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Victory!
Applying the Proven Principles of Military Strategy
to Achieve Greater Success in Your Business and Personal
Life
by Brian Tracy
Throughout history, some of the finest examples of leadership have
been shown by generals who achieved victory in chaotic situations,
at times against nearly impossible odds. On countless occasions, the decision of
a single officer at one critical moment has decided the outcome of a battle, and
even the fate of an empire.
In many ways, modern life has become a battle as well. We are constantly
competing in our work and personal lives against uncertain forces in a turbulent,
and at times hostile, environment. Like generals commanding huge armies, our
ability to succeed against considerable odds often depends on our ability to
emulate many of the same battle-tested characteristics of great military leaders,
either consciously or unconsciously.
Using riveting examples that span more than twenty centuries of military history,
VICTORY! by Brian Tracy demonstrates how the same elements of strategy that
have dictated the outcomes of humankind's most momentous battles can be
applied to our business and personal lives to produce exceptional results.
And who better to teach us these lessons than Brian Tracy? In addition to being
an avid student of military history, Tracy is one of the world's most celebrated and
successful speakers and a leading international consultant on personal and
professional development. To date, Tracy has given more than 2,000 speeches
and seminars, addressing more than 450,000 people each year throughout the
world. He has also worked directly with more than 500 corporations, including
numerous blue-chip clients, and has written more than a dozen books, including
The 21 Success Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires and the recent bestseller, Focal
Point.
In his latest book, VICTORY!, America's foremost expert on personal achievement
shows his readers how to apply timeless principles of military strategy to unlock
their potential for triumphant success. He covers the importance of having
objectives, getting the facts, coordinating your activities, daring to go forward,
concentrating your forces, conserving your resources and having one person in
charge. He then uses fascinating battlefield illustrations to reinforce these
principles.
If your approach to business hinges on careful strategy and targeted planning,
you'll want to equip yourself with as many of the tactical weapons in this military
manual that you can muster. And you'll want to start, as Tracy does, with the
twelve basic principles of military strategy.



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The Twelve Principles of Military Strategy
Over the centuries, historians have studied great military leaders and analyzed
their battles. Thousands of researchers and scholars have devoted themselves to
finding the common denominators of victory and defeat in warfare. They have
concluded that successful commanders win largely because of their
understanding of basic military strategy, combined with a healthy measure of
boldness, surprise and resolute determination to achieve success.
From the days of Thucydides and his History of the Peloponnesian War, the core
principles of military strategy have been identified and refined. These twelve
principles have been taught to subsequent generations of officers in the armed
services and military schools worldwide. It is these twelve principles around which
Brian Tracy's book is written the principles that will allow you to achieve
absolute victory both at work, and in your personal life.
The twelve principles are:
1. The Principle of the Objective
This first principle involves developing and maintaining absolute clarity regarding
your goals and objectives, and making sure everyone involved knows what they
are. According to Tracy, applying the Principle of the Objective in your
organization is amazingly easy. It begins by being as clear and upfront as
possible with your employees and co-workers about your specific goals and
objectives. Everyone involved in any part of your mission needs to know what the
result is supposed to be and how to measure it. The more clarity you have, the
more likely you are to achieve your objective.
To illustrate this point, Tracy explains how a commitment to clarity helped
Alexander the Great, one of history's most impressive military leaders, succeed
against the mighty Persian army at the Battle of Arbela in 331 B.C. Though the
Persians had more soldiers, Alexander focused on one simple task penetrating
the lines and killing the Persian commander, Darius. Alexander believed that the
conscripted Persian troops wouldn't stand and fight without their leader, and he
was right. When Darius died, his army collapsed, and Alexander went on to rule
Persia for many years.
2. The Principle of the Offensive
Here, Tracy shows us how to become an intensely action-oriented person. Throw
your whole heart into what you are doing, he stresses. Become a moving target!
All great battles are won on the offensive by taking aggressive forward action.
A force on the offensive has an advantage over a force that is defending or
retreating, explains Tracy. "All great success results from taking offensive action
and doing something different," he says, "especially if you act faster and more
forcefully than your competitor. Think about ways to take offensive action to


