Clear Confidence

I have already spoken about George Patton's quote: “A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week” (here's a link to it, if you missed it). The point is to get to the right threshold of information without waiting too long. Most of the time getting to that perfect threshold is not possible, that's why we need a good plan to violently execute now.

The main thing about acting in the darkness is confidence. This is especially true in my given military setting, but I find it to be just as true in the civil world. That being said, I feel the importance of it a lot more in the military context which is weird.

I have been confronted with many moments where confidently trusting my gut would have led to fewer problems. For example one of them is orienteering in the dark forest with little to no sleep when we were still learning to be leaders. At the time I was playing the role of squad leader.

My mission was to get my squad from point A to point B. I had made it about halfway when one of my teammates asked if I was sure about the route. It was one of the smartest on the squad so of course it threw me off. I started double-checking my route and got more and more confused.

The instructor who was with us pressured me into acting faster since time was closing in, we had to make it to point B before dawn. In the end, it turned out that I was on the only right path from A to B. The comments made by my teammate were just made from a position with a lack of information. Yet it threw me off for a solid hour. If I simply had trusted my gut and told off my teammate we would have made it earlier than at the break of dawn.

My point here is not to ignore all criticism. Constructive criticism and overall your subordinates' input can be extremely valuable. It is most important to also be able to tell your subordinates and bosses that you were indeed wrong. It is what creates trust in my eyes.

The aim is to make decisions with confidence and when they turn out bad then simply admit to it and move on. I am getting better and better at it in a military context yet I still struggle in more "human" contexts. I am working on it but I have quite a way to go.

This Week's Suggestions:

🎬 9 Things I Wish I Knew At 20:

James Smith is a new personality on my YouTube radar. I find his content to be rather refreshing. The title explains the plot of the video rather well. I found some value in these tips, I hope that you do too!

🎶 "Tell Me Daddy" by Marlon Hoffstadt:

Really enjoying Marlon Hoffstadt's style lately. It is full of happy energy. Check it out for some good bouncy bounce.

Thanks for being here :)