GRANT NELSON BOYD BOSSIDY

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GRANTNELSONBOYDBOSSIDY
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GRANT
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Grantfrom the seminal biography byJean
Edward Smith
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A generation of American officers had been
schooled to believe the art of generalship
required rigid adherence to certain textbook
theorems./151 The nature of Grants greatness
has been a riddle to many observers. did not
hedge his bets disregarded explicit
instructions nothing to fall back on
violating every maxim held dear by the military
profession new dimension ability to learn from
the battlefield finished near the bottom of his
West Point class in tactics carried the fight
to the enemy maintain the momentum of the
attack military greatness is the ability to
recognize and respond to opportunities
presented./152-3 Grant had an aversion to
digging in./153 Grant had an intangible
advantage. He knew what he wanted./153 Grants
seven-mile dash changed the course of the
war./157 The one who attacks first will be
victorious./158 dogged/159 unconditional
surrender/162 simplicity and
determination/166 quickness of mind that
allowed him to make on the spot adjustments
his battles were not elegant set-piece
operations/166 other Union general preferred
preparation to execution became a friend of
detail suffered from the slows /170 Message
to Halleck from McClellan Do not hesitate to
arrest him following great victory/172
learned how to withstand attacks from the rear
Army politics/179
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He never credited the enemy with the capacity
to take the offensive./185 tenacity like
Wellington/187 I havent despaired of whipping
them yet at a very low point/195 Both sides
seemed defeated and whoever assumed the offensive
was sure to win./200 inchoate bond between
Grant and soldiers/201 The genius of Grants
command style lay in its simplicity. Grant never
burdened his division commanders with excessive
detail. no elaborate staff conferences, no
written orders prescribing deployment. Grant
recognized the battlefield was in flux. By not
specifying movements in detail, he left his
subordinate commanders free to exploit whatever
opportunities developed./202 If anyone other
than Grant had been in command, the Union army
certainly would have retreated./204 Lincoln
(urged to fire Grant) I cant spare this man
he fights./205 Grant turned defeat into Union
victory./206 moved on intuition, which he
often could not explain or justify./208
instinctive recognition that victory lay in
relentlessly hounding a defeated army into
surrender./213 Nathan Bedford Forrest,
successful Confederate commander amenable to no
known rules of procedure, was a law unto himself
for all military acts, and was constantly doing
the unexpected at all times and places./213
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The commanding general would be in the
field/228 Lincoln What I want, and what the
people want, is generals who will fight battles
and win victories. Grant has done this and I
propose to stand by him./231 retains his hold
upon the affections of his men/232 Grants
moral couragehis willingness to choose a path
from which there could be no returnset him apart
from most commanders were Grant and Lee were
uniquely willing to take full responsibility for
their actions./233 modest honest
nothing could perturb never faltered /233
plan was breathtakingly simple but fraught with
peril/235 demonstrating the flexibility that
had become his hallmark/238 But like any West
Point trained general, he had difficulty
comprehending what Grant was up to /240
recognized the value of momentum throw off
balance blitzkrieg traveling light
headquarters in the saddle/243 acted as
quartermaster/243 rushed away so that he
couldnt receive Hallecks order like Lord
Nelson telescope to his blind eye pressing
ahead on his own/245 focus on the enemys
weakness rather than his own/250
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"The art of war is simple enough. Find out where
your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can.
Strike at him as hard as you can and as often as
you can, and keep moving on." Grant, courtesy
Richard Cauley at tompeters.com (original source
unknown)
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The art of war does not require complicated
maneuvers the simplest are the best, and common
sense is fundamental. From which one might wonder
how it is generals make blunders it is because
they try to be clever. Napoleon on Simplicity,
from Napoleon on Project Management by Jerry
Manas.
