Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast

A Navy Seals mantra for ReLeaders

Photo by Specna Arms on Unsplash

After talking with Pastor Craig Groeschel in his leadership podcast earlier this week (watch here if you missed it), I received a call from one of the best ReLeaders I know, my former Executive Vice President at The King’s University, Dr. Rhonda Davis. She said something to me that sent me down a rabbit hole and ended with my hands on the keyboard typing this article.

I hope you enjoy it.

Within our ReLeader community, we've extensively explored the unique pace of change faced by ReLeaders, a stark contrast to conventional leadership paradigms. The urge to leap into action is palpable, driven by the clear vision of necessary transformations. I don’t want to repeat what I’ve already said in other articles. For those who are new subscribers, go back and read my article about how and when to make change. (“Lead this Ship.”)

But I do have something to add.

The need for swift action isn't just a leadership trait; it's critical in the military too. On the battlefield, hesitation can be lethal. The Navy SEALs, renowned as one of the most elite units globally, exemplify this urgency.

Their rigorous training transforms them into elite warriors, ready to excel in any situation with skills beyond the ordinary. Versatile and resilient, they can navigate any terrain, distinguishing them from conventional forces.

Their mastery in quick deployment and stealth enables them to penetrate secure areas, strike decisively, and vanish undetected. The SEALs' operational speed showcases not only their physical strength but also their mental sharpness and strategic insight, allowing them to surpass opponents with exceptional precision.

How did they get so fast and efficient? Oddly enough, one of their mantras is:

At first, this phrase doesn’t even make sense, does it? If you want to be fast, you have to be slow.

Slow is Smooth

The journey to achieving speed for a Navy SEAL begins not with haste, but with the meticulous discipline of slowness. Navy SEALs are initially trained to execute tasks with precision, prioritizing smoothness over speed. Whether it's untangling a knot underwater, reloading a weapon, locating an enemy in their sights, or maneuvering through an obstacle course, the primary focus is on accuracy and correctness, rather than speed.

This deliberate pace is foundational, ensuring every action is precise, every strategy is deeply understood, and every skill is flawlessly executed. It's from this methodical precision that the rapid agility and swift action of a SEAL emerges. In essence, their swiftness springs from slowness. It is their precision that paves the path toward pace, illustrating that true speed is rooted in the mastery of being slow.

The impulse for a ReLeader might be to prioritize speed. The logic seems straightforward: fast is efficient, and as a discerning leader, you see the objectives ahead. Profitability is your goal, and a quick pace is your path. Yet, such an approach might overlook critical aspects like the organization. Rushing could lead you to miss several crucial factors:

• Staff Culture: Rapid changes can exacerbate issues in a toxic staff culture, leading to increased resistance and burnout.

• Knowledge Transfer: Quick restructuring risks losing invaluable expertise concentrated in long-standing employees before it's shared.

• Customer Relationships: Swift modifications in offerings without customer engagement can erode trust and satisfaction.

• Changing Industry: Your organization’s decline might be the result of a changing industry. Changing how you manufacture something no one is buying is pointless.

• Integration of New Technologies: Hasty technology adoption without a thorough integration plan can lead to resistance and underutilization.

The truth is, your organization is already fast at some things. But chances are, they have developed speed in some areas or habits that are not moving the vision forward. If your predecessor was doing it right, you probably wouldn’t be in the seat you’re in now.

Navy SEALs understand that fast is not fast if you have to go back and redo it. Let’s first accept the fact that “slow is smooth.”

Smooth is Fast

Only once a movement, strategy, or skill is performed correctly and consistently does the pace increase. This incremental approach ensures that the foundation is solid, reducing the likelihood of errors that can arise from rushing and ultimately slowing down progress.

This idea isn't alien to our daily experiences. Initially, your typing technique resembled a cautious game of "whack-a-mole," each letter hunted down with the precision of a cat stalking its prey. Fast forward, and now you're whipping out texts on your phone with the stealth and agility of a ninja. How did you get to texting ninja status? Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. That’s how.

By focusing on getting each step right, without the pressure to rush, we lay down a framework that is both sturdy and reliable. This methodical buildup not only reduces the likelihood of errors—which can be costly and time-consuming to correct—but also instills a deeper understanding of the task at hand. As proficiency in the fundamental aspects of the skill grows, so too does the confidence to perform it more swiftly. This transition from slow, careful practice to faster execution is natural and seamless, ensuring that when the pace increases, it does so without compromising the skill's integrity or effectiveness.

Why Do We Move Too Fast?

So why do we try to move too fast too soon? Because we want results! That’s why. Or better yet, we are trying to prove ourselves. I get it, when I started each of my ReLeader assignments, I wanted to prove to everyone that I was the man for the job. I needed a win and I needed it now. But the greatest of ReLeaders do not ReLead to impress others, we do it because we were brought in to fix something that was broken. We will get this task finished by doing the right thing, for the right reason, for a really long time.

Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast.

Perhaps the first thing you should do tomorrow is take this article, and cast vision to your teams with it. Instill this culture into your organization. Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast. And one day, you’ll wake up to a team full of SEALs kicking butt and taking names.

Your organization's guiding principle can echo that of the world's most formidable, precise, and rapid force:

Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast

Let’s start a conversation in the comments…