A lesson from Delta Force

Lately I’ve been reading Eric L. Haney’s book Inside Delta Force, a personal memoir of the author’s experience in the early years of the elite counter-terrorist unit.  One thing I found striking is Haney’s brief overview of how “The Unit” came to exist in the first place.

1^st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta exists because of the efforts of Colonel Charles Beckwith, a Vietnam veteran who spent time as an exchange officer with British SAS forces.  He recognized the growing threat of terrorism throughout the world, and that the United States was an easy target with no SAS-type unit to directly combat terrorists.  There was a lot of resistance to Beckwith’s proposal for the creation of such a unit, which is apparently the normal reaction in the military when any kind of change is proposed.

What I appreciate about Beckwith is he wasn’t just a good soldier with a good idea, but he knew how to get his idea implemented.  He found a general who shared his concern, found some money in the budget that wasn’t being used, casually brought his ideas up in conversations, and slowly sold his vision.

Finally, Delta Force became a reality.

There too many organizations that are resistant to change.  There are too many good ideas and solutions to un-noticed problems that never get implemented.

Is it because we think our solutions are so good it will be obvious that they should be put into action?

Is it because we view our ideas as our children, and we can’t see past the personal offense when someone questions them?

Is it because we don’t spend enough time strategizing what it will take to make idea into reality and solution into resolution?

Maybe all three, but definitely the last one.

Leaders, our ideas and solutions are only as good as our implementations.  And Monday morning quarterbacks, no one cares what you have to say until you get a little skin in the game on Sunday.

So today we need to plan our moves and then get moving.