What does “Always in Pursuit” mean?
What does being “Always in Pursuit” mean?
Our podcast guests and our audience ask this question frequently, and it’s about time it had a definitive answer.
Simply put, it’s been a mindset I’ve adopted from the beginning of my time as a leader in the Army. You strive to improve. It is not about big fleeting changes. It’s about slow and steady incremental change - consistently over time - and always beating the drum of self-improvement.
When you make a mistake, you don’t just say “shit happens” and move on - you pick the error apart, figure out what went wrong, and lament on it long enough to understand the lesson. That offers you something that you can put in your pocket and pull out when a mistake needs to be avoided in the future. It’s not a momentary consideration - it’s a life lesson.
At heart, EVERYONE is a leader. Leadership requires discipline and reflection. As a leader you need to constantly improve and present the best version of yourself. After all, that's what all of us want from our leaders. In order to avoid being hypocrites, we need to hold ourselves accountable by ensuring we reflect when we get it right - but even more so when we get it wrong.
This mindset has morphed some. We wanted to prevent it from becoming just a catch phrase. That is the root idea behind “Live Life on the Offense.” To be in pursuit, you have to have a plan. No plan? That means you’re going to be living in the defense. In my experience we assume a defensive posture because something happened that we weren’t prepared to respond to or encounter.
Our weekly Azimuth Check video and Map Check newsletter are structured to help solidify the right mindset. As you prepare for the week, tune in for the Azimuth Check, a brief video to help you focus your mind on the issue of the week. Map Check, the newsletter that releases later in the day, is a deeper dive into the concept I introduced in Azimuth Check, paired with the references I used to develop the strategy and other helpful tools.
This is a journey for ALL of us - and it’s a new one for us. Feedback is a gift - so please feel free to provide it as our goal is to present you with the best possible product.
Thank you for the support and make sure to sign up for the newsletter to stay on top of updates from the amazing AIP Team. Remember, we can’t just stumble through life hoping not to tip and fall on anything along the way. We need to have a plan, adjust as needed and use the plan to accomplish greatness.
It won’t just happen - so remain Always in Pursuit and Live Life on the Offense!
