Napoleon on Project Management

Napoleon’s Six Winning Napoleon’s Six Winning Principles:Principles:

Leading in Difficult TimesLeading in Difficult Times

Jerry ManasJerry Manas

[email protected]

The Perfect Storm: 3 Growing TrendsThe Perfect Storm: 3 Growing Trends

Dispersed Dispersed TeamsTeams

Economic Economic WoesWoes

Pressure to Pressure to DeliverDeliver

““The pessimist complains The pessimist complains about the wind. about the wind.

The optimist expects it to The optimist expects it to change. change.

The leader adjusts the The leader adjusts the sails.”sails.”

- John Maxwell- John Maxwell

The Search for Something NewThe Search for Something New

““There is nothing There is nothing newnew in this in this world except the history you world except the history you do not know.”do not know.”

- Harry S. Truman- Harry S. Truman

Why Napoleon?Why Napoleon?

HugeHuge Accomplishments Accomplishments Organizational AbilityOrganizational Ability Documented PrinciplesDocumented Principles

AccomplishmentsAccomplishments

Over 50 BattlesOver 50 Battles

Innovations in Artillery and LogisticsInnovations in Artillery and Logistics

3,500,0003,500,000toto

8,0008,000

• EqualityEquality• FreedomFreedom• ClarityClarity

Napoleon the DiplomatNapoleon the DiplomatItaly

Egypt

The ChurchEngland

““In this age, in past ages, in In this age, in past ages, in any age… Napoleon.”any age… Napoleon.”

-The Duke of WellingtonThe Duke of Wellington

Master of OrganizationMaster of Organization

- With No Technology!- With No Technology!

Napoleon’s Time Management SystemNapoleon’s Time Management System

Bi-Weekly Status Reports Bi-Weekly Status Reports (War, Interior, Finance)(War, Interior, Finance)

Finance Dashboard Finance Dashboard (Price of Wheat per Region, Min/Max/Avg)(Price of Wheat per Region, Min/Max/Avg)

Weekly Operational Meetings Weekly Operational Meetings (to review needs & make decisions)(to review needs & make decisions)

Monthly Fund Allocation Meetings Monthly Fund Allocation Meetings (Business Case, SMEs in attendance)(Business Case, SMEs in attendance)

Napoleon’s Daily Schedule - MorningNapoleon’s Daily Schedule - Morning Check Mail. Sort by:Check Mail. Sort by:

• Current (today!)Current (today!)• PendingPending• AnsweredAnswered• TrashTrash

Review Issues. Sort by:Review Issues. Sort by:• High Profile/UrgentHigh Profile/Urgent• To be DelegatedTo be Delegated• IrrelevantIrrelevant

““Doctor is In” SessionsDoctor is In” Sessions• Private (by appointment)Private (by appointment)• Public (open forum)Public (open forum)

Napoleon’s Daily Schedule - AfternoonNapoleon’s Daily Schedule - Afternoon

Review Status ReportsReview Status Reports Take actions and/or delegateTake actions and/or delegate Weekly/monthly meetingsWeekly/monthly meetings

The Great CampaignsThe Great Campaigns

Ulm/Austerlitz - 1805Ulm/Austerlitz - 1805

Lesson 1Lesson 1: Ensure good : Ensure good visibility.visibility.

Lesson 2Lesson 2: Equip your : Equip your team for success.team for success.

Lesson 4Lesson 4: Focus on the : Focus on the primary objective.primary objective.

Lesson 3Lesson 3: Establish a : Establish a system of communication.system of communication.

Documented PrinciplesDocumented Principles

““Get your principles Get your principles straight. The rest is straight. The rest is a matter of detail.”a matter of detail.”

- Napoleon- Napoleon

Napoleon’s Six Winning PrinciplesNapoleon’s Six Winning Principles

ExactitudeExactitude SpeedSpeed FlexibilityFlexibility SimplicitySimplicity CharacterCharacter Moral ForceMoral Force

““To succeed, one must be To succeed, one must be sometimes very bold, and sometimes very bold, and sometimes very prudent.”sometimes very prudent.”


““The art of war does not The art of war does not require complicated require complicated maneuvers; the simplest are maneuvers; the simplest are the best, and common the best, and common sense is fundamental. From sense is fundamental. From which one might wonder which one might wonder how it is generals make how it is generals make blunders; it is because they blunders; it is because they try to be clever.”try to be clever.”


““By beginning everything, By beginning everything, we risk finishing nothing.”we risk finishing nothing.”


““This letter is the principle This letter is the principle instruction of your plan of instruction of your plan of campaign, and if unforeseen campaign, and if unforeseen events should occur, you events should occur, you will be guided in your will be guided in your conduct by the spirit of this conduct by the spirit of this instruction.”instruction.”


