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From Combat Ready instructor, CEO and co-founder Remo Ojaste
Photo by Marek Metslaid
6:10 am in the morning. Front row of the bus, on the way to Tallinn.
A 14-hour day ahead. I open Slack – I see the instructors arguing about something again. At that moment I thought: damn, that’s enough. I’ll write it all down.
Two hours later, I had a 19-page manifesto and zero idea that I had just made things worse.
I sent the manifesto. I called a meeting. After a few weeks, the two instructors were gone. One left on its own, the other I had to let go after months of trying.
I thought: good. Now the standard is clear. I gave myself a mental high-five.
Nine months later. Home office. The chaos had finally subsided. After six months of having to cover the work of two instructors, the team was finally able to breathe again.
Time to help the team. I am opening a new document “Standards for personal branding for Combat Ready instructors”.
I start writing. I wrote down what they had to post, how many webinars they had to run, how often, etc. What this standard looks like to me.
Then I had a meeting with Andrus, our new sales manager. Early in the morning, planned the meeting long in advance. The second time in two weeks that I had tried to move it.
He wasn’t going to let it pass any more.
Andrus said: “The first time I thought you were just busy. But twice? You are not busy. You don’t know how to prioritise your time.”
Straight. Without cushioning. This is why I appreciate Andrus. He says what he sees, expects others to do the same and does not shirk his responsibilities.
I envy it. For me, it doesn’t come easy.
And sitting there, I understood: Damn. He is right.
I looked at the document I had written. Standards for others. Rules for others.
But I didn’t keep track of my time. I did not post consistently. I didn’t live as I demanded of others.
The problem was not theirs. That was my problem.
I stopped writing for them. I started writing for myself.
Not to be a role model. Not to inspire the team. Not to prove anything.
If I say I’m an elite but my behaviour doesn’t reflect it, I’m a fraud. Full stop.
This is the only correct conclusion.
Day one of the 100-day writing challenge. Publicly posted and announced. Keeping up to standard. Not because of them.
For my own sake.
I am now on day 58. of the day.
For four years I have been teaching Jocko Willink’s principle: “Discipline equals freedom”.
I knew the theory. I was able to explain it. I believed it.
But it took me four years to really understand what it meant.
Maintaining the standard = personal responsibility
Maintaining the standard is my responsibility. Not someone else’s. Only mine.
Will it benefit the people around me? Yes.
But the moment it becomes a cause, I’ve already lost.
I can’t control what’s happening around me. But I can control whether I keep in line or not.
Every day.
To be unselfishly selfish.
Remo Ojaste
Combat Ready co-founder, instructor and CEO
