Because It Does

44.

I compare notes. TOM has the final say. This is quality control. True, we were incredibly successful in the mission, one succinctly defined as ‘Stop the bad guys from blowing up innocent civilians using jacked US Navy aircraft’. Check. That was the strategy. The tactic, the pragmatic how we did it, is the subject of the executive summation, primarily based on Julie’s copious notes gathered in our debriefs. Because it is not always so much that we DID IT as it is - HOW WE DID IT. 

The factual reality of this exercise, lost on many, is our basis for continual improvement. It is, in a nutshell, the single most important element that separates us from them.  We analyze and address. What could we have done better? Different? Cleaner? And of course, to keep the bean-counters happy, cheaper. Most think in terms of more; more soldiers, more guns, more bombs, more moles. We think in terms of efficiency, being smarter, leaner and more complete. Simply stated, our eternally evolving mission statement now reads: Getting more done with less. In keeping ahead of these exacting standards I check my personal notes against TOMs. I have developed my own rating system with a pass/fail grading formula that keeps my head above the turbulent seas in which we tread water. It is like a dancer knowing not only her moves but those of her partner as well. Like the pianist able to both play and listen to the other members of the orchestra simultaneously. It is the nuance that establishes connectivity among team members engaged in dynamic flow. In this mind-set there is little difference between the artist and the art. 

The self analysis of my work, my leadership skills and choices, the means as well as the ends, all possible combinations considered, leaves the margin for error painfully small. Lives are in the balance. I am responsible. In the toxic cauldron of stress - amid this real-time live or die obstacle course - I find salvation in playing the part of the hero. That means 100% at all times, absolute best. Not just good or even great. BUT FUCKING PERFECT. That is where I start the process. From that impossibly lofty goal I work it backward with a half-dozen critical elements as inflection points. I remind myself of them:

1) Confidence. 

2) Strength.

3) Aggressiveness.

4) Discipline.

5) Motion and Movement.

6) Caution and Valor. 

Upon the completion, successful or partial, of a mission or assignment, the time that I spend in the detailed assessment of my actions is the most important tool in my kit, comparable to the warrior who, having five hours to prepare for battle, spends four of them sharpening and honing his sword. Sure, our abilities in areas of marksmanship, underwater demolition, martial arts, hand to hand engagement, orienteering, communications and emergency medical response are important, as are basic physical skills for endurance, speed, repelling, swimming, flying and tolerance to pain, but they are only a part of the total equation. For without an attitude, minus the power to make aggressive and decisive moves, the discipline to control motion and messaging, and the nuance to recognize the fine line separating caution from bravery, the odds of success diminish exponentially. Remember, I often tell myself, we’re talking about perfect here. Aspire for the highest. Self-Assess as if your life depends upon it. 

Because it does.