The Larry Bird Work Ethic
Monday Security Memo
Intellectual firepower for security professionals
The Larry Bird Work Ethic
When I was a kid growing up in the 80s, one of my favorite memories was watching classic NBA match ups on TV, with my dad, between Larry Bird's Boston Celtics and Magic Johnson's Los Angeles Lakers.
My dad, who was a 30-year high school basketball coach (and also played in the NCAA Final Four in college), would always point out that while Bird didn't have the natural athletic ability of Magic (or usually anyone else on the court), he more than made up for it by being the most mentally and physically prepared player and by giving the greatest effort. Bird's relentless dedication to practice and his obsession with improving his fundamentals were legendary.
Ever since high school, Bird was known to begin each-and-every morning with 500 jump shots. He also had to hit 99 free throws in a row or else he would start over (he had the highest free throw percentage in the NBA four times). He then...
Reflections on an African Coup d'etat
Monday Security Memo
Intellectual firepower for security professionals
Reflections on an African Coup d'etat
This past week, the world watched as yet another coup d'etat unfolded in Africa. This time in the country of Mali. A previous coup occurred in Mali back in 2012, leading to an influx of Al-Qaeda fighters flooding the region. It is yet unknown as to what effects the overthrow (and arrest) of former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita means for the troubled nation.
For clarification, a coup d'etat is defined as the removal of an existing government from power, usually through violence. The word itself is French and translates to "blow of state." Overall, there have been roughly 200 coup attempts on the continent since the 1950s (with a 50/50 success rate).
During my twenty years of international security consulting/contracting, I have had the opportunity to experience two African coup d'etats. I had a front row...
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Author
Luke Bencie
For the past 20 years, Luke Bencie has traveled to over 140 countries as a global security consultant. The author of five books, Luke is also a popular international speaker - giving lectures on counter-espionage for the Pentagon, several prestigious universities, over a dozen Fortune 500 countries, and a major Hollywood movie studio. He built his firm, Security Management International, from his one-bedroom apartment a decade ago, into a multi-million dollar company that regularly operates on six-continents annually. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Luke served in the U.S. Intelligence Community.
