Tag Archive for: business

How CEOs Can Win in Business Like a Legendary General

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Learn from this legendary general and accelerate your business success.

Great leaders learn from history. The Battle of Zama (202 BCE), the decisive clash between Rome and Carthage in the Second Punic War, offers timeless leadership and strategy lessons that CEOs and founders can apply today.

At Zama, the Roman general Scipio Africanus outmaneuvered the legendary Hannibal, securing Rome’s dominance over the Mediterranean. His victory wasn’t about brute force—it was the result of disciplined foresight, which moves you from fleeting results to durable success, and empowering oversight, which transforms micro-management into inspiring ingenuity.

Here are three critical business lessons from this historic battle.

The Battle of Zama: 3 Critical Business Lessons 

1. Pattern Recognition

Hannibal was a tactical genius, famous for his unexpected moves—like marching elephants over the Alps. But by the time of Zama, he relied on the same playbook that had won his earlier victories. Scipio, on the other hand, studied Hannibal’s methods and adapted. Instead of meeting force with force, he created lanes in his formation to neutralize Hannibal’s war elephants, turning Carthage’s strength into a weakness.

Business Insight: Too many companies stick to what worked in the past, even when market conditions change. Blockbuster clung to its brick-and-mortar model while Netflix adapted to streaming. Sears ignored e-commerce while Amazon mastered it. Winning leaders anticipate shifts, study competitors, and pivot before circumstances force them to.

CEO Takeaway: How expertly do you detect what’s really going on?

Red = I react to symptoms and guess at causes.

Green = Like Scipio, I quickly diagnose and act on causes.

Chris and Nicole - business success.

2. Building Enthusiastic Engagement

Before Zama, Scipio didn’t just recruit soldiers—he built an army with a shared purpose. He trained them relentlessly, ensured discipline, and inspired deep loyalty. By contrast, Hannibal’s forces were a mix of mercenaries, local recruits, and war elephants—impressive, but lacking unity and long-term commitment.

Business Insight: Companies that succeed don’t just hire talent; they cultivate commitment. A disengaged workforce can be just as dangerous as an untrained army. If your team is fragmented—sales working against operations, marketing disconnected from product development—you’re at a disadvantage. The best leaders create an inspiring culture where people buy into the mission, not just the paycheck.

CEO Takeaway: How passionately do your people go above expectations?

Red = People do the minimum and wait for direction.

Green = People go the extra mile voluntarily.

3. Simple Strategies Create Unbeatable Positioning

Scipio didn’t just react to Hannibal—he dictated the terms of battle. He forced the fight on ground that favored Rome, used superior cavalry to cut off retreat, and executed his plan with precision. He understood that strategy isn’t about reacting to competitors—it’s about setting the stage for your own success.

Business Insight: Many businesses get caught in reactive cycles, constantly responding to market shifts, competitors, or economic downturns. The best leaders don’t just fight battles—they choose which battles to fight and on what terms. Apple didn’t enter the MP3 market with just another player; they created the iPod and changed the game. Tesla didn’t compete on traditional auto industry terms; they set the pace for electric vehicles.

CEO Takeaway: How relentlessly do you create focus and momentum?

Red = We do too much, which leads to confusion.

Green = Our flywheel turns on its own power.

Final Thought: Lead Like Scipio

Victory at Zama wasn’t about brute force—it was about using disciplined foresight to place an unstoppable force in an unbeatable position. Are you leading like Scipio?

P.S. Leadership is one of the many topics we can explore on an adventure offsite for your company. These offsites at national parks and historic battlefields open minds and strengthen trust because you are in the fresh air, experiencing awe, and creating shared visual models that propel your business forward.

Sound interesting? Let’s have a strategy call to see if it’s right for you.

The Tufts Lacrosse Workout Debacle

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Tufts lacrosse workout debacle shows why you should ignore Navy SEAL hype.

Twelve players from the Tufts lacrosse team, last year’s NCAA Division III champs, were reportedly hospitalized after enduring a voluntary workout led by a Navy SEAL. I hope they fully recover and Tufts and others learn from such malpractice.

The successful raid to kill Al Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden in 2011 kicked off an irrational Navy SEAL exuberance. Legions of books written by former SEALs purported to show leaders how to lead like a Navy special operator and turn their employees into elite, mission-focused warriors. 

It’s mostly glib hype.

I’ve worked with Navy SEALs and other special operations forces in combat. Most are terrific professionals, some are chest-thumping goofballs, and others are somewhere in between. The leadership practices that work for them can backfire in business.

Here’s why.

Many Navy SEAL aphorisms are grounded in training for the high-stakes world of combat. Despite the cringe-worthy use of misleading military metaphors popular in management literature, you’re in business, not war, so what may work in battle can be counterproductive.   

Common Navy SEAL Aphorisms That Often Don’t Work in Business

My chatbot helped me identify some common Navy SEAL aphorisms that often don’t work in business (and frequently serve as cloaking devices for poor leadership practices in the military):

1. “Failure is not an option.”

