What can a 150-year-old cavalry defeat teach a modern RFP team racing against the clock? More than you'd think.

In this episode of Ground Control, Perry Robinson sits down with David Fivecoat, a West Point graduate, 24-year Army veteran, executive coach, and author of Growing Your Grit, to explore how battlefield decision-making translates into everyday business leadership. David runs immersive leadership programs that take corporate teams to historic battle sites, from Gettysburg to the Battle of the Little Bighorn, where standing on the actual ground makes the lessons stick in a way no conference-room keynote can.

Perry and David dig into Custer's fatal failure to adapt when the Native American coalition changed the rules of engagement, and why that's the perfect metaphor for leaders navigating AI and rapid change today. They unpack John Boyd's OODA loop (observe, orient, decide, act) and why speed and a willingness to update your mental model matter more than ever when time kills deals. David also breaks down how to write a leader's intent that actually aligns an ad-hoc team, the discipline of real goal setting, and why the best leaders never stop studying their craft.

Whether you're formally managing a team or just taking charge of the next big push, this conversation is packed with practical, hard-won ideas you can put to work tomorrow.

Want a copy of David's book, Growing Your Grit? The first 20 listeners to email us (marketing@rocketdocs.com) or repost this episode on LinkedIn and tag @RocketDocs will get one.

Learn more about David at TheFivecoatConsultingGroup.com or connect with him on LinkedIn (David Fivecoat / The Fivecoat Consulting Group).

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Leadership and Military History
01:39 The Concept of Staff Rides and Leadership Training
04:29 Experiential Learning on Battlefields
07:36 Lessons from the Battle of Gettysburg
10:33 The Battle of Little Bighorn: A Case Study
13:19 Adapting Leadership in Times of Change
16:33 The OODA Loop and Its Application
19:29 Time Management and Decision Making in Leadership
22:32 Crafting Effective Purpose Statements and End States
25:17 Measuring Success in Leadership
27:08 Developing Leadership Skills
32:09 The Importance of Self-Study
33:43 Understanding Grit and Purpose
37:09 Effective Goal Setting
39:52 Writing and Publishing a Book
48:12 Connecting with David Fivecoat