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Above all the troops appreciated Grants
unassuming manner. Most generals went about
attended by a retinue of immaculately tailored
staff officers. Grant usually rode alone, except
for an orderly or two to carry messages if the
need arose. Another soldier said the soldiers
looked on Grant as a friendly partner, not an
arbitrary commander. Instead of cheering as he
rode by, they would greet him as they would
address one of their neighbors at home. Good
morning, General, Pleasant day, General
There was no nonsense, no sentiment only a plain
businessman of the republic, there for the one
single purpose of getting that command over the
river in the shortest time possible. Grant
5-feet 8-inches with a slouch/232 After the
victory at Chattanooga The Union senior
officers rode past the Confederates smugly
without any sign of recognition except by one.
When General Grant reached the line of ragged,
filthy, bloody, despairing prisoners strung out
on each side of the bridge, he lifted his hat and
held it over his head until he passed the last
man of that living funeral cortege. He was the
only officer in that whole train who recognized
us as being on the face of the earth./ 281
Grant was unhappy about going into winter
quarters. He saw no reason to keep the army idle,
and the pause would give the rebels time to
reorganize./282
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The Union senior officers rode past the
Confederates smugly without any sign of
recognition except by one. When General Grant
reached the line of ragged, filthy, bloody,
despairing prisoners strung out on each side of
the bridge, he lifted his hat and held it over
his head until he passed the last man of that
living funeral cortege. He was the only officer
in that whole train who recognized us as being on
the face of the earth. quote within a quote
from diary of a Confederate soldier
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From LEE KENNETTs SHERMAN Grant tended to be
a simple listener when these two strategies for
taking Vicksburg were being discussed. His own
preference may have been impelled as much by
natural inclination as by any arguments he heard.
He wrote afterward One of my superstitions had
always been when I started to go anywhere or to
do anything, not to turn back, or stop, until the
thing intended was accomplished./ 202
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This adolescent incident of getting from
point A to point B is notable not only because
it underlines Grants fearless horsemanship and
his determination, but also it is the first known
example of a very important peculiarity of his
character Grant had an extreme, almost phobic
dislike of turning back and retracing his steps.
If he set out for somewhere, he would get there
somehow, whatever the difficulties that lay in
his way. This idiosyncrasy would turn out to be
one the factors that made him such a formidable
general. Grant would always, always press
onturning back was not an option for him.
Michael Korda, Ulysses Grant
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CWVA to MBWA In these days of telegraph and
steam I can command while traveling and visiting
about. U.S. GrantManaging by wandering
around HP circa 1980Source Ulysses S. Grant,
by Geoffrey Perret
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TPs take Intuition takes precedence (listen
attentively but act on intuition) Move today gt
perfect plan tomorrow subsequent Patton line
Great advantage When moving, you know what
youre up to and youre moving the one sitting
still is, thence, always reactive Boyd
quickest O.O.D.A. loops/Observe. Orient. Decide.
Act. Disorient enemy Action! ... Keep moving!
Engage! Offense! weakness-strength cant
even imagine enemy counter-attacking little
conception of defense Momentum! . Keep em
off balance Adjust Adapt Opportunism!
Constantly revise in accordance with conditions
and opportunities in the field life excellence
at Plan B Doggedness Relentless!! trait
shaped in early childhood Never retreat
Simplicity! Wide latitude for division
commanders minimum written orders, conferences,
etc keep his own council HQ is Grant his
horse no retinue! commune with soldiers/exude
quiet confidence/Approachable decent
Self-accountability! Evade orders (or ignore)
Share harm hardship total victory/ demand
unconditional surrenderGs first claim to fame
Nelson other Admirals avoid loss, friend and
foe as in Grants case vs. Nelsons seek victory
Life 101 politics between the Generals
E.g., Grant Halleck
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Insubordinate (when it comes to
delays)/NAction-oriented/Offense/Total
victory/NRelentlessTroop Commander par
Excellence/NLeeway to Commanders/N
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The only way to whip an army is to go out and
fight it. GrantSource John Mosier, Grant
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NELSON
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The Nelson
Bakers Dozen 1. Simple-clear scheme (Plan)
(Not wildly imaginative) (Patton A good plan
executed with vigor right now tops a perfect
plan executed next week.)2. SOARING/BOLD/CLEAR/U
NEQUIVOCAL/WORTHY/NOBLE/INSPIRING
GOAL/MISSION/PURPOSE/QUEST3.
