
Acta Non Verba Mark McGrath on the OODA Loop, VUCA, the Philosophy of John Boyd, and Bruce Lee
Nov 22, 2023
Mark McGrath, an adaptive strategy teacher and Chief Learning Officer at AGLX, shares his expertise on decision-making and adaptability in complex environments. He distills John Boyd's OODA loop and the VUCA framework, emphasizing the importance of continually updating our cognitive software to navigate change effectively. McGrath connects philosophy to action, highlighting how trauma shapes orientation and the need to prioritize people, ideas, and results for organizational success. Discover how turning VUCA into an advantage can lead to innovative solutions.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Orientation As Cognitive Software
- Orientation is your cognitive software that shapes how you observe, decide, act, and learn.
- If you don't update your orientation, your observations and actions will become misaligned with reality.
Continuously Revise Your Mental Models
- Revise your mental models continuously by learning broadly across disciplines.
- Treat learning as an update to your orientation to keep decisions aligned with reality.
Perception Trumps Parity
- Seeing the same resources differently creates competitive advantage.
- Faster cycles of observe–orient–decide–act leave opponents unable to adapt.











