The Folly of Fixed Defenses
China built its Great Wall, but that did not prevent foreign invasion as intended. France built its Maginot Line, but that did not stop the Germans from invading in WWII. The history of warfare teaches us that fixed, static defenses such as those examples routinely fail in their intended purpose of deterring aggression and invasion. Mobility, agility, and flexibility have often proven more successful in winning battles and wars than fixed defensive positions. We can extend this principle from warfare to life in general.
Be Adaptable, Not Stubborn
When a course of action becomes untenable, instead of persisting in a failing method, it is important to recognize the situation and pivot, adjusting the plan as needed in order to keep moving forward to achieving the goal. A business associate told me this very thing over coffee one morning, that in business we must be prepared to pivot as needed as the situation changes, and new opportunities emerge. For example, there was a man in Israel whose business was selling stained glass windows. Business was slow, but he noticed that many people expressed interest in learning how to make stained glass, so he switched to offering lessons in how to make stained glass, instead of selling the stained glass windows himself.
Adapting With New Technology
In science fiction, there is a story about a man who was replaced by a robot doing his job. The man became a technician maintaining and fixing the robot. Before computers were invented, there was an actual job title of computer – a person who sat at a desk all day long doing hard math problems to assist those businesses and industries that rely on mathematical computation. That human job has now been completely replaced by digital computers in the modern era. Presumably, some of those human computers either found other work or went on unemployment assistance.
As AI is poised to reshape the job market, many people in the business world already speak of adjusting to make use of AI in order to stay relevant in the job market. A computer programmer who wisely uses AI to assist in writing code can likely be far more efficient and effective than one who relies solely on his own skill.
The Military and Security Professions
In the Marine Corps’ book Warfighting, in the discussion of maneuver warfare, it states that junior NCOs at the front are expected to seize opportunities as they appear, without waiting for orders from higher officers. Thus, instead of setting a rigid plan and following it stubbornly, Marines are expected to adapt, to be flexible, to seize opportunities during the brief moments during which exploiting them can further mission objectives and possibly lead to battlefield victory.
Security professionals know that static defenses are not as effective as mobile, flexible, and unpredictable roving patrols and spot checks. For example, police officers are not tested for illegal drug use on a regular predictable schedule. They are randomly selected at routine intervals for drug testing.
Evolution
Charles Darwin stated that the species and organisms that are most able to adapt to their environment are most likely to survive. The modern business and education environment are always changing, and so must we. We must adapt continuously as the world changes continuously, in order to thrive.
Invitation for Your Thoughts
What do you think? How can you pivot and adapt to succeed in the modern world? Please leave a comment below.