“The secret? There are no secrets.” Applicable to many things.

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What you describe is “alignment” when vision, mission, strategy, tactics, objectives, VALUES and culture are all aligned to achieve identifiable and quantifiable outcomes.

It is very powerful.

BRC
http://www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com

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Kevin, you have nothing to worry about. Anyone who is up and running in 5F has already given evidence of understanding how tough living up to one’s values is. That is not chicken feed.

You have hit the right note, unicorns and lightning striking do happen but not to most of the real world.

Come to work early, stay late, work hard, read an hour a day about your profession — and then be true to yourself. You will be a success in a currency that is not always money but often is.

You will be a genuine, authentic leader who is unafraid to charge Hell with a half full thimble of water. And the flames of Hell will be extinguished by men and women who will do just that.

The secret? There are no secrets. There never have been. There never will be.

Stay away from the guys with mousse in their hair who have all the answers. They don’t.

BRC
http://www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com

During the early stages (pre P/M fit) I have found that values are not yet visible on the outside – but they are the internal compass that drives you forward. This period is challenging (and lonely) so you are constantly checking to see if your compass is working properly. You check the market, your colleagues, your family, friends, and, interestingly enough, total strangers!

Thankfully, there is an abundance of information available in the startup world. There are blogs, books, videos, comments, characters, etc. The information available is really, really good – and interesting. You are suddenly surrounded by people who are wayyyy smarter and successful than you. It’s great.

The problem I have found is that there is a lot of information that can make you question your values. A lot of the what is written concentrates on unicorns and moonshots. You start thinking “maybe my compass isn’t working – these people are smarter than me”. I think this is a mistake.

I am glad I found this blog. You reinforce a lot of the values that we need to build something great, regardless of how big it can become. That is reason we chose the startup path in the first place.

Thank you.

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I can tell you exactly why — the Marines do a better job of drilling it into their men. Marines, on average, do a better job of making riflemen. Every Marine is a rifleman even if they happen to start the day with a spatula in their hand. This is one of the things I admire about the Marines.

I went to jump school with a bunch of Force Recon Marines and they were the best soldiers I ever encountered.

You are one of the few men who can make such a direct comparison and your view is therefore extremely insightful and valuable.

See you on the high ground!

BRC
http://www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com

Its a long list but simple. Its been updated since I first went to Marine OCS in 1998. The lead with honor phrase has taken billing from 14 Leadership Traits.

To be frank I remember the Marine Corps value easier than I do the Army’s. Maybe its the drilling or simplicity. I don’t know.

Possibly it’s the personal challenge or responsibility they demand.