A Concept to Challenge Your Status Quo
“You attack. Instead of being good, you’re great. Instead of blocking, you strike. Instead of retreating, you pounce.” —Mark Divine, former Navy SEAL Commander
Picture your organization as a championship team. When the stakes are highest and pressure mounts, do you instinctively protect your lead, or do you press forward and control the game?
Here’s a truth many avoid: Champions are crowned on offense. Defensive maneuvers might keep you in the game, but they will never make history. Consider legendary athletes, the ones who redefine their sport aren’t the ones who avoid mistakes; they’re the ones who change the tempo, dictate terms, and dare bolder moves when everyone else pulls back.
We see this in boardrooms too. In today’s volatile market, leaders who default to defense signal fear, focusing on not losing rather than truly winning. This defensive posture breeds stagnation, opens the door for hungrier competitors, and suffocates innovation.
Rethinking your leadership approach means shifting from protection to proactive pursuit. The best leaders “see the future before others do.” They constantly scan for fresh opportunities and empower their teams not just to execute the playbook, but to call audibles and chase what’s possible.
This isn’t reckless aggression; it’s intelligent and intentional action. Consider a Formula 1 pit crew: their edge isn’t just in flawless execution, but in shaving milliseconds, constantly experimenting, and innovating under real pressure. They win by biasing toward action, rewarding calculated risk, and nurturing a culture where every member is on offense.
- Are your people empowered to act, or just following orders?
- Do they feel safe to experiment and fail forward, or is perfection demanded at the cost of progress?
The Offensive Leader’s Playbook:
- Celebrate risk-takers, not just safe hands.
- Embed forward-thinking roles—EDGE leaders who look beyond the next quarter.
- Carve out time for visionary thinking, away from the day-to-day grind.
- Relentlessly reward those who “move the ball down the field.”
Every initiative becomes an opportunity for transformation when you lead offensively. The question isn’t, “What if we fail?” but rather, “What if we never try?”
This OC (Offensive Coordinator) Challenge
What is the boldest move you will model as a leader this quarter, one that turns your team from spectators into playmakers?
If this sparked something, forward it to your team or your fellow leaders. Raising the bar starts at the top, and it spreads when you dare to attack.
Because the future is won by those who play to win, again and again.
