Hope Is Not a Method!

“Hope is not a method!” General Gordon Sullivan, former Chief of Staff of the Army, coined this phrase in his 1996 best-selling book titled the same. The Army, as well as all the services in the nineties, was transforming. The way it fought and, more importantly, how its leaders thought in an environment that was volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA). The study and prosecution of warfare were radically changing from the nation-state, set-piece, force-on-force battle lines established by opposing forces characterized by the World Wars to the asymmetric, boundaryless, three-dimensional, criminal, lethal exploits committed by bad actors with zealot followings epitomized in the Middle East. VUCA was a concept taught at and originating from my old alma mater, the U.S. Army War College.
There was a lot of wishful thinking post-Viet Nam, military leadership hoping our current doctrine was adaptable to the future fight. Sullivan’s point was hope, wanting something to happen and be true, is not a method…it doesn’t replace the hard work of strategizing, focusing, planning, visioning, team building, and educating…all ways that lead your organization to greatness! Our military thought leaders had to address VUCA and change old-school doctrine to a more encompassing, agile, responsive decision-making process that managed and dominated the VUCA environment. In other words, our warfighters had to adapt, improvise, and overcome in a radically different setting!
Business leaders and owners are confronted with the same environment: a marketplace that is volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous, exacerbated by the velocity and volume of information (V2). If a business leader doesn’t have the will, capacity, and capability to adapt to and improvise in this VUCA x V2 setting, chances of long-term business survival are slim. Imitating Sullivan, you dominate the marketplace by investing in strategizing, focusing, planning, visioning, team building, and, most importantly, educating!
These early months of the year are an excellent time to rethink the entirety of your business…from systems, processes, lenders, investors, suppliers, employees, customers, and stakeholders. Find clarity and define strategies that eventually make their way to goals incorporated into next year’s annual plan and budget that grow sales, reduce costs, and maximize profit.
It’s time to think, lead, plan, and act, not delay, not procrastinate, not hesitate, but think, lead, plan, and act to regain control and certainty. This is how you gain power in an uncertain environment and instill the discipline of winning in the executive team. How your business adapts and improvises in this VUCA x V2 business environment will define its success.
. COL Paul A. Raggio (Ret), the owner of Five Star Leader Development, is a fractional CEO/COO who develops C-Suite executives, business owners, and their management teams on leadership, management principles, and best business practices. His email address is paul@fivestarleaderdevelopment.com, and his phone number is (252) 571-7368. Visit his website at www.fivestarleaderdevelopment.com.