Velocity: The Greatest Competitive Advantage

**DEUCE Locations will be closed Thursday Dec. 24th until Monday December 28th**

If there was one misunderstood thing in the creative world, it would be velocity. We all can easily stand on a morale high ground of “good work”. We use perfection as a justification for lack of execution. 

I’m here to destroy that view with scorched Earth. The notion that getting better faster outperforms the idea of ensuring you only turn in great work is one that transcends the creative world, too. Here’s notorious military monolith, General Mattis on the topic of velocity:

“Once I set the tempo, the speed I prized was always built on subordinate initiative. This governing principle drove home the underlying efforts that would make Speed a reality. Speed is essential, whether in sports, business, or combat, because time is the least forgiving, least recoverable factor in any competitive situation. I learned to prize smooth execution by cohesive teams (those that could adapt swiftly to battlefield shocks) over deliberate, methodical, and synchronized efforts that is awe squelching subordinate initiative. In fact it was always subordinate initiative that got my lads out of the jams I got them into, my mistakes being my own.”

If you notice, there’s more than just advocacy for speed in his message. Beyond his claim that increased tempo is an unique advantage in any competitive environment, he also is clear about what specifically makes this possible. Ironically for the retired four-star general, leadership that utilizes the most dominating pace is built on shared leadership and decentralized command. 

In short, if you want to win, move fast, adjust as you go, and share leadership. Go!