The Underdog

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The Underdog Advantage
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• ITS THE TOUGHEST ENVIRONMENT IN HISTORY FOR
  INCUMBENTS
• IN POLITICS, BUSINESS AND WARFARE.

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INCUMBENT
V. INSURGENT

• Big
• Bureaucratic
• Heritage- Driven
• Slow
• Superstitious
• Hate Change

• Mobile, Agile and Hostile Bear Bryant
• Flat and fast
• Destination Driven
• Heretical
• Love Change

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• LEARN
• TO THINK,
• PLAN AND
• ACT
• LIKE AN INSURGENT

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6 PRINCIPLES of Insurgent Strategy
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1 Do the DOABLE
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Do the DOABLE
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• Only dead fish swim
• with the stream.
• Vietnamese Proverb

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Do the DOABLE
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• Define the WIN (define your destination).
• NEVER take on the impossible (forget those
  stretch goals)
• Set ACHIEVABLE objectives in order of
  difficulty (start with the fruit on the ground)
• Get some first downs (get traction GAIN
  MOMENTUM)

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2 MOVE the Movable
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MOVE the MOVABLETargeting
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• Define the votes you need to WIN
• Idenfity, understand and ACTIVATE
• LOCK DOWN your Loyalists
• Move the SOFT SUPPORT
• MANAGE the Opposition

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MOVE the MOVABLETargeting
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• HO SO UNDECIDED SOS HAS

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Lock Down the LOYALISTS
2

• HO SO UNDECIDED SOS HAS

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Move the Soft Support toHard Support
2

• HO SO UNDECIDED SOS HAS

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The UNDECIDED fuggidaboutit!!
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• HO SO UNDECIDED SOS HAS

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The Undecided
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• THE PROBLEM WITH THOSE VOTES IS YOU CAN BUY
  THEM, BUT THEY DONT STAY BOUGHT.
• DAN ROSTONKOWSKI,
• FORMER CONGRESSMAN AND FELON

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The UNDECIDED fuggidaboutit!!
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Manage the Opposition
Support the Supporters

• HO SO UNDECIDED SOS HAS

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3 PERCEPTIONS rule
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PERCEPTIONS rule
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• Develop a USER-OUT view of the world
• Remember, EVERYTHING communicates
• Brand is EVERYTHING

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4 Communicate INSIDE/OUT
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Communicate INSIDE/out
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• Preach to the CHOIR(turn them into missionaries)
• Transfer OWNERSHIP of your strategy
• SUPPORT the supporters MANAGE the opposition

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Communicate INSIDE/out
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• Develop the leadership brand
• CEO as candidate
• Define yourself or somebody else will define
  you.
• How you decide is as important as what you
  decide.
• Define the stakes in the election or youwill
  not be able to control the dialogue.
• Define it on their terms, stupid!
• Define the future or be doomed to live in one
  defined by your opponent.

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Communicate INSIDE/out
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• Democracy is good
• More is better
• Fluid is best

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Communicate INSIDE/out
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• WINNING CULTURE

Im a part of something great.
I can make a difference.
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5 Play TAKE-AWAY
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Play Take-Away
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• ITS A ZERO SUM GAME.
• YOU ONLY WIN IF SOMEBODY ELSE LOSES.

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Play Take-Away
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• Dont just play to win define whos going to
  LOSE
• Match your STRENGTHS against their
  vulnerabilities
• Focus on their UNDECIDED, Soft Support and Soft
• Opposition

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Play Take-Away
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• Take the puck!
• Bob Jelnick

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There were two hits in the fight.
I hit him. And he hit the floor. -- Muhammad
Ali,Heavyweight Champion
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6 SPEED wins
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Speed Wins
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• The history of failure in war or in any other
  human endeavor can be summed up in two words
  TOO SLOW.
• General Douglas MacArthur

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Speed Wins
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• Thats why DISCIPLINE wins

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• Be an insurgent and fight like an underdog.

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• WIN

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scottmiller_at_corestrategygroup.com