally, there are so many good reasons for saving your money and living modestly.  Of course the recession is forcing many to re-evaluate their finances, but even during the good times, it is important to just keep saving.  I want your brains to be clear of any kind of negativity associated with money. Go ahead and treat yourself every once in awhile, and that is only human. But for the true professional, saving your pennies is a key life and work strategy.  It also equates to a clear head, which will help in your decision making processes out there in the war.

     I also think if you can get your money matters in order, it will also influence the quality of your relationships at home, which will also impact your mental state out in the field. This industry needs you to be thinking straight and ’Saving your pennies’ is another excellent addition to Jundism. I look forward to your thoughts on the matter. -Matt

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Sonshi

Sonshi.com: Boyd believed Sun Tzu’s The Art of War was the only book he read that didn’t have any flaws. He was known to own several translations and encouraged close associates to read it. We believe the greatest testament to his understanding of the work was his remark, “My goal was not personal. My work was for the best interest of the country. I tried to do it the Air Force Way and was refused at every turn. Then I did it my way.” Sun Tzu said, “The general who does not advance to seek glory, or does not withdraw to avoid punishment, but cares for only the people’s security and promotes the people’s interests, is the nation’s treasure.” Do find this to be the underlying theme in his life?

Chet Richards: Boyd might not agree that it didn’t have flaws. It is, after all, the creation of mortal human beings. However, he never critiqued Sun Tzu as he did Clausewitz or Jomini, where he identified fundamental problems with their underlying approach to strategy. I’ll go into this in more detail below.

As for doing it his way, by the end of his life, this was certainly true. After he realized that the Air Force was not going to promote him to general, he restructured his life style to fit his colonel’s retirement pay. By doing this, he freed himself from any need to make more money. This produced an almost Zen-like detachment from material desire.

From an interview between Sonshi and Chet Richards.

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Dokkkodo

By the Ronin, Miyamoto Musashi

The Dokkodo “The Path of Aloneness” or “The Way to be Followed Alone” was a work written by Miyamoto Musashi a week before he died in 1645. It is a short work, consisting of either nineteen or twenty-one precepts; precepts 4 and 20 are omitted from the former version. It was largely composed on the occasion of Musashi giving away his possessions in preparation for death, and was dedicated to his favorite disciple, Terao Magonojo (to whom the earlier Go rin no sho had also been dedicated), who took them to heart. It expresses a stringent, honest, and ascetic view of life. Musashi is also the author of The Book of Five Rings.

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Military News: The Soldier’s Story, Who Should Be Telling It? by Captain Bret Bellzio

May 4

Posted by Matt in Media News, Military News | No Comments

   I would like to introduce a new guest author from the military side of the house. His name is Captain Bret Bellzio, US Army, and he has written an excellent little article in regards to today’s military and media relationship, and how to use new media as a way to tell the story of the soldier in war.  Of course this is a constant theme over at Wired’s Danger Room, at Small Wars Journal, and you even see official military blogs popping up all over the place these days.  The other day I even made a comment on the US Coast Guard’s blog, and I actually got a response back!  

     The key here, is connecting with the population and learning from and educating folks.  It is about the interaction and connecting with others. For me, the blog is an essential tool for understanding my industry and making it better–pure ‘Kaizen’. I learn from you guys, and you learn from me and others that interact on Feral Jundi.  

   On another note, according Col. John Boyd, the way you defeat the enemy is you isolate him mentally, morally, and physically. In other words,  you turn him into a closed system, and closed systems are not good because they end up destroying themselves out of sheer insanity.  

    The military, if it wants to be a learning organization and defeat our enemies, cannot be a closed system. And low and behold, good ol’ Mr. Lind has a wonderful article about such things as well.  By the way, if you would like to contact Captain Bellzio, let me know and I will make that happen.  -Matt 

Edit: I have been informed by Mr. Pelton that he was not technically embedded with the SF during the time period the Captain mentioned, and I will pass that along to get it changed. 

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“The Soldiers story, who should be telling it?”

By CPT Bret Bellzio

May 05, 2009

     During the Cold War and even Operation Desert Storm both the media and the American population maintained a moderate interest in the military, its policies, and the issues service members faced. Both the media and the military followed their expected roles during this period and the quality of reporting was high.

     Following September 11th interest in the military sky rocketed. Analyst of every caliber and experience populated the innumerable cable news shows. Every aspect of the War on terror was dissected. Americans had access to documentaries on everything from Al Qaeda to Special Forces and every organization in between.

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