Chris Ryan says, ’Let’s Talk Tactics’

In a taster exert from the opening keynote speech which he will deliver to delegates at the 4^th annual FIA Flame Conference in Sheffield next, SAS hero Chris Ryan talks about how his team’s tactics could switch from stealth to violence in a blink of the eye, and how they had to be able to adapt to any situation in order to survive…

“When I was undergoing SAS continuation training, it was drummed in to all of us that the role of a special-forces operator is twofold. Sometimes we would be sent in to gather information: this meant putting in an observation post, lying low, watching and waiting. When that was the case we’d need to go in light – armed, of course, but only with the precision tools we needed for the job. Our role was to stay invisible.

“To do our job with the minimum of fuss and without anybody knowing we were there. If we were compromised, our tactic was to ‘shoot and scoot’ – to engage the enemy if necessary then exfiltrate as quickly and stealthily as possible.

“Sometimes, though, we’d be looking for a fight. If our orders were to take out personnel or installations, our tactics would need to be altered accordingly. Stealth would still be the order of the day at the beginning of the operation. Often we’d be setting up an ambush, so it would clearly be essential that we worked silently and without being seen. If it was possible to take out any of the enemy clinically, with suppressed weapons and without alerting anyone to our presence, we’d do that. One less person to worry about later on.

“At some point, though, we knew things would go noisy. When that happened, the tactics changed. Stealth was no longer our best friend; violence was. We’d use all the weaponry at our disposal to eliminate the enemy completely, or to destroy their installations. If things went according to plan, the operation would go noisy at a time and place of our choosing. Good for us. Bad for the enemy.

“Tier 1 operators need to be equally skilful with the scalpel and the hammer. They need to be the Grey Man, able to merge into the background – which is why a lot of the operators working in Afghanistan wear beards, so they don’t stand out when they’re among the locals in-country. But when the situation requires it, these men must be able to bring all the most brutal forces of war to bear in order to overcome the enemy and achieve their objectives…”

The battle field may be a long way from the gym floor, but the lesson we can all learn as professionals  from Chris, aside from sheer courage and perseverance, is adaptability. As the saying goes, all failure is failure to adapt.

You can hear more of Chris’ extraordinary story at the FIA Flame Conference on 27^th June, Sheffield. Places are going fast so book now.

Follow Flame Conference on Twitter @FIA_Flame, #tametheflame

In Search of Excellence

By Tim Webster, FIA Flame Conference programmer

Excellence is the unlimited ability to improve the quality of what you have to offer. Sometimes the improvement is just 1%, but that 1% is often the difference between winning and losing, between the good and the great. Blindingly obvious isn’t it?

This year’s FIA Conference is all about celebrating the fact that we have come a long way as a sector, indulging in a little “what-if” thinking, challenging what we currently do and asking if it could be done better, differently, more efficiently, more cost-effectively or not at all?

Eleanor Roosevelt said: “Do one thing every day that scares you.” This is of course much more difficult than it sounds but if we are to grow our sector we must challenge our own thinking and that of our colleagues each and every day.

As Tom Peters says: “Doing what worked yesterday is always the default option. Thing is, that doesn’t work anymore.”

In my opinion, in order to challenge our thinking we must look outside our own sector at businesses that are doing things differently and so this year’s conference features non-industry speakers from top-to-bottom. That’s a risk in itself, but there’s no point in challenging you to think differently if we aren’t prepared to do the same.

Over the coming weeks and months we aim to bring you some of the thoughts of our speakers at this year’s conference, starting with our keynote speaker, SAS hero Chris Ryan later this week.

Hooray for Hollywood…

I’ve just stepped off the plane, back from a brilliant week at IHRSA in not so sunny Los Angeles.  My IHRSA highlights included Simon Sinek’s session on leadership to inspire action, and the debut of ground-breaking new fitness equipment offerings including the Life Fitness  Synrgy360 and the Les Mills SMARTBAR.

The FIA hosted a packed schedule of social events for delegates, including a relaxed welcome reception on the first night and a day out in LA, taking in Beverley Hills, Mulholland Drive and Universal Studios (not forgetting lunch at the Hard Rock Café, sponsored by LIW). The week culminated in a ten-pin bowling session at the sophisticated Lucky Strike LA, where over 70 industry peers joined us to celebrate the end of a great week.

In addition to our annual trip to IHRSA, the FIA has had a very busy couple of months since my last blog post.

