The Art of Comparison 6: Command
Next is the commander.
He must be smart, trustworthy, caring, brave, and disciplined.
Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, Chapter 1, Section 1:28-29
With “command,” we move from comparing aspects of the competitive environment to comparing competitors as a decision-makers. Practical strategy calls the competitive decision-maker a “commander” or “command.” Command is always held by people, and, at the top of a hierarchy, one person, the chief executive.
Decision-makers are also those whose decisions we try to change. We must predict how others will react to our moves. Successfully predicting the reactions of others is our key to winning rewards.
What is compared is the results of our decisions and their execution. Words can inspire or disappoint, but it is results that matter not intentions or words. People in command of themselves are able to accomplish their goals. There are five dimensions by which we compare the character of command.
Caring: our ability to care about missions so we share goals
Courage: our ability to face the changes of climate despite uncertainty.
Intelligence: our understanding of our ground and our situations.
Trust: putting our faith in the right people and earning the faith of others.
Discipline: consistency in our methods and honoring our commitments.
Each of these characteristics are compared as a range: from a lack to a surplus. Both too much and too little of each create a weakness.
Caring
We care about our missions and goals and how we can share them with others. In our personal life, we share goals with our intimate partners, family members, and friends. In careers, we share goals with our associates, customers, suppliers, and so on. The more caring we are, the more it shows in our actions. We judge the caring of others by what they do.
The big problem with a lack of caring is that it makes it impossible to create shared values. We need others as supporters, partners, and allies. Shared values are the key to unity, focus, and strength.
Excess caring is also a problem. We must often sacrifice things of the past to make progress in the future. We adapt our direction as we move. An excess of caring makes flexibility difficult. We must stop some habits, relationships, products, and so on. What we care about must change over time.
Courage
Courage is how we face future uncertainty. We can worry or ignore problems, but, if we are courageous, we deal with them. Often what takes the most courage is being honest, telling people the truth. We judge the courage of others by how brave or timid their moves are.
A lack of courage shows up in our inability to move. We get “stuck” in positions that are difficult. We fear that any move will lead to something worse. Courage is not the lack of fear. It is the ability to act despite our fears and sometimes because of them.
An excess of courage makes us foolhardy. We need to move forward, but we also need to avoid foreseeable mistakes. Before we move, we must compare our opportunities, judge our resources, and not hastily rush into bad situations. An excess of courage arises from arrogance.
Intelligence
Intelligence demonstrates how well we understand our competitive situation. It is not a score on an academic test. The intelligence that matters is problem-solving and common sense. It comes from training and experience.
A lack of intelligence is ignorance of our situation and how to respond. Ignorance comes from a lack of listening, training, and experience. Listening tells us our situation. Training and experience informs us on how to respond.
An excess of intelligence can also be a problem. We can be overwhelmed by too much information. We must make timely decisions. “Over studying things leads to “paralysis by analysis.” We cannot learn by analysis what is only revealed by experimentation.
Trust
Trust starts with trusting ourselves. We must trust our decisions enough to act on them. Trust must extend to those around us. We must also put our faith in others but choose trustworthy people. We must be trustworthy so people will put faith in us. Trust is the basis of all structured societies.
A lack of trust makes us incapable of effective action. We do not depend on others. Others cannot rely on us. Where there is no trust, no one works together. Nothing gets done as well as it could be done.
An excess of trust is blind, accepting the decisions of others despite our misgivings. Blind trust surrenders our own judgment. We must trust others, but first and foremost, we must trust ourselves. We work with others, but our goals and values must be shared.
Discipline
It is sad that the word, “discipline” has come to mean “punish,” which is the opposite of its true meaning. Discipline is important because it rewards. Discipline is required to perform proven methods consistently. This creates predictable results, which are rewarded. Without discipline, we cannot honor our commitments. This is punished.
A lack of discipline leads to chaos. It fails to produce consistent results. When we execute proven methods, we cannot neglect needed steps or ingredients. Undisciplined behaviors are punished not rewarded.
Excess discipline is rigidity. Proven processes must improve over time. We must learn. Adaptability requires continual experimentation. Too much discipline hampers this creative process.
Final Thoughts
These five characteristics are how we compare the decision-making skills of others. It is also how we are evaluated by others. None of us are perfect in any of these areas. We choose our partners so their strengths compensate for our weaknesses.