The British Special Boat Service (SBS) motto of “By Strength and Guile” highlights the importance of physical training and mental toughness. When in combat, and in life, your body and mind should be strong yet sharp.
Francis Marion is a man that most Americans might not know. He used his strength and his guile to harass the British army in South Carolina during the Revolutionary War. Some may argue that he organized one of the most effective guerilla groups in military history with a sound understanding of tactics and strategy.
But beyond is tactics and strategies, his mind was clear on the mission:
“The children of distant generations may never hear my name; but still it gladdens my heart to think that I am now contending for their freedom, and all its countless blessings.” – Francis Marion
He was clear on his purpose. During the war, a British officer visited Marion’s camp under a flag of truce. While in camp, Marion served the officer a meager dinner of sweet potatoes roasted fireside with ashes and all. The British officer accepted the potato served on tree bark. That short hospitality trip taught the British a lot about their enemy.
So much so that he reported to his superior that the American rebels were even worse than they had imagined:
“Ah! What can be worse?” “Why, sir, I have seen an American general and his officers, without pay, and almost without clothes, living on roots and drinking water; and all for liberty! What chance have we against such men!”
What separates great performers from good performers? Their belief. Their mindset. Their mission. Their motto.
These things apply in business just as much as they do in the military or in your home.
What does your organization believe? It is more than words on a wall or website. Your beliefs are on display in how you approach problems, how you resolve conflict, how you help others.
What sort of mindset do you cultivate in your organization? Are you a bunch of complainers? Or do you know how to take lemons and make lemonade? If everything is always a problem, then nothing is a problem. If you tolerate weak thinking, you will get weak results.
What is your mission? Steve Jobs understood the importance of having a mission.
“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
– Steve Jobs, 1997
Finally, what is your motto? The SBS has “By Strength and Guile.”
Benjamin Franklin had “do more.”
In the end it is up to you to decide how you live and how you lead, no matter the role you play in your organization. With the right mission, the right motto, and most importantly the right mindset, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish.
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