In the year 1519, Hernán Cortés, with some 500+ Spaniards and a dozen or so horses, landed in Mexico. The Spanish conquistador and his men were about to embark on a conquest of an empire that hoarded some of the world’s greatest treasure of gold, silver and precious jewels. Cortés was aware that for more than 600 years conquerors with far more resources never succeeded. So, he took a different approach and had most of the boats scuttled such that there wasn’t an exit strategy. This command left his men with only 2 choices — die or be victorious. Debatably, folklore credits him with saying, “Burn the boats” however whether he did or didn’t make the statement, the strategic intent was the same.
About a thousand years before, Alexander the Great did burn his boats upon arrival on the shores of Persia. By burning his boats, Alexander destroyed the Greeks’ only hope of retreat and committed his men to victory over the Persians. Legend has it that Alexander turned to his men and said, “We go home in Persian ships, or we die”. They became unwaveringly committed to the cause.
A century ago, a band of brave souls became known as One Way Missionaries. Instead of suitcases, they placed their 
few belongings into coffins. As they sailed out of port, they waved good-bye to everyone they loved, everything they knew. They knew they’d never return home. When they departed their ships, they had no exit strategy. A.W. Milne was one of those missionaries. He set sail for the New Hebrides in the South Pacific, knowing full well that the headhunters who lived there had martyred every missionary before him. For 35 years, he lived among that tribe and loved them. When he died, tribe members buried him in the middle of their village and inscribed this epitaph on his tombstone: “When he came, there was no light. When he left, there was no darkness.” He was unwaveringly committed to his cause.
Today the expression “burn the boats” is used figuratively. However, the spirit of its meaning continues to inspire thousands. Motivational speakers, like Lou Holtz, have co-opted the phrase in their speeches as an example of an exceptional attitude of commitment and focus.
Companies historically have burned their boats to reinvent their business model. Kodak went from selling only hard products, to offering digital services. Dell burned its “direct selling” boats by deciding to sell through retailers. Darwin E. Smith, CEO of Kimberly-Clark made the strategic decision to sell the mills, his company’s boats, and invest the money in brands like Kleenex and Huggies. When Kimberly-Clark started outperforming Proctor & Gamble, Smith had found his treasure. These businesses had to do what they did to survive and thrive in a global economy. In the August 2000 issue of Fast Company, Entrepreneur Troy Tyler had this to say to about “burning boats”: “Strategy is all about commitment. If what you’re doing isn’t irrevocable, then you don’t have a strategy — because anyone can do it. That’s why burning the boats is so important.”
Carrying over the theme from my last blog post, one of the greatest examples of burning the boats was our founding fathers when they signed the Declaration of Independence. At a crucial moment in history these men were willing to step up and sacrifice for the good of their countrymen. They were committed to the ideals of equality and responsible government. Strong convictions can bring about strong consequences.
Perhaps burning your boat(s) is most important when the odds are stacked against you. There’s no “test and see” when you are outnumbered 10-to-1, you’ll waste what precious little resources you have. The only legitimate plan is to garner everything you have and steadfastly fight.
A recent analysis of modern day wedding vows reveals that 34% dumped the phrase ‘until death do us part’, shunning the traditional commitment for life. A vow to love and honor for only as long as the marriage lasts, is like leaving your escape vehicle idling at the curb, a ‘test and see’ attitude. Marriage is a demanding commitment, with both good times and tough times. To have the unwavering commitment to this holy sacrament, couples need to take divorce off the table as an option and burn their boats. They need to fight for their marriage.
Not being committed is being convenient. Convenient in the sense of involving little trouble or effort, like a convenient parking spot. I challenge myself to be more than just a convenient husband, father, co-worker and even Christian. The Israelites, in the book of Jeremiah, profess they will obey the command of their Lord whether they like it or not; then just 10 days later when that command does not agree with their thoughts on returning to Egypt, they disobey their Lord. It was no longer convenient. In John 13:37, Peter states his unwavering commitment and that he will lay down his life for Jesus. That same evening, before the cock crowed, Peter denies Jesus three times.
Jesus did not ask his disciples to burn their fishing boats, however he did ask them to leave their boats behind. Luke’s chapter 14 focuses on the total dedication necessary to be a disciple of Jesus. No attachment to family or possessions can stand in the way of the demanded commitment. Also, acceptance of the call to be a disciple demanded readiness to accept persecution, suffering, and a realistic assessment of the hardships and costs. The early church needed this unwavering commitment to endure the centuries of persecution it faced. A convenient exit strategy would have altered salvation history.
Life, as well as love, requires 100% commitment, just giving it a shot won’t do it. This fits my Yoda principle of “Do or do not, there is no try.” Let’s stop being convenient about our commitments and “burn the boats” – let the spirit of its meaning inspire our attitude; guiding our steps to victory.