On the public affairs front, we marked one year of the Government’s Responsibility Deal and our efforts to promote physical activity through working with corporate partners. I also gave evidence to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Body Image on the role of the FIA and physical activity in promoting body confidence and self-esteem. The FIA also hosted the Vanguard Council and Conservative Party Dinner in February, where FIA members were joined by Parliamentarians plus delegates from key organisations including the Royal College of Nursing, Chartered Socity of Physiotherapists and the Big Lottery Fund.

Les Mills UK have come on board as Vanguard Members and I joined Les Mills International CEO Phillip Mills on a UK Roadshow last month, which culminated in hosting a panel discussion at Lords' Cricket Ground about ‘The Future of Fitness’, with panellists including Carl Liebert, Fred Turok and Craig McAteer We visited some iconic sporting venues and have had some great feedback from those who attended.

At the beginning of March the FIA also hosted its quarterly Communications Forum, which this time focussed on the speakers' dos and don’ts of using social media; look out for a guest blog post from Comms Forum chair and FIA board member Sue Anstiss next week.

Finally, we have just opened online booking for the 2012 FIA Flame Conference, which will be taking place in Sheffield on 26^th and 27^th July. Watch this space for blogs from some of our inspiring speakers, including keynote speaker Chris Ryan, who will be giving a taster of their conference sessions.

From Expert to Facilitator

- Fiona Cosgrove -

I recently attended a conference in Boston entitled Coaching in Leadership and Medicine.

The sessions intertwined theory from systems therapy, executive coaching, immunity to change models and ground breaking research in positivity.

The theme throughout was that a good coach needs to increase self-awareness in the client and help them to take responsibility for their own outcomes.

It matters not whether the objective is to increase productivity or decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, if the end result involves behavioural change (which becoming a regular exerciser does) then helping people to identify and eliminate psychological as well as physiological obstacles is essential.

The fitness industry is crying out for a new teaching model and if exercise professionals can just shift their mindset from being the expert to being the facilitator of change then wellness coaching may just be it.

Australian Fiona Cosgrove is a leading international wellness coach. She is presenting at the FIA Conference in Telford on Wednesday July 13th.

FIA Flame Conference – “Creating Connections – The Key to our future”
Wednesday July 13th at the Telford International Centre.
Click here to book your place now!

Being intellectually smart isn't enough

I came across this quote from the book, “Primal Leadership, Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence” by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee.


“Of all the factors in a company’s control, tuned-out, dissonant leaders are one of the main reasons that talented people leave and take the company’s knowledge with them.”

How many of you lose good people because they’re managed and led by people who have brilliant minds, but can’t make that vital connection with people? How much does this cost the business?

At what point would you like to remedy it?

A co-founder of Talent Smoothie http://www.talentsmoothie.com/, Simon Walker is one of the UK’s leading authorities on Generation Y and how to better understand and lead them. Simon will be giving two presentations at the FIA Conference on July 14th at Cheltenham Racecourse.

Written by Simon Walker

Does big mean your customer service has to suck?

It’s so often big organisations that let us down on customer service, isn’t it. Because their policies are too rigid to fit every circumstance, usually.

So, if they don’t allow the frontline to practise common sense, use some discretion, we, as non-standard customers not fitting the policy, don’t exist and don’t get served.

I’m thinking of the case of the Bank of America customer who was born with no arms, but found himself standing in front of a cashier who said that no, without a thumb print, he couldn’t cash the cheque he wanted to cash. Because that’s the policy.

Bill Taylor, in his Practically Radical blog at the Harvard Business Review (http://blogs.hbr.org/), says that the lesson here is that size, as a strategy in itself, is no longer enough.

Companies get big because it’s a sign of success and it gives them the muscle, the clout, to carry on getting bigger – their buying power increases, economies of scale kick in, suppliers offer them favourable prices, competitors can’t match their marketing power, blah, blah, blah.

But, says Taylor, if you haven’t figured out how to harness the smarts of people that work with you, then you are part of the ranks of ‘big and stupid’ companies. And your days are numbered.

Taylor says: “Pete Carril, the Hall of Fame basketball coach, has a trademark expression that sums up the relationship between size and success. ‘The strong take from the weak,’ he likes to say, ‘but the smart take from the strong.’

“If you can figure out, as Jack Welch [the legendary CEO of General Electric] did, how to add to your company’s muscles without atrophying its brain, then maybe you’re not too big to succeed.”

Written by Phil Dourado

Phil Dourado is one of the UK’s leading analysts and commentators on putting the customer at the heart of business, and uses his insights to help organisations improve their customer focus and get closer to their customers. He is giving two presentations around leadership and customer service at the FIA Conference on July 14th at Cheltenham Racecourse.