More John Boyd for Biz Leaders

Waiting since March 2006... I bought this book and skimmed it for relevant insight over two years ago. It is another one of those books that you must take your time reading. It engages the human mind on most every page. So much so, that I am just now getting around to investing the time required to read AND comprehend its message. When I first skimmed it, it seemed too focused on war strategies. Today, I see it more as effectively using war time analogies to convey important (if not extremely important) business concepts. Chet Richards gives credit in the dedication, "To the late John Boyd, who encouraged me to start this project..." Richards was a close associate of Boyd, going back to the mid 1970s. He quotes another colleague of Boyd, Bill Lind, and the author of Maneuver Warfare Handbook:

"A maneuver warfare military believes it is better to have high levels of initiative among subordinate officers, with a resultant rapid Boyd Cycle, even if the price is some mistakes."

It could not be any less true for business enterprises Certain to Win is not for everyone. At least not right out of the gate. However, it is a great follow up to H. William Dettmer's book, Strategic Navigation. And of course, I am assuming that you own and consume my book on a regular basis. Another aspect that I failed to pay enough attention to during my first reading (skimming) was the concept of trust. For me, it is an absolute. I am learning each week that not everyone understands the value of trust. Eli Goldratt (and others, myself perhaps the most vocal) have preached that we must not think in terms of laying people off when the economy sours. Richards provides some great pearls of wisdom concerning the need (no the) requirement for trust in order to be effective. Trust is a component of the Boyd OODA Loop If you do not own this book, and your role is that of setting or implementing strategy in a business environment, you are working with at least one hand tied behind your back. Honest. -ski P.S. Chet also wrote a great review of Dettmer's The Logical Thinking Process ---- Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah Strategy, Tactics & Execution Dover, OH | Hilton Head Island, SC | Las Vegas, NV Cell: +1 330.432.3533 tag: Certain to Win by Chet Richards ©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.