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.

Post Holiday Blues and Pre LIW Madness...

With LIW just around the corner the FIA office is buzzing accordingly with anticipation and preparation. Next week is a little different to the norm - with a sports beach, hosted buyer programme, fitness zone… Congrats to the LIW boys!



This last week has been a busy one for me; having just returned from a glorious holiday in the Algarve in a relaxed a smiley mood, I drove straight into the events planning turmoil and have duly forgotten that I’ve been away at all… The fading remnants of a hard-fought-for tan are all that remains!

From Monday morning my feet have barely touched the ground and as always, the scales of work/home life never balance themselves out – Instead of returning home to a cosy sofa, Eastenders, glass of wine and a stir-fry (my preferred school-night activity), I’ve been plunging a ceaselessly blocking toilet (not our own doing I assure you!), screaming at a dying laptop (which melodramatically keeps showing me the “blue screen of DEATH!”), wondering how on earth people got by before the internet existed, and desperately trying to learn the language of the “Computer Geeks” in order to communicate with those funny salesmen on Tottenham Court Road who are trying to sell me a new laptop! As a high point to the week I had some great meetings with Keiser and Cybex, who are set to support the FIA through 2010.

Despite the frantic nature of the week I am confident that our various events at LIW next week will be a success – our Drinks Reception on Tuesday night has been highly subscribed to (in fact it is totally full to bursting point). This will be a great chance for Health & Fitness to gather, chat, drink & nibble – all thanks to our lovely, generous sponsors; Fitness TV and Matrix!

I am pleased to say that I think this week’s storm is finally calming and I hope that the FIA staff BBQ this evening will vanquish any remaining knots of stress and bring me back to holiday mode!

Hayley Bevan - FIA Events and Sponsorship Manager