Meet Dynamite Don—a character who taught me one of life's most critical lessons: the power of being ADAPTABLE. He remains one of the most compelling figures I've ever known, a man whose significant mental health challenges coexisted with an unwavering loyalty and a deep sense of honor. The thing to understand about Dynamite Don is he got the nickname because he thought people were trying to blow up his truck. Don suffered from fairly serious mental illness and being on the road by himself for weeks at a time did not help the matter. His wife stayed home and later on helped me to understand what Don was going through. I assumed based on his age that Don had served in Vietnam like my uncle had many years before and so many of our young men come back just not quite right in the head with all kinds of undiagnosed mental illness and trauma.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Park was a person of considerable depth, a quality I came to appreciate only after getting to know him on a much more human level. Initially, my perception of David was shaped entirely by his reputation as a problem driver at the terminal where I worked. His personnel file was thick with several write-ups, and it was common knowledge that the dispatchers openly disliked him due to what they perceived as his poor attitude—a sentiment that, unsurprisingly, was mirrored by David's own negative view of the dispatch employees.

Here's what happens when communication breaks down COMPLETELY: Over time, their professional relationship had deteriorated into a relentless pattern of negativity and mutual distrust. The verbal exchanges that did occur were far from positive; in fact, they were consistently corrosive. It was not uncommon to hear them yelling at each other over the radio, a constant state of conflict that had unfortunately become normalized background noise until a critical incident demanded my direct involvement.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We are living in a moment of unprecedented velocity. The world is not just changing; it is accelerating. Artificial intelligence is rewriting the rules of employment. Social media algorithms are rewiring our attention spans. Global supply chains are fracturing and reforming in real-time. The New World is a place of infinite connection yet profound isolation, of limitless information yet scarce wisdom. It is a world where the ground beneath our feet feels constantly in motion.

In times of such vertigo, the instinct is often to look for the newest tool, the latest app, or the most cutting-edge hack to keep up. We are told to disrupt ourselves, to "move fast and break things," to constantly upgrade our operating systems.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Let's start with the core idea of the Audit of Your Life. This is not just about checking boxes or making surface-level changes; it’s about deep, honest reflection. You need to assess what in your life is truly adding value and what is merely weighing you down. Think of it like clearing out a cluttered closet. To make room for what you really want, you first need to identify and remove the things that no longer serve a purpose. This concept applies not just to physical belongings but to relationships, habits, and even beliefs.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome back. In Part One of this manifesto, we laid the groundwork for a successful career by focusing on the personal and interpersonal skills that separate the amateurs from the pros. We explored the critical importance of effective communication, the strategic advantage of empathy, the necessity of adaptability, the long-term power of relationships, and the non-negotiable imperative of self-care. Those first five rules are about mastering yourself and your interactions with others. They are the foundation upon which a lasting career is built.

But a strong foundation is useless without a structure built upon it. Now, we move from the who to the how. The final five rules are the engine of execution. They are the strategic and tactical principles that allow you to navigate complexity, drive results, and build a career defined not by good intentions, but by tangible accomplishments.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Over decades of managing crises and keeping the wheels turning, I developed a set of core principles that became my compass: The 10 Rules of Dispatch Life and Business. These rules weren’t conceived in the sterile quiet of a boardroom or theorized in a university classroom; they were forged in the intense fire of real-world crises, where a single bad decision could vaporize hundreds of thousands of dollars in an instant, and where a clear head and a steady hand were often the only true assets that mattered.

What I eventually came to realize is that these rules transcend the world of logistics. They are, in fact, a universal code for meaningful career advancement and personal success. Think about it: your career, no matter what field you’re in, is your own personal freight. It’s a precious, irreplaceable commodity that you alone are responsible for moving from where you are today to where you ultimately want to be. The journey is guaranteed to be long, the terrain is often unpredictable, and there are countless obstacles, detours, and roadblocks along the way. If you don't have a reliable operating system to guide your decisions and actions, you will get stuck. You will get lost. You will fail to reach your destination.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Two and a half millennia ago, a Chinese military strategist named Sun Tzu wrote a treatise on warfare that would transcend time, geography, and context. The Art of War wasn't just a manual for generals leading armies into battle; it was a profound study of conflict, leadership, strategy, and human nature. Its lessons have been devoured by everyone from Napoleon Bonaparte to Bill Belichick, from Wall Street tycoons to Silicon Valley disruptors.

Why? Because life, business, and logistics are, in their own way, forms of warfare. Not the bloody, destructive kind, but the strategic kind. We fight against chaos. We battle against inefficiency. We struggle against the friction of the unexpected.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

These rules aren’t abstract theories or idealistic advice. They are practical, battle-tested tools proven effective in high-stakes, real-world scenarios. They offer a roadmap for tackling challenges, seizing opportunities, and building resilience in the face of setbacks. But to truly understand their value, we need to see them in action. Theory alone lacks impact without real-world examples to ground it. That’s why this guide explores these rules through stories—contrasting examples of success and failure to illustrate their practical applications.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.