Soldier, General and Commander: Accelerate and Develop Your Success

The idea is simple: Soldiers are focused on winning fights, generals on winning battles and commanders on winning wars. Each have their priorities, and each have its sphere of influence. By understanding this blueprint, you can navigate and steer your own ship to your personal and communal success.

Soldiers

In any army most people are soldiers, these could include foot soldier, archers, horsemen, or chariots. They fight in the front line and their sole focus is on defeating their immediate enemy. They don’t think about strategy, formation or timing because it’s not their responsibility. They have one job, but an important one.

Likewise, most of the people in the world today are modern day soldiers. They fight in the front line for their company or organization and do the heavy lifting. Although important in micro successes but have no say beyond their specific responsibilities. Although they are direct and immediate contributors to success, but they are unfortunately replaceable. At best they are very capable at their function and could be given more honor and an incremental raise, but still a soldier.

But if you wish to develop your life trajectory beyond a soldier, the rest of the essay is for you.

Generals

Generals don’t simply think about the enemy standing in front of them, but about the entire army that is before them. Their focus is on winning the battle. In order to do so, several variables would need to be considered. What is the most appropriate formation? When is the optimal time of day? Which location gives them the advantage? Ambush or direct attack? A general need to think about winning the battle, but to do so, they must have a game plan that befits the circumstance. Find advantageous, hide weaknesses.

Likewise, in the everyday battlefield of life, whether in the workplace, family, communities, leaders need to be generals. They think beyond the current stack of work and think about the larger picture, to attain success for the entire team. And to accomplish this one mission, many questions needs to be answered. What is the best use of time? What are team member’s talents? What is their morale? What would the next month look like? How do we win given the circumstance? A leader who fail to have this bigger picture in mind will certainly fail to plan and ultimately lose the battle for everyone. Even given the best and most talented soldiers, a lack of leadership and planning will at best waste their energy and at worst, lose them.

Too many soldiers want the wealth and prestige of generals without having the competency of this role. But from this military analogy, it serves as a practical guide for a soldier to transform into a leader. It is ultimately a change in vision, from winning over an enemy, to willing the battle.

Commander

Perhaps the most important mind in an army is the commander. Whereas generals win battles, commanders win wars to end all conflicts. Typically, the grand plan is from the commander, executed by generals and fought by soldiers. Commanders must have an elevated vision, to foresee enemy’s tactics and strategy and maneuver accordingly. Although they do not fight in the field, but they fight in their mind. Though they do not risk their lives in the battle, but they bear the responsibility of all lives. They take no credit to victories until the war is won but must bear the humiliation of every defeat.

The office of a commander is heavy. These are the Presidents, the CEOs, the top leaders. Their battle is at every front, they must trust the right personnel, focus on the right priorities, establish the right culture. If an incompetent person sits in the office of a commander, the war is destined to be lost. The right opportunities missed, the bad decisions are made, wrong generals sent. One mistake may not cost the war, but a series of failures will mount to an overwhelming defeat.

We are all at different levels in this blueprint. But the idea is simple, the higher you go, the broader you need to think, the more you need to consider. Today, we need leaders more than ever, We need people who can think beyond their day, their tasks, their benefits, but lead their teams, their communities, and their families to a great success.