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create and keep customers, using advertising, marketing and other techniques as
if they are your artillery. Strategize like an entrepreneur, which means being
proactive, taking responsibility and being results-oriented. Look for tomorrow's
opportunities and don't expect perfection from yourself, since most successful
people, including generals and military commanders, have made mistakes in the
past."
3. The Principle of the Mass
"Focus single-mindedly on one thing, the most important thing, and stay with it
until it's done," writes Tracy. "Bring all your powers to bear on achieving your most
important single goal or accomplishing the most important single objective in your
work or personal life. Always focus on the one or two things that you can do that
can make all the difference. Don't waste your precious energies on lower-value
activities."
To apply the Principle of the Mass, Tracy explains that we need to carefully focus
and concentrate our limited resources on the actions and goals that matter the
most. Focus your ammunition and use it decisively at the appropriate time and
place, as the British did in 1879 when they defeated the Zulu's at the Battle of
Rorke's Drift. The Brits concentrated their firepower during a two-day battle.
Previously, they had been defeated at a battle where they divided and dispersed
their forces over too wide an area.
Likewise, concentrate your business efforts on the areas where they will lead to
production of a superior product or service. Don't risk diffusing your efforts by
offering too many products and services to too many customers in too many
ways, he warns. This may lead to overextension, higher costs and diversion of
key people from areas where you could succeed.
4. The Principle of Maneuver
Be fast on your feet! Try something new! Look for ways to do things differently, to
come at your problems and opportunities from a different angle than the average
person. Be willing, says Tracy, to consider the possibility that you could be wrong
in your most cherished assumptions or your most habitual behaviors.
While Tracy recognizes that you sometimes need to make decisions that limit your
flexibility in other areas, he warns against ever putting all your eggs in one basket.
That's the essence of the Principle of Maneuver. Failures in battle most commonly
occur when a leader is outmaneuvered by the opposing force because she fails to
adapt or respond appropriately to situational changes, he explains. Be ready to
respond, to move and to change your forces. And if something or someone isn't
working, be prepared to let go and move on.
5. The Principle of Intelligence
This principle involves learning all you can about your business and your industry,


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especially the plans and actions of your competitors. It means knowing both your
competitors and yourself.
"Get the facts!" says Tracy. "You can never have too much information or too
many ideas. Become very good at what you do. Read, listen to audio programs,
and take seminars and courses regularly. Ask questions, listen carefully, and
make notes. One good idea is all you need to change your life."
6. The Principle of Concerted Action
"Total victory cannot be achieved without first learning how to work well with other
people," writes Tracy. "You must leverage the talents and skills of others to help
you achieve your goals. Associate with positive people who are going somewhere
with their lives. Always look for ways to help others achieve their goals, and they
will always be willing to help you achieve yours."
Tracy explains that concerted action requires seeking ways to coordinate your
activities to find synergy with others. Working harmoniously with others will help
multiply your forces and enable you to do much more than you could alone. To
this end, Tracy recommends you communicate your goals, objectives, plans and
task responsibilities to all of your units and then give them achievable deadlines
and action schedules, so everyone on the team knows what to do. Effective
teamwork is the key to high performance, he says.
7. The Principle of Unity of Command
The Principle of Unity of Command underscores the importance of having just one
person in charge. A lone commander provides singleness of vision and a clear set
of instructions, explains Tracy. Having multiple leaders opens the door to
inefficiency, misunderstanding and ineffective action. Whenever there is an
objective, one single responsible commander should be in charge to provide unity
of effort.
"Be a leader!" emphasizes Tracy. "Take charge! Seize the initiative! Make a
decision, then another, then another. Learn from your decisions; accept feedback
and self-correct. Remember that you are where you are and what you are
because of yourself. You are in charge of your own life and your own future. Take
command!!!"
8. The Principle of Simplicity
The Principle of Simplicity involves continually looking for ways to simplify your life
and your work. It's about cutting out all useless activities and reducing complexity
at every opportunity.
"Make a decision today to delegate, eliminate, consolidate, outsource, and
discontinue activities that no longer contribute significant value to the achievement
of your most important goals and objectives," encourages Tracy. "Take the direct


