Happy New Year! I want to set the tone for the 2024 first post this year: Acting with a sense of urgency.
There is no better way to do that than fighting with your back against the wall. This is called the death-ground strategy. Though initially a military tactic, this ancient strategy holds profound implications for personal and professional growth. The Death-Ground Strategy is based on placing oneself in a ‘do or die’ situation, where failure is not an option. In such scenarios, people often find untapped reservoirs of courage, determination, and focus.
The idea of putting yourself on death ground is one I read in Robert Greene’s The 33 Strategies of War many years ago.
Put yourself against the wall
As part of the Genius Talks 2018, The Rock gave a talk to the Lakers roster. Here’s an excerpt:
“You guys are on the come-up,” he said in the speech. “You’re on the rise. But at some point, you gotta be f–king tired of not being number one. You gotta play angry. I’m cool and calm when I step on a set. But when it comes to business and when it comes to executing”—he raps his fist against the wall—”every day my back is up against this motherf–ker. And when my back is against this motherf–ker”—he raps again—”I don’t give a f–k who’s in front of me. I won’t stop.”
Here’s part 1 of the talk:
How do you put yourself against the wall?
Here are a few ways to create urgency and focus in your life:
- Set ambitious deadlines: One of the simplest ways to create your death ground is by setting tight deadlines. The pressure of a looming deadline can sharpen your focus and intensify your efforts.
- Commit publicly: Announce your goals and deadlines publicly. By doing so, you add social pressure to perform, as not meeting your commitments would lead to public failure.
- Burn the boats: Just like Hernán Cortés burned his ships upon reaching the New World to prevent retreat, eliminate your escape routes. Make it so that the only way out is through achieving your goal.
- Increase the stakes: Attach significant consequences to failure. This could be a personal penalty (like a substantial donation to a cause you don’t support) or a professional one (like a commitment to a client that you can’t back out of).
- Simplify your choices: Remove unnecessary options. When you have no alternative but to move forward, your decision-making process becomes streamlined and more effective.
Applying the death ground in your business
In business, the death ground strategy can be particularly effective. For example, a startup with limited funding has no choice but to succeed before the money runs out. This pressure can lead to innovative solutions and rapid growth.
With that said here are a few tactics and actions you can take:
- Create a crisis: Sometimes, you need to manufacture a sense of crisis. This could be setting ambitious sales targets or launching a challenging project.
- Restrict resources: Intentionally limit resources to force creative problem-solving. This could mean smaller budgets, fewer personnel, or reduced time frames.
- Embrace risk: Undertake projects with a high degree of uncertainty or risk. This forces you and your team to be at their most creative and resourceful.
- Implement ‘War Games’: Regularly engage in simulated crisis scenarios. These exercises can keep your team sharp, prepared, and accustomed to operating under pressure.
- Regular reviews and accountability checks: Establish a system of regular progress reviews. Accountability ensures that the sense of urgency is maintained.
Bottom line: The Death-Ground Strategy is a powerful tool to create focus and urgency. By placing ourselves in situations where failure is not an option, we unlock our fullest potential. It’s a strategy that requires courage and a willingness to embrace discomfort, but the rewards can be extraordinary – breakthrough creativity, accelerated progress, and unparalleled achievements.
