The Shortest Distance is a Straight Line
By Tom Pryor

"No captain can do wrong if he places his ship alongside that of the enemy."

This bold statement by Admiral Lord Nelson is both a military strategy and a definition of courage. It also serves as great advice for every walk of life, both personal and professional. Commander Bull Halsey says, "All problems, personal, national, or combat, become smaller if you don't dodge them. Touch a thistle timidly and it pricks you; grasp I boldly and its spines crumble. Carry the battle to the enemy. Lay your ship alongside his." (1)

Who or what's your enemy? Enemies come in many forms:

• Ignorance… "Art hath an enemy called ignorance." (2) What you don't know, can kill you. As Brent Grover points out in his new book More to the Bottom Line, wholesalers and distributors who don't know each customer's profitability cannot effectively defeat declining margins.
  
  
• Forgiveness… Not forgiving the hurtful words or actions of another person are your burden and enemy, not theirs. The May 18, 2004 Wall Street Journal reported that some doctors are now turning to apologies to successfully reduce malpractice law suits. Giving and receiving forgiveness defeats the enemy.
  
  
• Greed… Greed kills stakeholders and stockholders. While Sarbanes-Oxley legislation will not eliminate corporate greed, you can defeat it.
  
  
• Changing Principles… Changes to processes are typically good. Changes to foundational principles are typically bad, often promoted by an enemy.
  
  
• Obesity… Too much of anything - even a good thing - is an enemy to our well being and health. Carrot cake, Braum's chocolate chip ice cream and Memaw's cheese enchiladas in excess are my enemy.
  
  
• Debt… Placing wants before needs leads to rising credit card debt and zero savings. Gregg Easterbrook calls this enemy "wealth porn" (3)... having and exhibiting that which is not needed.

President Bush adopted Lord Nelson's strategy in response to 9/11… go fight terrorists where they live... Afghanistan and Iraq. Americans are preparing to celebrate Memorial Day, a sad and solemn occasion to honor the American soldiers who gave their lives in war against the enemy. It is also a hallowed day to remember the values those men and women fought to defend freedom.

Andrew Bernstein of the Ayn Rand Institute says, "The meaning of Memorial Day is particularly pressing today when the United States is engaged in a war against fanatics who represent the extreme of intellectual, religious and political suppression. Freedom is unknown and utterly alien in the countries that support terrorists. They feel threatened by our most cherished principles and institutions, and so they seek to destroy us."

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Make 2004 a year of personal victory. Draw a straight line to your enemy and attack. Whatever enemies you face today… personally or professionally… adopt the strategy that's made America great for the over 200 years: confront the enemy and fight to win.

(1) Why Courage Matters, John McCain with Mark Salter, Random House, 2004
(2) Every Man Out of his Humour, Act 1, Scene 1, Ben Johnson
(3) The Progress Paradox, Gregg Easterbrook, Random House, 2003

NOTE:
For an inspiring presentation honoring the people and principles of Memorial Day, I encourage you to visit the following web site: http://nathanadams.com/WeSupportU.htm

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