Conversation Engagement of All Leaders4.
Leeway for Leaders Select the Best/Dip
Deep/Initiative demanded/Accountability
swift/Micromanagement absent5. LED BY LOVE
(Lambert), NOT AUTHORITY (Identify with
sailors!)6. Instinct/Seize the
Moment/Impetuosity (Boyds OODA Loops React
more quickly than opponent, destroy his
world view)7. VIGOR! (Zander leader as
Dispenser of Enthusiasm)8. Peerless Basic
Skills/Mastery of Craft (Seamanship)9.
Workaholic! (Duty first, second, and third)10.
LEAD BY CONFIDENT DETERMINED CONTINUOUS
VISIBLE EXAMPLE (In Harms Way) (Gandhi
You must be the change you wish to see in the
world/ Giuliani Show up!)11. Genius
(Transform the world to conform to their ideas,
Triumph over rules) (Gandhi,
Lee-Singapore) , not Greatness (Make the most of
their world) 12. Luck! (Right time, right
place survivor) (Lucky Eagle vs. Bold
Eagle) 13. Others principal shortcoming
ADMIRALS MORE FRIGHTENED OF LOSING THAN
ANXIOUS TO WIN Source Andrew Lambert, Nelson
Britannias God of War
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Nelsons Way A
Bakers Dozen/Short 1. Simple scheme. 2. Noble
purpose! 3. Engage others. 4. Find great talent,
let it soar! 5. Lead by Love! 6. Trust your gut,
not the focus group Seize the Moment! 7. Vigor!
8. Master your craft. 9. Work harder than the
next person. 10. Show the way, walk the talk,
exude confidence! Start a Passion
Epidemic! 11. Change the rules Create your own
game! 12. Shake of the pain, get back up off the
ground, the timing may well be right
tomorrow! (E.g., Get lucky!) 13. By hook or by
crook, quash your fear of failure, savor your
quirkiness and participate fully in the
fray! Source Andrew Lambert, Nelson
Britannias God of War
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On NELSON other admirals more frightened of
losing than anxious to win
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He above all encouraged (and prepared) his
subordinates to seize the initiative whenever
necessary, particularly in the fog of war and
the men who served under him knew what he
expected. Jay Tolson, on The Nelson Touch,
The Battle That Changed The World
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tireless self-promoter, sought hero status,
sought patronage suck up guts, courage,
master of his craft passion for pleasures of
the flesh, driven by duty, obsessed (no
work-life balance) autocratic, dictatorial
team player, practitioner of participative
management 200 years before it was popularized,
loved hanging out with the lads mans man,
ladys man diligent manager (e.g., logistics),
powerfully inspirational, spiritual, passionate
ambitious, aggressive, confident, impulsive,
rarely cautious or circumspect, risk-taker
emotional, spiritual, expressed feelings openly,
classless, fair, self-sacrificing, encouraging,
optimistic unconventional, did not get along
well with superiors xenophobic, immodest,
impatient, intolerant, imprudent in public and in
private led from the front, zeal for action,
despair over bureaucrats (I hate the pen and ink
men), lucky Stephanie Jones Jonathan
Gosling, Nelsons Way Leadership Lessons from
the Great Commander
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FisherismsDo right and damn the
odds.Stagnation is the curse of life.The best
is the cheapest.Emotion can sway the world.Mad
things come off.Haste in all things.Any fool
can obey orders.History is a record of exploded
ideas. Life is phrases.Source Jan Morris,
Fishers Face, Or, Getting to Know the Admiral
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We must have no tinkering! No pandering to
sentiment! No regard for susceptibilities! We
must be ruthless, relentless, and remorseless.
