GRANT NELSON BOYD BOSSIDY

GRANT

Grant from the “seminal” biography by: Jean Edward Smith

“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 Grant’s 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 “Grant’s 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

“He never credited the enemy with the capacity to take the offensive.”/185 “tenacity [like Wellington]”/187 “I haven’t 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 Grant’s 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 can’t 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

“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 “Grant’s moral courage—his willingness to choose a path from which there could be no return—set 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 couldn’t receive Halleck’s order] … “like Lord Nelson … telescope to his blind eye” … “pressing ahead on his own”/245 “focus on the enemy’s weakness rather than his own”/250

"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)

“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.

“Above all the troops appreciated Grant’s 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

“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

From LEE KENNETT’s 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

“This [adolescent] incident [of getting from point A to point B] is notable not only because it underlines Grant’s 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 on— turning back was not an option for him.” —Michael Korda, Ulysses Grant

CWVA to MBWA: “In these days of telegraph and steam I can command while traveling and visiting about.” —U.S. Grant Managing by wandering around” —HP circa 1980 Source: Ulysses S. Grant, by Geoffrey Perret

TP’s take: Intuition takes precedence (listen attentively but act on intuition) … Move today > perfect plan tomorrow [subsequent Patton line] … Great advantage: When moving, you know what you’re up to and you’re 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: can’t 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 surrender”—G’s first claim to fame [Nelson: other Admirals avoid loss, friend and foe as in Grant’s case vs. Nelson’s seek victory] … [Life 101: politics between the Generals: E.g., Grant & Halleck]

Insubordinate (when it comes to delays)/N Action-oriented/Offense/ Total victory/N Relentless Troop Commander par Excellence/N Leeway to Commanders/N

“The only way to whip an army is to go out and fight it.” —Grant Source: John Mosier, Grant

NELSON

The Nelson Baker’s 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/UNEQUIVOCAL/WORTHY/NOBLE/INSPIRING “GOAL”/“MISSION”/“PURPOSE”/“QUEST” 3. “Conversation”: Engagement of All Leaders 4. Leeway for Leaders: Select the Best/Dip Deep/Initiative demanded/Accountability swift/Micromanagement absent 5. LED BY “LOVE” (Lambert), NOT “AUTHORITY” (Identify with sailors!) 6. Instinct/Seize the Moment/“Impetuosity” (Boyd’s “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 Harm’s 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: Britannia’s God of War

Nelson’s Way: A Baker’s 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: Britannia’s God of War

On NELSON: “[other] admirals more frightened of losing than anxious to win”

“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

… 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 … man’s man, lady’s 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, Nelson’s Way: Leadership Lessons from the Great Commander

Fisherisms Do 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, Fisher’s Face, Or, Getting to Know the Admiral

“We must have no tinkering! No pandering to sentiment! No regard for susceptibilities! We must be ruthless, relentless, and remorseless.” —Jan Morris, Fisher’s Face, Or, Getting to Know the Admiral

“extraordinary arrogance, superciliousness, humor, kindness, effrontery” —Jan Morris on Lord Admiral Jack Fisher, Fisher’s Face, Or, Getting to Know the Admiral

BOYD

He who has the quickest O.O.D.A. Loops* wins! *Observe. Orient. Decide. Act. /Col. John Boyd

OODA Loop/Boyd Cycle “Unraveling 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)

“Fast Transients” “Buttonhook 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)

“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)

F86 vs. MiG/Korea/10:1 Bubble 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 maneuvers” BOYD: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War (Robert Coram)

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)

“Maneuverists” BOYD: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War (Robert Coram)

“The stuff has got to be implicit. If it is explicit, you can’t do it fast enough.” BOYD: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War (Robert Coram)

Eglin Flag: “100% AGAINST ZERO DEFECTS” “General, if you’re not having accidents, your training program is not what it should be. … You need to kill some pilots.” —John Boyd BOYD: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War (Robert Coram)

John Boyd: “To Be somebody or to Do something” BOYD: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War (Robert Coram)

“If your boss demands loyalty, give him integrity. But if he demands integrity, give him loyalty.” —John Boyd BOYD: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War (Robert Coram)

BOSSIDY

“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

“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

“Execution is the job of the business leader.” —Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan/ Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

(“Leaders ‘do’ people. Period.” — TP )

The Leader’s Seven Essential Behaviors *Know your people and your business *Insist on realism *Set clear goals and priorities *Follow through *Reward the doers *Expand people’s capabilities *Know yourself Source: Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan/ Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

Action8/VPMR+/Peters on Bossidy *Knowledge/External Focus (Competitors/Customers) *Realism/Truth-telling * Vision * Projects (Must add up to Vision) * Milestones *Commitment/Energy * Rapid Review *Consequences (+/-)

“Realism is the heart of execution.” —Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan/Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

"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

“robust dialogue” —Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan/ Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

Relentless!* *Churchill, Grant, Patton, Welch, Bossidy, Nardelli (GE execs), UPS, FedEx, Microsoft/Gates-Ballmer, Eisner, Weill, eBay, Nixon-Kissinger, Gerstner, Rice, Jordan, Armstrong

“This [adolescent] incident [of getting from point A to point B] is notable not only because it underlines Grant’s 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 on— turning back was not an option for him.” — Michael Korda, Ulysses Grant

“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. I’m not knocking education or looking for dumb people. But if you have to choose between someone with a staggering IQ and an elite education who’s gliding along, and someone with a lower IQ but who is absolutely determined to succeed, you’ll always do better with the second person.” —Larry Bossidy (Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan/ Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done)

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 can’t 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

Ye gads: “Thomas Stanley has not only found no correlation between success in school and an ability to accumulate wealth, he’s 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

“ We have a ‘strategic’ plan. It’s called doing things.” — Herb Kelleher

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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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 …

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