Life’s lessons can be learned in many different environments. As a former member of the U.S. Army’s elite counter terrorism unit, known as the “Delta” force, LTC Peter Blaber learned these lessons where the margin for error was virtually non-existent, and the cost of failure was often deadly.
LTC Blaber’s book, “The Mission, the Men, and Me: Lessons from a Delta Force Commander,“ is a fascinating read and one I highly recommend to everyone. Rather than a tale of simply what the life of a Delta operator is like, Blaber shares the wisdom he gained in meeting the challenges of operating in unconventional and often harsh environments.
His hard won knowledge is helpful to all of us trying to meet life’s challenges effectively. Some of the key points he shares are:
- It is the way we think, the way we make decisions, and the way we put those decisions into action that is of greatest importance.
- Before making any critical decision, make sure that you have context.
- Context is the reality of the situation around us. Without context our minds have a tendency tot take short cuts and recognize patterns that aren’t really there.
- Context is about all the essential pieces or dots of information that put what we think we are seeing in its proper perspective. Before you “connect the dots, you have to collect the dots.”
- Once we collect the dots, we need to allow our common sense, which is our understanding and knowledge of life’s conscious and unconscious patterns, to interpret what we are seeing.
- Every mistake is an opportunity to ensure we never make it again, especially if the future consequences can be dire.
LTC Blaber’s book provides a fascinating insight into the strategies that can be employed to help make sound decisions in pressure packed situations. These strategies, however, can be applied in all sorts of situations, not just combat.
Hope you enjoy the read.
Photo credit: Isafmedia via Flckr