Build a Raft Mindset
- leadwisealliance
- Apr 21
- 2 min read
By Edmund Tirado Build the Raft: A Veteran's Take on High-Agency Leadership
In the military, particularly in combat environments, leadership is more than a title—it’s a mindset. As a retired U.S. Army Senior Noncommissioned Officer and former Bradley Fighting Vehicle Commander, I’ve witnessed the consequences of both decisive action and paralyzing hesitation. In high-stakes moments, leaders don’t wait for ideal conditions. They move. They adapt. They lead. As the old saying in the US Army Adapt and Overcome, as you shoot, move, and communicate.
Jon Macaskill, a retired Navy SEAL Commander, recently shared a powerful analogy: Two people on an island—one writes "HELP" in the sand and waits, the other builds a raft and takes charge of their own destiny. This isn’t just a clever metaphor. It’s a hard truth about agency vs. complacency—something every veteran, executive, and aspiring leader should internalize.
In the SEAL Teams, in Armored Cavalry Units, and even in Boardrooms, the same pattern emerges:
High-agency leaders act while others wait.
High-agency teams adapt when plans fall apart.
Low-agency mindsets freeze, waiting for guidance that may never come.
As author James Clear put it:
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems—and systems are built by action.”
Here's what high-agency leadership looks like:
Owning the mission, even when it's unclear.
Using what you have instead of waiting for what’s ideal.
Leading with action, not perfection.
Seeing opportunity where others see obstacles.
When resources are limited, mindset matters more than ever. One of my favorite reminders comes from Arthur Ashe:
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
As an Industrial/Organizational Psychology practitioner, I now coach corporate teams and individuals on these very principles. High-agency cultures outperform because they foster ownership, initiative, and resilience—qualities every good military leader lives by and every high-performing organization needs.
To the veterans stepping into civilian leadership roles, to the executives navigating complex challenges, and to the students learning what real leadership looks like: ask yourself—
Are you writing “HELP” in the sand… or are you building the raft?
I learned this kind of adaptibility from my grandfather, raised during the Great Depression, who always said, "Do the best you can with what you have". Most people seem to wait and hope some helping hand comes along to save the day, but a true leader keeps his eyes on the final goal and ensures that those who he leads do the same. Armchair warriors never affect the outcome.