Jan Morris, Fishers Face, Or, Getting to Know
the Admiral
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extraordinary arrogance, superciliousness,
humor, kindness, effrontery Jan Morris on Lord
Admiral Jack Fisher, Fishers Face, Or, Getting
to Know the Admiral
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BOYD
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He who has the quickest O.O.D.A. Loops
wins!Observe. Orient. Decide. Act. /Col. John
Boyd
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OODA Loop/Boyd CycleUnraveling the
competition/ Quick Transients/ Quick Tempo (NOT
JUST SPEED!)/ Agility/ So quick it is
disconcerting (adversary over-reacts or
under-reacts)/ Winners used tactics that caused
the enemy to unravel before the fight (NEVER
HEAD TO HEAD)BOYD The Fighter Pilot Who
Changed the Art of War (Robert Coram)
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Fast TransientsButtonhook turn (YF16
could flick from one maneuver to another faster
than any aircraft)BOYD The Fighter Pilot Who
Changed the Art of War (Robert Coram)
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Blitzkrieg is far more than lightning thrusts
that most people think of when they hear the
term rather it was all about high operational
tempo and the rapid exploitation of opportunity.
Robert Coram, Boyd Re-arrange the mind of the
enemy T.E. Lawrence Float like a butterfly,
sting like a bee Ali BOYD The Fighter Pilot
Who Changed the Art of War (Robert Coram)
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F86 vs. MiG/Korea/101Bubble canopy (360 degree
view)Full hydraulic controls (The F86 driver
could go from one maneuver to another faster than
the MiG driver)MiG faster in raw
acceleration and turning ability F86 quicker
in changing maneuversBOYD The Fighter Pilot
Who Changed the Art of War (Robert Coram)
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USMC COL Mike Wyly kept the enemy off-balance
they knew Delta Company RVN could show up
anywhere, anytime BOYD The Fighter Pilot Who
Changed the Art of War (Robert Coram)
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ManeuveristsBOYD The Fighter Pilot Who
Changed the Art of War (Robert Coram)
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The stuff has got to be implicit. If it is
explicit, you cant do it fast enough.BOYD
The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War
(Robert Coram)
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Eglin Flag 100 AGAINST ZERO DEFECTSGeneral,
if youre not having accidents, your training
program is not what it should be. You need to
kill some pilots. John BoydBOYD The Fighter
Pilot Who Changed the Art of War (Robert Coram)
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John Boyd To Be somebody or to Do
somethingBOYD The Fighter Pilot Who Changed
the Art of War (Robert Coram)
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If your boss demands loyalty, give him
integrity. But if he demands integrity, give him
loyalty. John BoydBOYD The Fighter Pilot Who
Changed the Art of War (Robert Coram)
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BOSSIDY
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I saw that leaders placed too much emphasis on
what some call high-level strategy, on
intellectualizing and philosophizing, and not
enough on implementation. People would agree on a
project or initiative, and then nothing would
come of it. Larry Bossidy Ram
Charan/Execution The Discipline of Getting
Things Done
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Execution is a systematic process of rigorously
discussing hows and whats, tenaciously following
through, and ensuring accountability. Larry
Bossidy Ram Charan/ Execution The Discipline
of Getting Things Done
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Execution is the job of the business leader.
