November 10, 2024
RUSHIL PATEL
Last Edited:
Nobember 10, 2024
4 Minutes
Hi Everyone!
Welcome to the ninth edition of Phron Weekly! This week's review explores our decision "to be" or "to do" and John Boyd's competitive decision-making framework.
"To be or to do, which way will you go?" - John Boyd
John Boyd was a military strategist and fighter pilot who served in the U.S. Air Force during the mid-20th century. His piloting earned him popularity and the nickname "Forty-Second Boyd," as he could defeat any opponent in simulated air combat in under a minute. Boyd was seen as a nonconformist toward traditional military bureaucracy. Instead of climbing the military ranks, he advanced his ideas and meaningfully influenced others.
The quote stems from a pivotal question Boyd posed to his protégés. He asked them to choose between two distinct career paths: “to be” or “to do.” Here, “to be” refers to focusing on status, climbing the ranks, and seeking recognition or titles without corresponding impact. "Being" is not a reference to one's character but refers to the "being" of position to others. In contrast, "to do" signifies a commitment to a mission and meaningful contribution, often without promise of recognition.
In Coram's biography, Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War, he writes about Boyd's pivotal epiphany after being passed over for a promotion for another inconsequential paper-pusher:
"Often, when a man is young and idealistic, he believes that if he works hard and does the right thing, success will follow. This was what Boyd's mother and childhood mentors had told him. But hard work and success do not always go together in the military, where success is defined by rank, and reaching higher rank requires conforming to the military's value system. Those who do not conform will one day realize that the path of doing the right thing has diverged from the path of success, and then they must decide which path they will follow through life. Almost certainly, he realized that if he was not promoted early to lieutenant colonel after all that he had done, he would never achieve high rank." - Robert Coram
Boyd suggests that pursuing title or status (“to be”) often comes at the expense of honest work, innovative ideas, and challenging the status quo. Those who choose “to do” are more likely to prioritize the mission and their principles, even if it means sacrificing traditional markers of success and popularity. Our choice determines our focus, experience, and contribution.
This week, consider if you aim “to be” or “to do.” Which one do you strive for and why? Challenge your reasoning and the assumptions behind it.
Exploring techniques for making effective decisions under pressure involves studying successful tactics employed in extreme environments. John Boyd's military success is attributed to his decisiveness, and he later became known for creating the "OODA Loop" (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act).
The OODA Loop is a decision-making process that emphasizes adaptability and quick decision-making in complex and fast-changing environments. Boyd developed this framework in the context of air combat during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He observed that U.S. fighter pilots with more agile and adaptable aircraft could outmaneuver technically superior adversaries by "getting inside" their decision-making cycles. By iterating through the OODA loop faster than the opponent, pilots created uncertainty, forcing adversaries into reactive, less effective actions.
The OODA Loop works as follows:
The key to the OODA loop is speed and adaptability. In a competitive environment, the faster one can cycle through the loop, the better positioned they are to stay ahead of competitors.
Netflix uses the OODA Loop to stay agile amid rapidly changing markets. They continuously cycle through observation (customer data and trends), orientation (internal data analysis), decision ( recommendations or changes to offerings), and action (implementation of new content or features). This iterative process keeps the company adaptive to audience preferences and ahead of competitors.
Some action steps for you:
Some links for you:
Fun Fact: Did you know laughter is good for the heart? It increases blood flow and reduces stress and inflammation - so every chuckle is a little boost for your heart.
Disclaimer: The content of this newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice.
Created by Rushil Patel 2024 ©