The Commando Entrepreneur Quotes

“However, the real knockout blow is that the commando entrepreneur continues to ‘what if’ planning when executing, which further reduces risk of failure. Thus a risk-averse approach, ironically, might be at greater risk of failing because excessive caution leads to inaction.”
― Damian McKinney, The Commando Entrepreneur: Risk, Innovation and Creating Success

“Not every risk-taker is a breaker of rules. Not every entrepreneur is a maverick unable to function in a corporate system. Many entrepreneurs – Guy Hands, for example, who set up Terra Firma – state the advantages of the support given by an organisation combined with the freedom to express yourself.”
― Damian McKinney, The Commando Entrepreneur: Risk, Innovation and Creating Success

“Break all the rules” There is a commando entrepreneur spirit in that, something I have observed and felt in Walmart. It is not about encouraging anarchy, simply saying that the people might need to think more unconventionally to achieve the company’s objectives within its ethical framework.”
― Damian McKinney, The Commando Entrepreneur: Risk, Innovation and Creating Success

“Because you cannot succeed in business without taking risks; and you will fail in business if you are foolhardy in taking risks. The commando entrepreneur exercises judgement in assessing risk, understands its importance and will always seriously weigh up the pros and cons of any particular action.”
― Damian McKinney, The Commando Entrepreneur: Risk, Innovation and Creating Success

“Military debriefs have a similar purpose. We can all fail but we all need to learn from failure. We need to manage the size of the risk, and we need to give people the environment to succeed without being constrained by fear of failure.”
― Damian McKinney, The Commando Entrepreneur: Risk, Innovation and Creating Success

“On the other hand, I am not a boot camp believer. I am not one to obsess about polishing brass buttons. What matters is the pursuit of excellence, and my belief in that pursuit is very high. I believe in pushing standards, in hitting targets. “What’s the fastest it’s ever been done?” Let’s try to do it faster.”
― Damian McKinney, The Commando Entrepreneur: Risk, Innovation and Creating Success

“That is the reward. In the Royal Marines very few people get medals; they do not seek them. You simply do what is expected of you – and that gives you the excitement that is a large part of the entrepreneur’s attitude, to aim for excitement rather than to win medals.”
― Damian McKinney, The Commando Entrepreneur: Risk, Innovation and Creating Success

“The risk of failure is not a problem, it is simply part of what they embrace in life and work. At the same time there is no rigid distinction between life and work for commando entrepreneurs. There is no striving for work-life balance, their life is their work, it is what defines them.”
― Damian McKinney, The Commando Entrepreneur: Risk, Innovation and Creating Success