  • Why it doesn’t work in business: failure is often critical to growth, learning, and innovation. Businesses thrive by iterating on failures, experimenting, and adapting to mistakes. The mindset of avoiding failure at all costs stifles creativity and risk-taking, leading to stagnation.
  • It doesn’t work well in the military, either. This mentality leads to risk avoidance, which impedes innovation and critical thinking. The enemy always has something to say about success and failure, so doubling down on something that’s not working usually means more casualties.  

2. “Embrace the suck.”

  • Why it doesn’t work in business: This phrase is about enduring tough conditions and pushing through adversity. While persistence is important in business, ignoring systemic problems or burnout isn’t sustainable. Leaders who focus solely on grit without addressing underlying issues risk demoralizing their teams and fostering toxic work environments.
  • It doesn’t work well in the military, either. This saying is often used to justify poor planning and lousy training. Leaders should intentionally and intelligently ramp up the training difficulty, which builds stamina and creativity (as long as you avoid #1 above). Resilience means you bounce forward from adversity.

3. “Move fast, shoot straight.”

  • Why it doesn’t work in business: In combat, quick, decisive action is essential. In business, however, rapid decisions without careful consideration can lead to costly mistakes. Strategy, planning, and consultation with stakeholders are necessary for sustainable success. Fast execution without thoughtful alignment often backfires in a corporate environment. 
  • It doesn’t work well in the military, either. Sometimes, you need to slow down to gain buy-in and bring others along. Shoot straight, sure, but first, engage your brain before pulling the trigger. Not every problem requires a “kinetic” solution. Besides, physics dictates that you will shoot straight (taking gravity into account). Aiming properly is the key.

4. “Two is one, one is none.”

  • Why it doesn’t work in business: This saying emphasizes redundancy, particularly in gear and equipment for survival. While redundancy has its place in business (e.g., backup plans, multiple suppliers), over-redundancy can result in inefficiency and waste. Do you need two CFOs? Wise leaders have some redundancies and lots of contingencies.
  • It doesn’t work well in the military, either. The special operations forces can often afford two of everything; most conventional units cannot. You must seize opportunities in combat when they materialize and not wait for perfect conditions. 

5. “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.”

  • Why it doesn’t work in business: While discomfort can drive personal growth, businesses are built on creating environments where people can thrive, not just survive. Constantly pushing employees to be uncomfortable without giving them tools to succeed or support can lead to burnout, high turnover, and decreased productivity.
  • It doesn’t work well in the military for the same reasons. You must be intelligent and intentional when pushing the limits and when you need to institutionalize systems and processes so you do routine things routinely to a high standard.

6. “No plan survives first contact with the enemy.”

  • Why it doesn’t work in business: While it’s true that flexibility is important, this phrase can lead to a defeatist attitude toward planning. In business, solid strategic planning, forecasting, and scenario analysis are crucial to navigating volatility. Successful businesses balance flexibility with detailed preparation, rather than adopting a “plans are useless” mentality.
  • It doesn’t work well in the military, either. Plans are useless, Eisenhower said, but planning is everything. Planning alerts you to risks and opportunities and develops contingencies to address them. No plan = poor execution; rigidly adhering to a plan = no agility.

7. “Lead, follow, or get out of the way.”

  • Why it doesn’t work in business: This mentality can shut down valuable input and collaboration. Effective leadership often means facilitating dialogue, encouraging creativity, and building consensus. Telling people to “get out of the way” can alienate team members and suppress diverse perspectives, which are critical for innovation.
  • It doesn’t work well in the military, either. This saying is often a camouflage net hiding poor leadership practices. The more you build trust by describing the why in peacetime and gaining buy-in, the more people will follow you in urgent, life-threatening situations like close combat.

Summary of Key Issues with These Aphorisms in Business

Interdisciplinary study is vital for growth, so business leaders should learn from various sources, including the military and history. Discernment is vital to avoid implementing bravado instead of sound advice.

When we go to battlefields like Antietam and Gettysburg for breakthrough experiences, I help you discern the most valuable insights that support your business. Are you ready for a breakthrough experience with other high-character, high-performing leaders like you? Let’s discuss it over Zoom and see if it’s the right fit.

These 7 Indicators show that your Consulting Business is Thriving

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Your consulting business is in one of three states: drifting, developing, or thriving.

Application, repetition, and accountabilities directly lead to new habits and better results. You need to apply the strategies, using several repetitions, and have an expert at your side who helps you make the critical adjustments so that they work for you in the real world.

Accountability helps you do the right things in the right ways with the right fit until the new habits become second nature. That’s where you get results. This process gets results and is why the best performers always have terrific coaches.

Sure, bringing on the right consultant or trusted adviser can be expensive, but would you trust your future to the lowest bidder?

consulting

Ways to Invest in your Success

If I’m a good fit for you, here are some ways to work together.

The Trusted Adviser Program is my most intensive 1-on-1 program. Within 90 days, you’ll gain sustainable habits that create breakthrough success. You get personalized coaching and support, strict accountability, and commonsense action steps that get results so that you reach your goals more quickly and consistently. Soar to new heights here.

