0:00:00 – Opening / Holistic Talent, Holistic Success, and What Game Are You Playing?
0:35:30 – UFC Striking VS Grappling.
1:01:18 – What can we learn? UFC 226 Post-Fight Antics.
1:31:11 – How to Stay on the Path.
2:04:37 – Closing Gratitude.
146: Holistic Talent, Holistic Success, and What Game Are You Playing?
October 10, 2018
|In Podcast Episodes
Jocko/Echo,
I enjoyed your exchange about luck during episode 146. I live by the mantra “Luck Favors the Prepared” and have heard Echo mention “chance favors the prepared” in this and a previous episode.
I’d like to share a story from TQ, Iraq in February 2005 about luck from the opposite perspective of Jocko’s. I had an epiphany about luck during an aircraft preflight with a young Lance Corporal crew chief from the squadron relieving my unit.
I was the CO of HMM-161, the outgoing primary evacuation squadron for the Sunni-Triangle based at TQ. We were finishing a highly successful deployment having conducted over 450 urgent CASEVACs (often point of injury), 19 raids, and over 5,000 flight hours in support of II MEF with ZERO mishaps, major injuries, or damage from enemy action to our Marines or aircraft. The squadron went on to receive the 2006 Commandant’s Aviation Award for best overall performance by a Marine squadron.
The young Marine, Lance Corporal Early, and I were chatting at the end of a late night mission as we prepared the aircraft for the oncoming day crew. He remarked how great my squadron had done during our deployment. I offhandedly remarked, “Yeah, we were pretty lucky.” LCpl Early corrected me and said, “No sir, luck favors the prepared.” He went on to describe how well our squadron was organized, ran operations, and was helping to prepare his squadron to assume our mission.
I had not heard the saying before, but quickly adopted it and always give LCpl Early credit for coining the phrase. In reflection, it was the disciplined preparation backed up with realistic training for every contingency that enabled our squadron’s success. That disciplined preparation and training was ingrained in me as a young officer and contributed greatly to the successes enjoyed by organizations I’ve been associated with and led.
Thanks for reminding me of this great memory and lesson. Hard to believe that was 12 years ago.
All the best,
Mike B.