The Opportunity Dictates the Strategy

During my years of intensive MMA training, I was taught that:

The opponent dictates the fight.

This was a liberating concept as it removed the pressure to remember ‘moves’ or complicated combinations.

The concept was relatively simple; the opponent would present openings through his positioning and attacks, all one had to do was perceive the opening and apply the appropriate tool to exploit it.

My responsibility was to develop the awareness skills to quickly identify the openings and hone my skill set (strikes, holds, defensive tactics) to effectively respond.

Many martial arts programs, however, teach an approach based on:

When the opponent does X, you respond with Y.

This works great in movies when fights are choreographed, and everyone involved is cooperating based on a common script. It fails miserably in reality.

Similarly in business, your competition isn’t following your playbook. Nor are they cooperating with you to ensure your new product launch is successful.

Bringing a ‘one size fits all’ approach to leading a new initiative will not set it up for success. Running a new project with the same approach you applied for your previous client may drive drastically different results.

Applying the combat principal to leadership, I’ve modified it as follows:

The opportunity dictates the strategy.

It enables me to focus on two key areas.

Awareness

To seize an opportunity, you must first become aware of it. Awareness requires an open mind and developed sensitivity skills.

Adaptation

• Every client has their own distinct priorities.

• Each company has its own unique culture.

• Each project has its set of constraints and challenges.

• Every team has its own dynamics and diverse set of personalities.

Adapting your leadership style to your team and the challenges you will face together is crucial. The opportunity dictates the strategy.

Trying a new approach will require confidence and training.