Fortune Favors the Prepared

The Moment Success Becomes Possible

A Roman general was leading his legions toward the enemy in a swampy country.  

He knew that the next day’s battle would be fought on a certain plain because it was the only dry, flat place for miles.

He pushed his army all night, marching them through a frightening and formidable swamp, so that they reached the battle site before the foe and could claim the high ground.

In the aftermath of the victory, the general called his troops together and asked them, “Brothers, when did we win the battle?” One captain replied, “Sir, when the infantry attacked.” Another said, “Sir, we won when the calvary broke through.”

“No,” said the general. “We won the battle the night before - when our men marched through that swamp and took the high ground.”

This story, as presented in Steven Pressfield’s The Warrior Ethos, captures what I feel is a fundamental truth about life. Those who put in the time before a critical moment are those who are the most likely to succeed.

It doesn’t matter if your battle involves an actual war, going head-to-head with a competitor in business, or in a public safety setting where “winning” means preventing something bad from happening. Those who are prepared—who have assessed the situation and proactively taken the necessary steps—have the odds on their side to succeed.

While this story has always resonated with me, I also can’t help but notice that the general's answer is incomplete. It isn't wrong, it just doesn't capture the full context of when the battle was won. It’s for this same reason that the two captains didn't get the answer "right" either.

Put simply, the timeframe is too short. The general's answer doesn't account for all of the work that went into him knowing that he could get his army onto the high ground in time. In addition to being prepared through the physical act of getting to the high ground, the general was laying the groundwork for success long before this moment. Before the general could make the decision to march his army through the swamp and through the night, he would have to be confident that it would be the right decision, otherwise, he’d risk putting his entire force at risk.

He would have to know that they were capable of the march and that everyone had put in the work to be mentally and physically strong enough to make it.

He would have to know that his leaders were capable and could get the entire army into position and be ready to fight when the time came.

The general knew that his analysis of the terrain and the situation was sound because he had done it before.

He could be confident that the battle would occur in the location he staked out based on his prior study and experience.

After the battle was over, the general knew how to frame the victory in a way that connected and resonated with everyone in his army and deliver his analysis in a way that would inspire confidence as they got ready for the next battle.

None of these measures are accidents. But the story, like the sentiment that "fortune favors the prepared," often only gains the margins of our attention. The battle itself may be emphasized as an action-packed climactic event while the work to prepare for victory is often forgotten.

In MCDP 1: Warfighting, the Marine Corps' fundamental doctrine for maneuver warfare, the concept of "Preparing for War" is confined to a single chapter.

In movies, training montage sequences often reduce months or years of work into five minutes that, with the assistance of a motivational soundtrack in the background, convey the sentiment that anyone could quickly and easily achieve these feats.

Of course, anyone could put in the work to learn, train, and elevate themselves into the highest tiers of their profession. But the reality is that not everyone does because of the time and energy that it requires. This is why it’s the driven professionals amongst us who put in the real effort and work necessary to grow, develop, and prepare who continually shift the odds of success into their favor.

Preparation is the result of intentional and deliberate learning—seeking life experiences that compound and accumulate as you prepare your body and mind for future challenges.

The challenge is that we can’t predict the next war. The future isn’t defined. Preparation is speculative. It might be risky to commit to developing and investing in yourself when you don’t know for certain that those skills will be needed. It can lead to doubt—especially when the “training montage” actually takes months or years to pay off. You may never be sure if these efforts will set you apart or whether they will be enough to win.

The conviction to prepare despite that uncertainty is what sets apart the people, professionals, and leaders who are ready for the challenges that come their way from those who are continually surprised by what they didn’t anticipate. This is a mindset that has driven me throughout my career and that I feel is the ethos of preparedness as a concept. Of course, our professional and personal lives still hold surprises for us. But putting in the work to prepare for all the scenarios we can—understanding that the investments we put in now will have value in the long run—is what will distinguish you when the battle – in whatever form applies to you – comes.

So, what steps will you take to prepare yourself for the future today?