Reluctance is "Asymmetric" Warfare

Are you old enough to recall the US and global media's daily brouhaha over wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?

In those days, as a soldier serving in the US Army, I learned the term asymmetric warfare.

Imagine - the world's most organized, well-trained, well-funded and well-equipped military machine, governed by strict adherence to Geneva Conventions ...

... against a rag-tag, decentralized group of zealots fueled by hatred, with no agenda for victory other than to cause damage, injury and death.

At the outset in 2003 we asked each other and ourselves, "What could go wrong?" But as recently as last year, we found out - everything could.

Both campaigns ended with the larger, stronger, wealthier and technologically superior opponent retreating in disgrace.

Both of the nations we endeavored to "free" ended up right back where they started - led by extremists who once seemed like "bugs we could squash" in a few weeks.

Why Were We Reluctant?

It's true, the United States and its allies certainly won battles in both campaigns. I was there; I know how hard we fought to defeat Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

In a supreme irony, however, we discovered that with each victory came greater reluctance.

On my first deployment in 2004, we were mostly left to do our jobs - find the enemy, capture or kill them, and forge a new nation under democratic rule.

But by 2007, we were spending billions of dollars on adding armor to our vehicles, to minimize casualties and injuries from an ever-increasing threat of roadside bombs.

In '04, they told us, "If you see the enemy, shoot him."

Three years later, we were learning how to talk to the media if they approached us, a seven-step rules of engagement protocol, and God help us if we didn't wear our reflective belts.

Congress eventually gave medals to soldiers for displaying "courageous restraint." If that doesn't spell "reluctance," I don't know what does!

What made us think victory was possible, when the definition of "winning" is "obtaining the media's applause and approval"?

How can you defeat an enemy whose pre-combat drill consists of chanting "Death to America," when your pre-combat drill consists of reciting a twisted version of the Hippocratic Oath (minus the part about killing unborn children) and Title X, US Code?

And the answer goes back to the term "asymmetric warfare." We apprehended the asymmetry, all right ... but only through physical eyes. Not spiritual ones.

We could not see that despite the enormous, overwhelming advantage of being the US military ... we were more at war with ourselves than we were with the terrorists.

How to End the Great War Within

Do you, as a professional, ever "apologize" for your own existence?

Have you ever watched with sorrow - or perhaps, even a little envy - as other professionals gobble up your share of the pie, because they rushed in where you feared to tread?

It isn't because they're gifted with a lack of reluctance; it's simply because they're better at fighting back against reluctance than you are.

No one introduces themselves by saying, "Hello, my name is Joe Smith, and I'm sorry to have burdened you with the fact that I exist."

Rather, what we often do is make unnecessary, self-deprecating remarks. Or we try to qualify and justify what we do, the role we perform or the product/service we provide.

We do exactly what the US military kept trying to do in Iraq and Afghanistan - prove the value of our presence, without being reconciled internally, amongst ourselves.

Perhaps this illustration hits closer to home: do you still think it's coincidence that your subconscious mind, driven by fear, emotion, instinct and pessimism ...

... is ten times the size of your conscious mind, which is the center of wisdom, rationality and intelligent decision-making?

Sounds a little asymmetric, doesn't it?

In next week's blog, I'm going to show you skills I've learned to fight, win and even end the great war within.

For now, however, I suggest you schedule a call to discuss the first strike at reluctance - taking ACTION to spread your message via the written word.