Logistics and Movements
“Leaders win through logistics. Vision, sure. Strategy, yes. But when you go to war, you need to have both toilet paper and bullets at the right place at the right time. It doesn’t matter how brilliant your vision and strategy are if you can’t get the soldiers, the weapons, the vehicles, the gasoline, the chow or the boots to the right people at the right place at the right time.” – Tom Peters
I see it all the time. People with great ideas and passion. Men and women with incredible vision. The blogging world is full of this type of verbiage. But how do you make it happen? How does one translate ideas into reality?
Great vision, without the resources and the means to carry it out, is only a dream.
The Christian movement is littered with people of magnificent vision who never were able to translate their idealism into action. And the critical issue all too often the acquisition of resources. It’s logistics. As General of the U.S. Army, Omar Bradley of WWII fame bluntly put it:
“Amateurs talk strategy. Professionals talk logistics.”
The lesson to be learned: Behind every great movement, somewhere lurking in the shadows, is someone with logistical genius.
July 24th, 2006 at 7:25 am
Hi Sam,
Wow! Thank you for this perspective. It’s very intruiging and something I’m going to chew on for a bit. Like almost always, your thoughts and ideas on this blog are a great challenge and very valuable.
Blessings
July 25th, 2006 at 12:02 pm
Sam, I totally agree! So much talk out there never moves beyond pie-in-the-sky strategy and vision. I meet some folks every year or so who constantly talk about a new strategies. When I ask about last year’s strategy, they mumble something incoherent and move quickly to tell me about their new, better vision.
I prefer pie-in-the-sky implementation. What good is a strategy if it’s never implemented? Big, courageous ideas are easy to come by, getting them done takes creativity, disciple, hard work, and perseverance. I’m a big strategy guy, but I’m also about results, not just ideas and big talk.
We can’t separate strategy from implementation logistics if our goal is to do more than just talk about ministry and instead actually get some tangible results.
July 25th, 2006 at 10:04 pm
Tony and Keith …
Thanks for the feedback. Appreciate your comments.
July 31st, 2006 at 11:55 am
I had a conversation with some dear friends last night about this very issue. I am as you know a catalytic type. I have vision and the ability to get others involved. However, I was telling my “task capable” friend, who struggles seeing outside of his own box, that I need him to help me accomplish the vision God has given me. I need the task capable who can help take the vision and strategy, and sort out the logistics needed to accomplish the tasks ahead. How miserable a life I would lead and feeble my efforts if it were left up to me. “To one who sees what is and one who sees what can be, Lord grant that the two may be compatable.” Quote from Man from Snowy River.