Find the 'Gap'

When Muhammad Ali agreed to fight George Foreman, he knew the risks. 

Foreman was bigger, stronger, tougher, younger and more powerful. Ali was 32 years old and past his best fighting days, whereas Foreman was in his prime, having won 40 straight fights, 37 of them by knockout. 

Before Ali began his formal training for the bout, which would be forever known as the “Rumble in the Jungle,” Ali studied Foreman’s style, body language, reactions and temperament. Ali wasn’t looking for a game plan; he was determining a winning strategy. 

Ali knew his only advantage before boarding the plane to Zaire was his conditioning and patience. He knew Foreman quickly got frustrated, especially if he didn’t knock his opponent down early in the fight. 

Only three times in his 40 wins had Foreman fought past the eighth round, and Ali understood that the longer the fight went on, the more his opponent would grow tired and frustrated.

Ali understood the difference between strategy and planning. 

Roger Martin, the former Dean of the University of Toronto School of Business and best-selling author, believes “strategy is the act of making an integrated set of choices, which positions the organization to win; while planning is the act of laying out projects with timelines, deliverables, budgets, and responsibilities.” 

Ali first strategized the famous Rope-A-Dope style, then planned his training around the strategy. 

The NFL is beginning its preseason work in the coming weeks — and the 32 men with the title of head coach must understand the difference between strategy and planning. There is an old Japanese proverb that states:

Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is a nightmare. 

Before the season begins, the head coach must fully understand his team’s strengths and weaknesses, then look for what the New Zealand All-Blacks Rugby team calls “The Gap.” 

This is what Ali found when strategizing for his fight with Foreman. How do leaders find the gap? 

Military strategist John Boyd determined the best way to “find the gap” was to follow his OODA Loop.

OODA stands for Observation, Orient, Decide, and Act.

Ali did all four before “planning” his training. 

1. Orient: In this step, you analyze and interpret the observed information. You seek to understand the current situation, identify patterns, and assess the implications and potential outcomes.

2. Decide: Once you clearly understand the situation, you can make informed decisions. This step involves evaluating the available options, considering the consequences, and selecting the most appropriate action.

3. Act: In the final step, you implement the chosen course of action. The OODA loop is meant to be an iterative process that repeats continuously. As new information becomes available, you observe, orient, decide, and act again, adapting to the evolving circumstances. This flexibility and agility in decision-making are essential in dynamic and fast-paced environments.

Every game offers “a gap.”

It’s the leader’s job to find it. 

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