#51 Allen West | Our P&L Statement Was in Lives

His P&L was measured in lives, not dollars. Allen West commanded 650 soldiers in Iraq, then carried the same leadership system into Congress and into business.More on Allen West and this episode: https://www.thedealtablepodcast.com/episodes/allen-westWest spent 22 years in the U.S. Army, commanded an artillery battalion out of Fort Hood, and advised the Afghan National Army in Kandahar. He then spent two years in Congress on the Armed Services and Small Business committees. Most of this conversation is him teaching.The five C's of leadership: courage, competence, commitment, conviction, character. Commander's intent broken into purpose, method and end state, and why an operation briefed that way survives the plan falling apart. Why the 100 percent plan always gets beat while the 65 to 70 percent plan wins. Why every company should run a weekly after action review, good, bad and ugly. Why the leader's job in an ambush is to get off the X and decide, and why refusing to decide is the worst option available.He is direct on what government owes a business owner, which is conditions and a level playing field rather than a definition of success. He is just as direct on quarterly earnings myopia, on why a company aiming at the 25 yard target loses to an adversary thinking in 50 to 100 year cycles, and on why the military is bad at helping veterans translate what they did into a resume a hiring manager can read.He still carries the worn 3x5 cards he carried as a battalion commander. Cool heads always prevail. Soldiers don't care what you know, they want to know that you care. Issues come with two recommendations. Leaders take responsibility, never credit.ABOUT THE GUESTLt. Col. Allen West (Ret.) is the executive director of the American Constitutional Rights Union, founded by Ronald Reagan's attorney general Ed Meese. He served 22 years in the U.S. Army and led 650 soldiers in Iraq. Elected to Congress in 2010, he was the first African American Republican to represent Florida since Reconstruction. He is a former chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, hosts the weekly Steadfast and Loyal podcast, and is the author of three books.KEY MOMENTS00:00 Intro04:05 The five C's of leadership08:23 Commander's intent, in three parts20:13 Get off the X and decide24:00 Why quarterly thinking loses33:58 The weekly after action review36:40 The perfect plan always gets beat51:39 What government owes small business1:13:09 Hiring veterans, and why it worksLINKSAmerican Constitutional Rights Union: https://theacru.orgSteadfast and Loyal: https://allenwest.substack.comGuardian of the Republic: https://amzn.to/4iMJO4rWe Were Soldiers Once... and Young, Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway: https://amzn.to/4xw3QnjThe Law, Frederic Bastiat: https://amzn.to/3UW2F2SDeal Table newsletter: https://share.hsforms.com/1Tfx_WobCTPuXWenG1-69EQoavsdFOLLOW THE DEAL TABLEYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedealtablepodcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-deal-table/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedealtablepodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedealtablepodcastTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thedealtableX: https://x.com/thedealtablepodProduced by Harper Belmont Media: https://www.harperbelmont.com/Sponsored by:Capital Southwest: https://www.capitalsouthwest.com/Security National Bank: https://securitynational.bankBlockchain.com: https://www.blockchain.com