Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win

manufacturing process, the pushback was universal and straight from the
classic mantra of antichange: “We have always done it this way;” and “If
it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
“What does the board think of these reasons?” I asked, as we
discussed the upcoming annual board meeting.
“They listen, but I don’t think they really understand them. And they
have been hearing the same reasons for a while now, so I think they are
getting frustrated. I don’t know if they believe them anymore. They
sound like...”
“Excuses?” I finished the sentence for the VP, knowing the word
itself was a big blow to his ego.
“Yes. Yes, they sound like excuses. But these are real and
legitimate,” insisted the VP.
“Could there be other reasons your plan wasn’t successfully
executed?” I asked.
“Absolutely,” the VP answered. “The market has been tough. New
technology advancements have taken some time to work through.
Everyone got focused on some products that never really amounted to
much. So, yes, there are a host of other reasons.”
“Those all may be factors. But there is one most important reason
why this plan has failed,” I said.
“What reason is that?” the VP inquired with interest.
I paused for a moment to see if the VP was ready for what I had to
tell him. The impact would be uncomfortable, but there was no way
around it. I stated it plainly, “You. You are the reason.”
The VP was surprised, then defensive. “Me?” he protested. “I came
up with the plan! I have delivered it over and over. It’s not my fault they
aren’t executing it!”