The Founders Forum is a mastermind group for consultants, solo practitioners, and owners of boutique firms who want to shorten their path to a meaningful, joyful, and profitable business. You’ll accelerate the quality and speed of your thought leadership, develop a business development process that you are proud to execute (and avoids the awkward pushiness), and brand building that you are pleased to display (and avoids the slimy feeling of self-promoting).  

CEO Mastermind group is for Milwaukee-area small business leaders and consultants who want to accelerate their growth in 2022. We meet monthly for lunch, and you get unlimited access to me for coaching and advising. I’m limiting the group to 8. Four places are remaining.

The Global CEO Mastermind is for CEOs and senior leaders who want to surround themselves with people united in the common purpose of being the best they can be, learning from each other, avoiding drift and complacency, and soaring to new heights. We meet monthly via zoom, plus you get unlimited access to me.

Mastery programs include Expert Consulting Mastery, Innovative Thought Leadership, and leadership experiences at Antietam & Gettysburg, Normandy, West Point, and many others.

Books

LEADERSHIP: THE WARRIOR’S ART.  Leaders anticipate and shape the future so that your team can succeed. To do so, you need imagination grounded in a  practical perspective. That’s what you get with this book, which is why it’s been in print for over 20 years. This 2nd edition addresses the post 9/11, post-pandemic world.

Zero-Sum Victory: What We’re Getting Wrong About War is a finalist for the INDIES national book award. I use the disasters in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq to give you the tools and mental models to avoid the traps and own goals that have created quagmires for the United States. You’ll gain ways to improve agency, bridge silos, pivot smartly, avoid breathing your own exhaust, and many other outcomes.

The Second Secret to Owning a Successful Business: Culture

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The Second Secret to Owning a Successful Business: 

CULTURE

SUSTAINABLE GROWTH.

As I highlighted in “The Secret to Success in Owning a Business,” the special sauce to having a successful restaurant, small business, or non-profit resides in three simple, but profound ideas: Leadership, Culture, and Strategy.

Last time we focused on leadership, the ring leader.  Now, let’s focus on the elephant under the big tent.

CULTURE.

Everyone is talking about it, but few have a complete understanding. There is an expression “culture eats strategy for lunch.” Similarly, as Dr. Chris Kolenda so appropriately said in a recent post, “culture always collects.”  Don’t underestimate the power culture has over your business.

CULTURE IS ALWAYS ON THE MOVE.

In a 2017 blog post entitled the 2020 Workplace: The Future Workplace Trends to Know Right Now“, Nikos Andriotis did a great job doing what we should all do if we are hoping to be proactive, instead of reactive.  The business environment is constantly changing, and with it, the culture within.  Niko’s blog itself is case and point, promoting “the most-affordable and user-friendly learning management system on the market.”  Since when did how we learn our jobs efficiently and effectively make so much of a difference?  It’s a fact.  The world is rapidly getting smaller.  It’s getting progressively hotter.  And if you’re not ahead, you will find yourself behind faster than ever before!

And like a plant that has all the sunshine, water, and soil nutrients it needs, your business’s Sustainable Growth relies upon a healthy culture.  An unhealthy culture steals away the very sunshine, water, and nutrients necessary, and adds a powerful herbicide to quickly choke out your business’s Sustainable Growth.  So, what does a healthy culture look and feel like?

HEALTHY CULTURE.

If it is the restaurant culture we are thinking about, we can probably visualize a healthy culture, right?  It should:

  • Be inviting and keep customers coming back for more
  • Reward values like friendliness, cleanliness, expediency, and precision.
  • Maintain accountability by disciplining behaviors such as dishonesty, disrespectfulness, and laziness
  • Retain talented and engaged employees by incentivizing and motivating programs and processes.
Sustainable Growth will never come if you are not continually striving to be better in aspects of your culture.

Quick-action Steps to Sustainable Growth.

Here are three small things that may serve you well in your endeavor to be the best in your business:

  1. Do a quick mental assessment of your business culture: How happy and motivated are your  1) employees?  2) customers?  3) you?
  2. Ask your team what they think about the culture (even better, have someone else ask and capture feedback).  Any trends?  Any negative surprises?  Anything positively noteworthy?
  3. Lastly, reflecting on what we have envisioned a healthy culture, list 3-5 tangible things that are keeping you from increasing the health of your culture.

So, how is your business’s culture?

  • Do the location and your people say everything you want them to say? Are they saying something you don’t want it to say?  How do you know?
  • Are your employees well-versed in reflecting the culture you would like? If not, where you do start? We have many tools and resources that can help you get where you want to go! Check us out!
  • If you are unsure of the message your culture is sending, it is worth the time and effort to get help from someone outside your organization.

Tackle this critical task today before the unhealthy aspects of your culture eat the positive aspects of your strategy and leadership for lunch.

LET’S GET OUT THERE AND DO IT!