Larry Bossidy Ram Charan/ Execution The
Discipline of Getting Things Done
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(Leaders do people. Period. TP)
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The Leaders Seven Essential
BehaviorsKnow your people and your
businessInsist on realismSet clear goals and
prioritiesFollow throughReward the
doersExpand peoples capabilitiesKnow
yourself Source Larry Bossidy Ram Charan/
Execution The Discipline of Getting Things Done
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Action8/VPMR/Peters on BossidyKnowledge/Extern
al Focus (Competitors/Customers)Realism/Truth-te
llingVision Projects (Must add up to Vision)
MilestonesCommitment/EnergyRapid
ReviewConsequences (/-)
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Realism is the heart of execution. Larry
Bossidy Ram Charan/Execution The Discipline
of Getting Things Done
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"A business unit strategy should be less than
fifty pages long and should be easy to
understand. Its essence should be describable in
one page ... If you can't describe your strategy
in twenty minutes, simply and in plain language,
you haven't got a plan. Larry Bossidy
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robust dialogue Larry Bossidy Ram Charan/
Execution The Discipline of Getting Things Done
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Relentless!Churchill, Grant, Patton, Welch,
Bossidy, Nardelli (GE execs), UPS, FedEx,
Microsoft/Gates-Ballmer, Eisner, Weill, eBay,
Nixon-Kissinger, Gerstner, Rice, Jordan, Armstrong
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This adolescent incident of getting from
point A to point B is notable not only because
it underlines Grants fearless horsemanship and
his determination, but also it is the first known
example of a very important peculiarity of his
character Grant had an extreme, almost phobic
dislike of turning back and retracing his steps.
If he set out for somewhere, he would get there
somehow, whatever the difficulties that lay in
his way. This idiosyncrasy would turn out to be
one the factors that made him such a formidable
general. Grant would always, always press
onturning back was not an option for him.
Michael Korda, Ulysses Grant
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The person who is a little less conceptual but
is absolutely determined to succeed will usually
find the right people and get them together to
achieve objectives. Im not knocking education or
looking for dumb people. But if you have to
choose between someone with a staggering IQ and
an elite education whos gliding along, and
someone with a lower IQ but who is absolutely
determined to succeed, youll always do better
with the second person. Larry Bossidy (Larry
Bossidy Ram Charan/ Execution The Discipline
of Getting Things Done)
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Duct Tape Rules!Andrew Higgins, who built
landing craft in WWII, refused to hire graduates
of engineering schools. He believed that they
only teach you what you cant do in engineering
school. He started off with 20 employees, and by
the middle of the war had 30,000 working for him.
He turned out 20,000 landing craft. D.D.
Eisenhower told me, Andrew Higgins won the war
for us. He did it without engineers. Stephen
Ambrose/Fast Company
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Ye gads Thomas Stanley has not only found no
correlation between success in school and an
ability to accumulate wealth, hes actually found
a negative correlation. It seems that
school-related evaluations are poor predictors of
economic success, Stanley concluded. What did
predict success was a willingness to take risks.
Yet the success-failure standards of most schools
penalized risk takers. Most educational systems
reward those who play it safe. As a result, those
who do well in school find it hard to take risks
later on.Richard Farson Ralph Keyes, Whoever
Makes the Most Mistakes Wins
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We have a strategic plan. Its called doing
things. Herb Kelleher
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Napoleon six winning principles Exactitude
(sweat the details). Speed. Flexibility.
Simplicity. Character. Moral Force. Simplicity
The art of war does not require complicated
maneuvers the simplest are the best, and common
sense is fundamental. From which one might wonder
how it is generals make blunders it is because
they try to be clever. Character A military
leader must possess as much character as
intellect. Men who have a great deal of
intelligence and little character are the least
suited. It is preferable to have much character
and little intellect. Source Jerry Manas,
Napoleon on Project Management
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1 of 2,400615A.M.
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A man approached JP Morgan, held up an envelope,
and said, Sir, in my hand I hold a guaranteed
formula for success, which I will gladly sell you
for 25,000.Sir, JP Morgan replied, I do
not know what is in the envelope, however if you
show me, and I like it, I give you my word as a
gentleman that I will pay you what you ask.The
man agreed to the terms, and handed over the
envelope.JP Morgan opened it, and extracted a
single sheet of paper. He gave it one look, a
mere glance, then handed the piece of paper back
to the gent.And paid him the agreed-upon
25,000
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1. Every morning, write a list of
the things that need to be done that
day.2. Do them. Source Hugh
MacLeod/tompeters.com/NPR