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| Photo by Cook aynne on Unsplash |
That’s where the OODA Loop comes in.
Developed by U.S. Air Force Colonel John Boyd, the OODA Loop is a four-step decision cycle built
for speed, clarity, and adaptability. Originally designed for fighter pilots, it has become one of the most widely used leadership and decision-making models in the world.
The power of the OODA Loop is simple:
You make better decisions when you deliberately slow down the chaos—without slowing down the action.
Let’s break it down.
What Is the OODA Loop?
OODA stands for:
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Observe
-
Orient
-
Decide
-
Act
Then you loop back and repeat.
The goal:
Make rapid, accurate decisions—then adjust as new information appears.
This isn’t a one-time process. It’s continuous.
1. Observe — Take in What’s Actually Happening
In the military, this means gathering real-time information about the environment.
In everyday life, it simply means pausing long enough to notice:
• What’s going on?
• What changed?
• What do I see, hear, or feel?
• What’s the mood? The energy? The risk?
Great leaders don’t react to assumptions—they react to reality.
Teachers:
Is the class restless? Confused? Distracted?
Coaches:
Is the opponent adjusting? Are your players fatigued?
Business:
What do the numbers, feedback, or trends actually show?
Observation clears the fog so you can think clearly.
2. Orient — Make Sense of the Information
This is the most important—and most overlooked—step.
Orientation is where you interpret what you observed through:
• Experience
• Training
• Culture
• Values
• Mental models
• Current goals
Two people can observe the same thing and orient completely differently.
For example:
A teacher sees students talking during work time.
One teacher orients: “They’re off task.”
Another orients: “They need help and don’t know how to ask.”
Orientation shapes your decisions. When you orient well, you lead well.
3. Decide — Choose a Course of Action
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| Photo by Julia Potter on Unsplash |
Not a perfect choice.
A workable one.
The OODA Loop values speed over perfection. A good decision now is better than a perfect decision too late.
Examples:
Teacher:
Change the activity, adjust pacing, pull a student aside.
Coach:
Switch formations, call a timeout, change the play call.
Business:
Reassign workload, pivot marketing strategy, call the client early.
Decisiveness builds confidence—both for you and your team.
4. Act — Execute the Decision
This is where you implement your choice and assess what happens.
The goal isn’t just to act—it’s to act and observe again.
• Did the decision help?
• Did it reduce the problem?
• Did it create new issues?
• What needs adjusting next?
The loop starts over.
Continuous refinement.
Continuous improvement.
Why the OODA Loop Works in Everyday Life
It prevents emotional overreactions.
Instead of reacting instantly, you follow a mental process that keeps you grounded.
It helps you adapt faster than the problem.
The faster your OODA loop, the more you stay ahead of challenges.
It works in any environment.
Classroom conflict? OODA.
Parenting crisis? OODA.
Workplace stress? OODA.
A bad football drive? OODA.
Family logistics gone haywire? Definitely OODA.
It makes leadership intentional, not accidental.
When people feel overwhelmed or out of control, the OODA loop gives them a path back to clarity.
Photo by Tine Ivanič on Unsplash
OODA Loop in Schools, Coaching, and
Organizations
Teachers
• Handle behavior issues calmly
• Adjust lesson plans on the fly
• Read the room before changing instruction
• Respond to emotional needs instead of reacting to disruptions
Coaches
• Make rapid in-game decisions
• Adjust strategy based on opponent behavior
• Respond to player performance or morale
• Keep the team ahead of the curve
Businesses
• Navigate crises
• Make faster decisions with incomplete data
• Adapt to market changes
• Improve team problem-solving
Every environment benefits from structured thinking under pressure.
Final Thought
You don’t need to be a fighter pilot to use the OODA Loop.
You just need to be a human trying to lead in a fast, unpredictable world.
Orient yourself with wisdom.
Decide with clarity.
Act with confidence.
Then repeat.
Teach. Coach. Lead.
JVD
Sources & Credits
The OODA Loop was developed by U.S. Air Force Colonel John Boyd. Concepts and applications are commonly discussed in defense analysis, leadership theory, and decision-making research, including works published by the Air University Press and the Marine Corps University.
This post was drafted with the assistance of AI (ChatGPT) and edited by Mr. VanDusen.
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