Mark McGrath | OODA Strategist epitomizes a continuous learner. What I like to call a savage student, he is a man who isn’t afraid to be authentic while always looking to improve.
Mark is the Chief Learning Officer at AGLX, a global consulting and coaching group that specializes in strategy, development, and performance of teams within any organization. In short, they teach companies how to be more resilient in a VUCA world - one full of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.
Essentially nothing in life is linear or absolute. Using John Boyd’s strategic frameworks, Marshall McLuhan’s creative perspectives, and his detailed analysis of history, Mark provides cognitive systems to thrive in any environment.
In this conversation, Mark and I took a deep and wide dive into the various areas he writes on, talks about on his podcast, and teaches for a living. Some of the topics we discussed include:
* His evolution from US Marine Corps Officer to John Boyd strategist
* OODA loop sketch intent vs misapplications
* Linearity vs nonlinearity
* Impact of inputs and the environment shaping perception which influences reality
* The 5T Protocol for Information Warfare to assess the message within the medium
* Uncertainty
* Curiosity
* Resilience
* Discomfort as a requirement for growth
* Self-applications of OODA and 5T
* John Boyd’s paper, “Destruction and Creation”
* His favorite books and documents that contributed to his systems
Mark’s primary Substack publication is called, “The Whirl of ReOrientation.” A clever spin on the Observe, Orient, Decide, Act (OODA) loop sketch developed by John Boyd, Mark intentionally highlights how the OODA loop was meant to be nonlinear with continuous opportunities for reorientation.
Mark has another publication called CONTRA FRAME where he demonstrates the skill of curiosity and the power of reframing. There are countless ways to view a person or circumstance and CONTRA FRAME will help anyone consider alternate perspectives to common narratives.
Furthermore, Mark and his business partner, Brian Rivera, host the outstanding podcast “No Way Out” where they examine applications of the strategic systems they study and teach alongside recognized performers throughout the world.
Mark is a machine who constantly puts out valuable content on multiple mediums.
I can’t recommend his work enough to enhance the mental frameworks you use to assess the world and yourself.
More Links and Resources
Mark and I discussed the book sitting behind me throughout the podcast, “Warfighting” - a short, easy read that outlines the U.S. Marine Corps philosophy toward action in all endeavors. As Mark explains, this book is free and can be applied to any life domain for those looking to thrive.
Shout out to Sam Alaimo and Adam Karaoguz, two of our favorite writers on Substack who came up a few times throughout the conversation. Sam and Mark had an excellent podcast earlier this year that I highly recommend:
Another document that Mark brought up that is available for free is on the AGLX website is John Boyd’s “Conceptual Spiral” which outlines Boyd’s philosophy on how to keep learning and adapting in order to thrive. There are plenty of other outstanding resources on AGLX:
Some of my favorite posts from Mark:
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