The Journey Continues: Tactics
Ronald
O. Neely
Sun Tzu teaches us that good
fighters first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and
then wait for an opportunity to defeat the opponent. He further
states that the ability to protect ourselves lies within us, while
the ability to defeat the opponent is provided by
the opponent himself. To use a sports analogy, first you
must have a good defense to prevent your opponent from defeating
you. Then you must be ready when your opponent's defenses weaken
and you have an opportunity to utilize your offense to secure the
victory.
As you develop goals for your
professional development, and the professional development of those
you mentor and coach, you can apply Sun Tzu's wisdom regarding
tactics. Whether your goal is a promotion or a certain position
within the organization, your first order of business is to protect
yourself from defeat. For example, the position you seek may
require prerequisite degrees or certifications in order to
qualify. Your defense is to find out what is necessary and then
work to obtain the credentials you need to qualify. Then, when
the environment provides you the opportunity to apply for the
position you want, you can do so knowing you are fully qualified for
the job. Too often we feel we are the best qualified candidate
for a promotion based solely on our extensive work experience, only
to be passed over for a candidate who has done a better job of
preparing himself through formal education and training. To
think of such matters as merely "square filling" is to have
a short-sighted view of what is best for the organization. 
Sun Tzu explains that the clever fighter "excels in
winning with ease." He puts himself in a position that
makes defeat impossible and does not miss the opportunity to secure
victory when it is presented. We all know the person who has
rapidly ascended the ladder of success and in the process, made it
look easy. On the surface it may appear that they "lucked
into" a promotion or were somehow "connected."
But more often than not, those people worked hard behind the scenes
to put themselves in a position to take advantage of an
opportunity. A thousand years after Sun Tzu, another ancient
philosopher, the Greek Seneca said, "Luck is what happens when
preparedness meets opportunity." Start now to prepare for
the promotion or position you want in the future.
Sun Tzu ends his chapter on tactics by telling us that
the consummate leader strictly adheres to method and discipline, thus
giving herself the power to control success. So as you scan
your environment for successful role models, pay attention to their
daily habits. Usually successful people make conscious efforts
to form positive habits. To quote yet another Greek
philosopher, Aristotle, "We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence then is not an act, it's a habit." Remember, we
all have the power to form positive habits. William James, often referred to as the father of American
psychology, once said, "Sow an action and you reap a habit; sow a habit
and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a
destiny!"
If your ultimate goal as a leader is to help your
organization become world-class, the place to start is with
you. Invest in your professional development and help and
encourage the same for the people you lead. Ask yourself what
training, credentials or courses will help prepare you to take
advantage of future opportunities. What can you do right now
that will help you advance toward your goals? What habits can
you develop that will help you form the character you want to
have?
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