Why "Speed of Action" is the Key to Success

Successful people tend to have a bias for action. They produce more work than others. They also believe in speedy execution.

The Race to the South Pole

In 1911, explorers Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen raced to be the first to reach the South Pole. Despite choosing a proven route and having abundant resources and careful planning, Scott's British team faced severe hardships and made slower progress. While, Amundsen's Norwegian team, chose a shorter unknown route and focused on speed and efficiency.

Amundsen understood that going faster in the unpredictable Antarctic conditions would increase his chances of success. His emphasis on rapid travel enabled his team to reach the South Pole on December 14, 1911, five weeks ahead of Scott. Tragically, Scott and his men died on the return journey due to exhaustion and extreme conditions.

The race highlighted how Amundsen's emphasis on speed and preparedness was pivotal in his success, while Scott's slower, less efficient and over-prepared approach led to failure and disaster.

Further, Scott's team tended to cover more distance on fair weather days and often waited in their tents during poor weather conditions. In contrast, Amundsen's team moved forward every day, regardless of the weather. This relentless progress was a key factor in Amundsen's success.

We “The Mango People”

We often act like Scott in our lives. We “Overanalyze, Overprepare and Underact.

We crave for certainty yet we fully know that it is wishful to expect perfect conditions before making a move.

Life is not supposed to be risk-free and perfect. Perhaps a better slogan for life could be, “Act often and Act Fast”.

Speed is a risk mitigation strategy

In this unpredictable world, speedy decision making and execution is a smart way to reduce risk.

When Mr. Agarwal, the founder of Haldiram, a billion dollar snack manufacturer from India was asked about his children, and the future of the company, he said, “They think too much, so they lag behind."

There is no need to over-complicate things. While we cannot control the future, we can be nimble and act quickly.

The main hindrance to taking action is ‘fear’, which we often mask with over-analysis. While proper consideration is important, we only truly understand the water's temperature by jumping in.

It's easy to hide behind thoughts of being practical, but there is often safety in forward motion.

It's important to produce more work because most of our actions won't yield immediate results.

I can't aim at a target 300 yards away and expect my first shot to hit the bull's-eye. However, with daily practice, my chances of hitting the target will significantly increase.

Marketers understand this well. They experiment with various strategies, knowing that only a few will resonate with their audience. And they launch their campaigns at rocket speed.

It is that simple - take action, take lots of action and do it fast.

In Summary

Nike’s tagline - “Just Do It” sums up this article perfectly.

Enjoy 45 seconds of me explaining the “law of Action” in the video below.