Fighter pilots guide to running a business

I don't usually like analogies between war and business but where we people and decisions collide there's often a chance for leadership lessons. So when I recently discovered the OODA Loop I was intrigued.

In summary, the OODA Loop theory was created by US Airforce Colonel John Boyd as a way to explain how to 'use one's energies to defeat an adversary and survive'. It's commonly used to describe how a fighter pilot acts in a dogfight but increasingly it's given as a model for making business decisions.

1. Observe: pay attention to what’s happening around you;

2. Orient: work out what that means to you and your current situation;

3. Decide: agree what action you are going to take;

4. Act: do it with commitment.

This isn't rocket science, most people subconsciously go through this process hundreds of times a day when making decisions. The challenge is to do it consciously, when teh heat is on.