In the Chinese military treatise, The Art of War, Sun Tzu writes about military strategy and tactics. Since much of the text is about how to fight wars without having to do battle, it provides a great perspective on leadership and strategy. One of his lesson really hit home this week:
[The leader of an army] burns his boats.
Essentially, he suggests we need to remove any return routes (boats) to help us press onward into unknown territory. This doesn’t mean you set your team on the shore, burn their boats, and keep your boat afloat – ya know, just in case. This means you step on the shore as well, burn all your boats (and your reasons to back out with them), and put all your energy and focus towards moving forward – together.
Risky, right! But by doing this you replace safety nets with a stronger purpose and deeper drive amongst your ranks. It’s a huge act of faith and teamwork. “We’re here. There’s no turning around. We know our goal. So let’s go accomplish it!”
Now, imagine if we applied this theory to our own decision making. Isn’t it about time to commit to setting your life (and that boat) on fire!
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Matt Corker » Dealing With Change – and lots of it… says:
July 23, 2010 at 12:37 pm (UTC 1)
[...] was probably the most liberating and scary decision I’ve made in a long time. But when you burn the boat, you get to focus on moving forward with everything you’ve got, [...]
Commit. Then Figure It Out. » Matt Corker says:
September 18, 2011 at 7:49 pm (UTC 1)
[...] it. When I am committed, I don’t focus on the excuses, I find ways to make it possible. I burn the boat and press [...]