““Think over carefully the great Think over carefully the great enterprise you are about to enterprise you are about to carry out; and let me know, carry out; and let me know, before I sign your final orders, before I sign your final orders, your own views as to the best your own views as to the best way of carrying it out.”way of carrying it out.”


““A leader is a dealer in A leader is a dealer in hope.”hope.”


Napoleon’s Words and ActionsNapoleon’s Words and Actions WordsWords

• ““The Civil Code is the code of the The Civil Code is the code of the century; its provisions not only century; its provisions not only preach toleration, but organize it---preach toleration, but organize it---toleration is the greatest privilege toleration is the greatest privilege of man.”of man.”

• ““Faith is beyond the reach of the Faith is beyond the reach of the law. It is the most personal law. It is the most personal possession of man, and no one has possession of man, and no one has a right to demand an accounting a right to demand an accounting for it”for it”

Napoleon’s Words and ActionsNapoleon’s Words and Actions ActionsActions

• Italian Campaign: Disciplined soldiers in Italian Campaign: Disciplined soldiers in Mantua for committing atrocitiesMantua for committing atrocities

• In Italy, insisted on sole command when In Italy, insisted on sole command when directors tried to install two co-leaders. directors tried to install two co-leaders.

• Pleaded with the Genoese to rebuild a Pleaded with the Genoese to rebuild a toppled statue of Admiral Andrea Doria, toppled statue of Admiral Andrea Doria, and offered to rebuild it.and offered to rebuild it.

• Persuaded the Genoese to not exclude Persuaded the Genoese to not exclude the nobles from public functions (“It the nobles from public functions (“It would be doing the same thing that they would be doing the same thing that they themselves did”)themselves did”)

Napoleon’s Words and ActionsNapoleon’s Words and Actions ActionsActions

• In Toulon, refused to take over the job of In Toulon, refused to take over the job of his commanding officer and instead his commanding officer and instead convinced the officer of the right thing convinced the officer of the right thing to do (proceed in bad weather)to do (proceed in bad weather)

• Offered lenient proposals and moderate Offered lenient proposals and moderate treaties to Italy despite orders to the treaties to Italy despite orders to the contrarycontrary

• Lectured soldiers en route to Egypt on Lectured soldiers en route to Egypt on respecting the local culturerespecting the local culture

• Refused to have his likeness and name Refused to have his likeness and name on national monumentson national monuments

So what went So what went wrong???wrong???

The Four Warning SignsThe Four Warning Signs

PowerPower OverzealousnessOverzealousness Scarcity of Effective LeadersScarcity of Effective Leaders Unbalanced LifestyleUnbalanced Lifestyle

The Spanish Ulcer – 1808-1814The Spanish Ulcer – 1808-1814

Goya’s Dos de MayoGoya’s Dos de Mayo

Lesson 1Lesson 1: Great : Great performers do not always performers do not always make great leaders.make great leaders.

Lesson 2Lesson 2: Understand the : Understand the terrain. Go and see for terrain. Go and see for yourself.yourself.

Lesson 3Lesson 3: Never forget : Never forget your principles.your principles.

““The greatest mistake of my The greatest mistake of my career was the interference career was the interference in Spanish affairs... All my in Spanish affairs... All my defeats came from this defeats came from this source.”source.”


The Russian CampaignThe Russian Campaign

Lesson 1Lesson 1: Make sure your : Make sure your team is committed.team is committed.

Lesson 2Lesson 2: Know when to : Know when to cut your losses or cut your losses or reevaluate the mission.reevaluate the mission.

Lesson 3Lesson 3: Grow effective : Grow effective leaders.leaders.

““No matter how far you’ve gone No matter how far you’ve gone on a wrong road, turn back.”on a wrong road, turn back.”

- Turkish Proverb- Turkish Proverb

Source: Dennis Littky, The Big Picture: Education is Everyone’s Business.

The New, Improved The New, Improved (and tired) Napoleon(and tired) Napoleon

WaterlooWaterloo

Ref: http://carol.nuvox.net/dolphin//waterloo/

Copyright 2000, David Lawrence

Early Morning

Ref: http://carol.nuvox.net/dolphin//waterloo/

Copyright 2000, David Lawrence

No e-mail! No cell phone!

Later that day…Later that day…

3:00pm

6:00pm

Lesson 1Lesson 1: Put the right : Put the right people in the right roles.people in the right roles.

Lesson 3Lesson 3: Beware the : Beware the dangers of burnout.dangers of burnout.

Lesson 2Lesson 2: Use all : Use all available forms of available forms of communication.communication.

St. HelenaSt. Helena((The Lessons-Learned Session)The Lessons-Learned Session)

““History doesn’t repeat History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.”itself, but it does rhyme.”

- Mark Twain- Mark Twain

For More InformationFor More Information [email protected] www.marengogroup.com www.PMThink.com www.creatingweinstitute.com

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