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approach. Break things down to essentials and focus on the one or two actions
that are most important to achieve victory. Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans
and tell others what to do to carry them out with clear, concise instructions, so
they fully understand."
According to Tracy, four proven ways to simplify your business and your life
include: (1) working on getting better at key tasks; (2) delegating what you don't
need to do; (3) outsourcing what can be done by a specialist; and (4) eliminating
unnecessary tasks and activities.
9. The Principle of Security
Applying the Principle of Security means guarding against preventable losses and
reversals. Practically speaking, it's about insuring against catastrophic
emergencies, putting aside cash reserves, and protecting your main markets.
"Take excellent care of your most important customers," advises Tracy. "Treasure
your most valuable people. Think ahead about what could possibly go wrong, and
then make provisions to ensure that those things don't happen. Remember to take
nothing for granted."
10. The Principle of Economy
In explaining the Principle of Economy, Brian Tracy offers practical suggestions
on how to reduce your costs by finding new ways to achieve your objectives with
a minimum expenditure of time and money. In part, this involves making a
promise to yourself that you will become financially independent in the course of
your working lifetime, and organizing your financial activities so that you achieve
your goal on schedule. It's about saving regularly and investing carefully.
11. The Principle of Surprise
Mastering the Principle of Surprise is about doing the unexpected. Always be
looking for newer, faster, easier, cheaper ways to accomplish the same objective.
"The only constant in life today is change," says Tracy, "and the rate of change is
accelerating. Your ability to be creative and innovative, to find different ways to
serve your customers better and faster, is the key to your breaking through all the
barriers to success in your industry."
12. The Principle of Exploitation
For Tracy, the key to taking maximum advantage of opportunities as they present
themselves lies in being prepared to always follow through.
"Make a commitment today to fulfill your full potential as a person. Decide right
now that you are going to become everything you are capable of becoming. When
you get an opportunity, throw your whole heart into taking full advantage of it, and


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never give up!"
When you don't follow through and complete the victory, you risk losing everything
you have gained, warns Tracy. This, of course, was the all-too-familiar problem
with the Gulf War of 1991, where the U.S. military arguably backed off too soon,
leaving Saddam Hussein in power. Likewise, once you achieve a breakthrough or
advantage, vigorously follow up and follow through to make further gains and to
prevent a reversal of fortunes down the road.
Conclusion
For centuries young officers have been taught to think and take action consistent
with the twelve principles of military strategy. In your business and family
relationships, the stakes may not be quite as high as they are on the battlefield,
where life and death forever hangs in the balance. But still, it remains the case
that women and men who achieve great things in their lives are those who take
their responsibilities seriously, leaving nothing to chance. They study and prepare
themselves so they are ready to perform consistently well in the critical battles
and key moments of work and life.
High performing people behave this way because their ultimate goal is not just to
make a living, but to make a great life. They are forever striving to "be all that they
can be," just like the army recruiting poster says. The great mistake that most
people make, says Tracy, is not realizing that "the failure to commit to excellence
to VICTORY leads by default to the subconscious acceptance of mediocrity,
and eventually, to defeat."
With quotes like that one, it's plain to see that Tracy's book is strictly for highly
ambitious, energetic and success-oriented individuals of all descriptions, who
seek to play leadership roles, in all walks of life. Even if you don't think of yourself
as military minded, you can still benefit by learning how to behave more
strategically by applying Brian Tracy's twelve highly potent principles. With these
principles at your command, your odds of achieving dynamic personal victory
improve immeasurably. In short, you will become unstoppable!