No Substitute for Victory: Lessons in Strategy and Leadership from General Douglas Macarthur

Chapter 9. Hit 'em Where They Ain't

Organizational success depends on the ability to enter and capture new markets. But few organizations enjoy uncontested access to the markets, and the very nature of capitalism guarantees that profitable markets will quickly become highly competitive. Smart leaders eschew head-to-head market competition for creative strategies that take full advantage of their strengths and their opponents' weaknesses.

In WWII, MacArthur utilized exactly such a strategy to great effect in the southwest Pacific. He called it by several names: “hit 'em where they ain't,” “leap-frogging,” and “bypassing.” Elegant in its simplicity, in essence, MacArthur refused to attack enemy strongholds. Instead, he leapt beyond them to less-well-defended ...