Victory!

Applying the Proven Principles of Military Strategy to Achieve Greater Success in Your Business and Personal Life
by Brian Tracy Throughout history, some of the finest examples of leadership have been shown by generals who achieved victory in chaotic situations, at times against nearly impossible odds. On countless occasions, the decision of a single officer at one critical moment has decided the outcome of a battle, and even the fate of an empire. In many ways, modern life has become a battle as well. We are constantly competing in our work and personal lives against uncertain forces in a turbulent, and at times hostile, environment. Like generals commanding huge armies, our ability to succeed against considerable odds often depends on our ability to emulate many of the same battle-tested characteristics of great military leaders, either consciously or unconsciously. Using riveting examples that span more than twenty centuries of military history, VICTORY! by Brian Tracy demonstrates how the same elements of strategy that have dictated the outcomes of humankind's most momentous battles can be applied to our business and personal lives to produce exceptional results. And who better to teach us these lessons than Brian Tracy? In addition to being an avid student of military history, Tracy is one of the world's most celebrated and successful speakers and a leading international consultant on personal and professional development. To date, Tracy has given more than 2,000 speeches and seminars, addressing more than 450,000 people each year throughout the world. He has also worked directly with more than 500 corporations, including numerous blue-chip clients, and has written more than a dozen books, including The 21 Success Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires and the recent bestseller, Focal Point. In his latest book, VICTORY!, America's foremost expert on personal achievement shows his readers how to apply timeless principles of military strategy to unlock their potential for triumphant success. He covers the importance of having objectives, getting the facts, coordinating your activities, daring to go forward, concentrating your forces, conserving your resources and having one person in charge. He then uses fascinating battlefield illustrations to reinforce these principles. If your approach to business hinges on careful strategy and targeted planning, you'll want to equip yourself with as many of the tactical weapons in this military manual that you can muster. And you'll want to start, as Tracy does, with the twelve basic principles of military strategy.

