"THINK LIKE A GENERAL, BUT WORK LIKE A SERGEANT"

The headline of this article has been my working motto for years. If you have ever been in or around the military this motto of mine will make sense to you. "Think like a General, but work like a Sergeant." A General's job is to develop the very best strategy to get a mission done; or a battle won. In the military a Sargent is ultimately the agent that finds a successful method to put the general's plans in action.

Over my business life I have watched in utter amazement as great plans and schemes were literately flushed down the toilet. In most cases it was because people had the general's part down cold, coming up with what on the surface seem to be great strategies, until it's time to put the strategies into action. Without a Sergeant onboard finding workable ways to successfully employ these strategies they go nowhere. And on the other hand sometimes I'll run into people who have the Sergeant roll down perfect, they can give any strategy a run for its money, but they are stuck in their lane as performers and not strategists.

My method is very simple to follow, first; get in "General mode" and design and work out your strategy or idea; making sure in the process to be very flexible; and always have backup strategies "B" & "C" (you will most likely need them). Once you are that far, it's time to take off your General's stars and to put on your Sergeant's stripes.

A good Sergeant knows from their training and life experiences what they can/can't handle; and to whom to delegate, which assignments, to successfully complete the mission or task. In a nutshell, here is my motto in plain language: "Think very strategic and work as smart as you can."