Col. John Boyd, a former US Air Force pilot, is a man whom I've never met, but wish I had. Although for many he's simply "the OODA loop guy", there is so much more to his legacy that is well worth exploring, grappling with, and ultimately, applying. His extensive contribution to military and business strategy, aircraft design and philosophy will shape minds for many years to come. It's been a remarkable decade for myself as I've tried to learn as much about his work as possible. Herewith then a small selection of worthwhile resources about Col. Boyd for the uninitiated to learn more about this remarkable man: - Book: "Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War" by Robert Coram; - Book: "The Mind of War" by Grant Hammond; - Book: "Certain to win: the strategy of John Boyd applied to business" by Chet Richards; - Website & Blog: "Slightly East of New - something to do with orientation..." by Chet Richards (this site also includes a comprehensive digital repository of Col Boyd's writings); - Podcast: No Way Out" by Mark McGrath and Brian "Ponch" Rivera; - Substack: "The Whirl Of ReOrientation" by Mark McGrath; - Book: “Science, Strategy and War: The Strategic Theory of John Boyd” by Air Commodore Prof. Dr. Frans Osinga; - Book: “A New Conception of War: John Boyd, the U.S. Marines, and Maneuver Warfare” by Ian Brown. This is just the tip of a massive iceberg worthy of sinking the Titanic, again. (Thank you for posting this reminder, Mark!) "People, ideas, and hardware ... in that order." - Col. John Boyd #OODA_Loop #JohnBoyd #Complexity #DigitalTransformation
Teaching Leaders To Thrive in VUCA by understanding John Boyd’s OODA “Loop” to Sharpen Their Competitive Edge | Leadership Advisory | Keynote Speaker | U.S. Marine | Co-Host of "No Way Out" Podcast | 🇺🇸🇵🇷
Birthdays are a cause for celebration. Especially this one! Today is John Boyd’s Birthday. He would have been 97. As we remember his life and honor his legacy, there’s a lot to celebrate! Boyd’s theories and concepts continue to be relevant in our VUCA world. The Aerial Attack Study. Energy-Maneuverability Theory. “Destruction and Creation.” “Patterns of Conflict.” “A Discourse on Winning and Losing.” “People, ideas, things, always in that order.” “To Be or To Do?” “Challenge all assumptions.” “There’s no way out.” OODA. The lessons are many and absolutely applicable in any domain. By learning, understanding and applying Boyd's ideas we gain a significant advantage. We differentiate our decision-making, problem-solving, and strategic thinking. This leads to the natural result of improved collaboration, creativity, cooperation and competition. That’s a massive advantage! On this January 23rd, we remember John Boyd for his inspiration and his enduring legacy. Happy Birthday John Boyd!
A remarkable person who has left such a positive, far-reaching legacy Evert de Ruiter - especially today, his 'People, ideas, and hardware ... in that order' comment - makes me wonder what he'd make of the current AI situation ... Congratulations to the people who continue to honour John R Boyd too, like you, Mark McGrath and Brian "Ponch" Rivera, to name a few!
Principal Scientist at Perspicacity; Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Wright State University
9moI found Osinga, F.P.B. (2007). Science, Strategy, and War. New York: Routledge. to be particularly valuable resource for exploring beyond trivial descriptions of the OODA loop.