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The Twelve Principles of Military Strategy Over the centuries, historians have studied great military leaders and analyzed their battles. Thousands of researchers and scholars have devoted themselves to finding the common denominators of victory and defeat in warfare. They have concluded that successful commanders win largely because of their understanding of basic military strategy, combined with a healthy measure of boldness, surprise and resolute determination to achieve success. From the days of Thucydides and his History of the Peloponnesian War, the core principles of military strategy have been identified and refined. These twelve principles have been taught to subsequent generations of officers in the armed services and military schools worldwide. It is these twelve principles around which Brian Tracy's book is written the principles that will allow you to achieve absolute victory both at work, and in your personal life. The twelve principles are: 1. The Principle of the Objective This first principle involves developing and maintaining absolute clarity regarding your goals and objectives, and making sure everyone involved knows what they are. According to Tracy, applying the Principle of the Objective in your organization is amazingly easy. It begins by being as clear and upfront as possible with your employees and co-workers about your specific goals and objectives. Everyone involved in any part of your mission needs to know what the result is supposed to be and how to measure it. The more clarity you have, the more likely you are to achieve your objective. To illustrate this point, Tracy explains how a commitment to clarity helped Alexander the Great, one of history's most impressive military leaders, succeed against the mighty Persian army at the Battle of Arbela in 331 B.C. Though the Persians had more soldiers, Alexander focused on one simple task penetrating the lines and killing the Persian commander, Darius. Alexander believed that the conscripted Persian troops wouldn't stand and fight without their leader, and he was right. When Darius died, his army collapsed, and Alexander went on to rule Persia for many years. 2. The Principle of the Offensive Here, Tracy shows us how to become an intensely action-oriented person. Throw your whole heart into what you are doing, he stresses. Become a moving target! All great battles are won on the offensive by taking aggressive forward action. A force on the offensive has an advantage over a force that is defending or retreating, explains Tracy. "All great success results from taking offensive action and doing something different," he says, "especially if you act faster and more forcefully than your competitor. Think about ways to take offensive action to
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create and keep customers, using advertising, marketing and other techniques as if they are your artillery. Strategize like an entrepreneur, which means being proactive, taking responsibility and being results-oriented. Look for tomorrow's opportunities and don't expect perfection from yourself, since most successful people, including generals and military commanders, have made mistakes in the past." 3. The Principle of the Mass "Focus single-mindedly on one thing, the most important thing, and stay with it until it's done," writes Tracy. "Bring all your powers to bear on achieving your most important single goal or accomplishing the most important single objective in your work or personal life. Always focus on the one or two things that you can do that can make all the difference. Don't waste your precious energies on lower-value activities." To apply the Principle of the Mass, Tracy explains that we need to carefully focus and concentrate our limited resources on the actions and goals that matter the most. Focus your ammunition and use it decisively at the appropriate time and place, as the British did in 1879 when they defeated the Zulu's at the Battle of Rorke's Drift. The Brits concentrated their firepower during a two-day battle. Previously, they had been defeated at a battle where they divided and dispersed their forces over too wide an area. Likewise, concentrate your business efforts on the areas where they will lead to production of a superior product or service. Don't risk diffusing your efforts by offering too many products and services to too many customers in too many ways, he warns. This may lead to overextension, higher costs and diversion of key people from areas where you could succeed. 4. The Principle of Maneuver Be fast on your feet! Try something new! Look for ways to do things differently, to come at your problems and opportunities from a different angle than the average person. Be willing, says Tracy, to consider the possibility that you could be wrong in your most cherished assumptions or your most habitual behaviors. While Tracy recognizes that you sometimes need to make decisions that limit your flexibility in other areas, he warns against ever putting all your eggs in one basket. That's the essence of the Principle of Maneuver. Failures in battle most commonly occur when a leader is outmaneuvered by the opposing force because she fails to adapt or respond appropriately to situational changes, he explains. Be ready to respond, to move and to change your forces. And if something or someone isn't working, be prepared to let go and move on. 5. The Principle of Intelligence This principle involves learning all you can about your business and your industry,
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especially the plans and actions of your competitors. It means knowing both your competitors and yourself. "Get the facts!" says Tracy. "You can never have too much information or too many ideas. Become very good at what you do. Read, listen to audio programs, and take seminars and courses regularly. Ask questions, listen carefully, and make notes. One good idea is all you need to change your life." 6. The Principle of Concerted Action "Total victory cannot be achieved without first learning how to work well with other people," writes Tracy. "You must leverage the talents and skills of others to help you achieve your goals. Associate with positive people who are going somewhere with their lives. Always look for ways to help others achieve their goals, and they will always be willing to help you achieve yours." Tracy explains that concerted action requires seeking ways to coordinate your activities to find synergy with others. Working harmoniously with others will help multiply your forces and enable you to do much more than you could alone. To this end, Tracy recommends you communicate your goals, objectives, plans and task responsibilities to all of your units and then give them achievable deadlines and action schedules, so everyone on the team knows what to do. Effective teamwork is the key to high performance, he says. 7. The Principle of Unity of Command The Principle of Unity of Command underscores the importance of having just one person in charge. A lone commander provides singleness of vision and a clear set of instructions, explains Tracy. Having multiple leaders opens the door to inefficiency, misunderstanding and ineffective action. Whenever there is an objective, one single responsible commander should be in charge to provide unity of effort. "Be a leader!" emphasizes Tracy. "Take charge! Seize the initiative! Make a decision, then another, then another. Learn from your decisions; accept feedback and self-correct. Remember that you are where you are and what you are because of yourself. You are in charge of your own life and your own future. Take command!!!" 8. The Principle of Simplicity The Principle of Simplicity involves continually looking for ways to simplify your life and your work. It's about cutting out all useless activities and reducing complexity at every opportunity. "Make a decision today to delegate, eliminate, consolidate, outsource, and discontinue activities that no longer contribute significant value to the achievement of your most important goals and objectives," encourages Tracy. "Take the direct
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approach. Break things down to essentials and focus on the one or two actions that are most important to achieve victory. Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and tell others what to do to carry them out with clear, concise instructions, so they fully understand." According to Tracy, four proven ways to simplify your business and your life include: (1) working on getting better at key tasks; (2) delegating what you don't need to do; (3) outsourcing what can be done by a specialist; and (4) eliminating unnecessary tasks and activities. 9. The Principle of Security Applying the Principle of Security means guarding against preventable losses and reversals. Practically speaking, it's about insuring against catastrophic emergencies, putting aside cash reserves, and protecting your main markets. "Take excellent care of your most important customers," advises Tracy. "Treasure your most valuable people. Think ahead about what could possibly go wrong, and then make provisions to ensure that those things don't happen. Remember to take nothing for granted." 10. The Principle of Economy In explaining the Principle of Economy, Brian Tracy offers practical suggestions on how to reduce your costs by finding new ways to achieve your objectives with a minimum expenditure of time and money. In part, this involves making a promise to yourself that you will become financially independent in the course of your working lifetime, and organizing your financial activities so that you achieve your goal on schedule. It's about saving regularly and investing carefully. 11. The Principle of Surprise Mastering the Principle of Surprise is about doing the unexpected. Always be looking for newer, faster, easier, cheaper ways to accomplish the same objective. "The only constant in life today is change," says Tracy, "and the rate of change is accelerating. Your ability to be creative and innovative, to find different ways to serve your customers better and faster, is the key to your breaking through all the barriers to success in your industry." 12. The Principle of Exploitation For Tracy, the key to taking maximum advantage of opportunities as they present themselves lies in being prepared to always follow through. "Make a commitment today to fulfill your full potential as a person. Decide right now that you are going to become everything you are capable of becoming. When you get an opportunity, throw your whole heart into taking full advantage of it, and
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never give up!" When you don't follow through and complete the victory, you risk losing everything you have gained, warns Tracy. This, of course, was the all-too-familiar problem with the Gulf War of 1991, where the U.S. military arguably backed off too soon, leaving Saddam Hussein in power. Likewise, once you achieve a breakthrough or advantage, vigorously follow up and follow through to make further gains and to prevent a reversal of fortunes down the road. Conclusion For centuries young officers have been taught to think and take action consistent with the twelve principles of military strategy. In your business and family relationships, the stakes may not be quite as high as they are on the battlefield, where life and death forever hangs in the balance. But still, it remains the case that women and men who achieve great things in their lives are those who take their responsibilities seriously, leaving nothing to chance. They study and prepare themselves so they are ready to perform consistently well in the critical battles and key moments of work and life. High performing people behave this way because their ultimate goal is not just to make a living, but to make a great life. They are forever striving to "be all that they can be," just like the army recruiting poster says. The great mistake that most people make, says Tracy, is not realizing that "the failure to commit to excellence to VICTORY leads by default to the subconscious acceptance of mediocrity, and eventually, to defeat." With quotes like that one, it's plain to see that Tracy's book is strictly for highly ambitious, energetic and success-oriented individuals of all descriptions, who seek to play leadership roles, in all walks of life. Even if you don't think of yourself as military minded, you can still benefit by learning how to behave more strategically by applying Brian Tracy's twelve highly potent principles. With these principles at your command, your odds of achieving dynamic personal victory improve immeasurably. In short, you will become unstoppable!

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