Never Outmatched

Not sure when you learned it, but for me, it was when I was young.  The lesson is that not making a decision is worse than making the wrong decision.

Growing up on a farm, working with animals and farm equipment, I quickly learned that logic was not always the best guide; it was making a decision that set up the next one.

Deciding to jump from a tractor because it was sliding sideways down a muddy slope was the difference between survival and death. The best case is that it didn't roll over after you jumped off.

Learning that some cows, no matter how much you waved your arms, shouted, or screamed, were not scared of you and would sooner run you over than go the other way.

This nearly happened to me earlier this year, craziest steer I have ever worked with.  He wanted to play chicken, and I lost, obligingly.  I had no desire to get run by a cross-eyed snot blowin' 700-pound angry Santa of a bovine!

I knew from experience that if I stood in his way, it would not turn out well for me, even if it meant I would have to chase him around my neighborhood for the next 30 minutes.

I've had one too many foot-to-face moments with cows. 

The most impactful lesson working on a farm taught me is that there was never time for the best way to fix a problem; many times, it was good enough to keep going until the opportunity came to do it better.

Indecision is often way more costly and painful than making the wrong decision. 

Had I stood in the middle of the trailer where I was trying to separate the steer who wanted to run me down, frozen with indecision, I would have ended up run over, broken, and bruised at best.

He had made his decision, and logically, he deduced through me would work for him.

The steer calculated his risk, and I was forced to do the same.

Through my podcast conversations and friends who have served in the military, I have learned that the battlefield of a farm and military theatre gives way to the most effective, timely decisions over the most strategic, thought-out plan.

Save strategic pontification for planning and training phases, not in the middle of a gunfight or impending rain shower while trying to bale hay, or aforementioned rodeo!

My podcast guest this week, Lee Pepper, served in the US Army and was trained by it.  It was through his 8 years of military service that he learned to shift and decide how best to solve problems without specific industry knowledge.

What started in a presidential campaign for Ross Perot led to recruiting for Perot Systems, then for data systems, and then for healthcare, ultimately serving as both Chief Information Officer and Chief Marketing Officer in various organizations.

Lee quickly understood that the worst decision by far is no decision. In the military, mission command is drilled into every unit member so they know when to jump from the tractor or get out of the way of a runaway steer. Mission command is focused on the commander's intent.

The General will never be standing side by side with the infantry member to tell them how to respond to a bullet flying at them, so the lowest person in the chain must know the mission's goal to decide for themselves.

It's very life or death.  Yet in business, we often see the opposite.  Any and all decision-making authority is held by the top executives.  This causes indecision, lack of direction, failure, and missed opportunities.

Taking the time to communicate the mission's broader goal empowers everyone to contribute to real-time decision-making.  This not only fosters survival but also success.

Going hand in hand with the mission command is empowering small teams or segments. Giving a small group the authority to investigate, determine, and execute moves everyone to the collective goal faster.

I've seen it happen, I've had to endure it.  Someone in the field has a great idea.  But they have to run it up five levels of command.  By the time it reaches the CEO's desk, the opportunity has lost its allure or is simply too late.

Leaders who trust, empower, and provide decision-making frameworks to others make their lives easier.  Sure, they may have to cash checks they didn't write, but they will also deposit checks they never wrote either!

Yet the fear of empowering others and of their bank accounts becoming overdrafted is what keeps a tight grip on centralized control.

When a military leader does this —as many historical figures did —they will lose.  Lose people, lose battles, lose wars, and lose kingdoms.

The need to communicate, educate, and invest in people never gets stale.  As they say, no organization has ever complained about having too many capable leaders or decision-makers.  It's always the lack of that restricts forward progress.

The military sends people to school for years before they ever lead on a battlefield. And while this has been the case for many corporations, college graduates and post-graduate business schools haven't prepared everyone.  So much of this work needs to be done in-house.  The best way to do so is in real-time.

The National Guard has a cadence of doing so every month to ensure readiness, regardless of peacetime or ongoing conflicts. This ensures people are ready when they are called upon.  The same applies to doing ongoing training with organizations.  It should never be a budget line to cut.

Like the battalions that thought their body armor was too heavy, the time you wish you had the programs to train and develop people is too late when you need them and don't have them.

Providing employees with opportunities for growth, learning, and development not only enhances their skills but also boosts morale and loyalty. When organizations prioritize their people, they create an environment where innovation thrives, and employees are motivated to contribute to the company's success. 

Investment in people is a key driver of sustainable growth and competitive advantage, and the ROI never shows directly on a Profit and Loss Statement but is visible throughout the Balance Sheet!

As we end 2025, I want to offer you a spot to build your human capital.  Over the next 45 days, I will offer three free webinars to help you and anyone in your organization develop key decision-making and leadership skills. The first one is next week, on November 20th at 2 pm PST.

The Awaken the Leader Within Webinar will help you Lead with Grit, Grow with Purpose, and Make an Impact that Lasts.

Find a date that works for you.

Did you catch this podcast? If not, listen to it here.