Momentum Is Built: Lessons From General Bernard Banks' New Study Of How ‘Mo' Can Aid Leadership

Forbes

21-05-2025

Bertie Banks
Long before he became one of America's foremost leadership experts, Bernie Banks was learning life-and-death lessons about momentum—not in a classroom or boardroom, but in combat as harsh and unforgiving as the Persian Gulf heat.
It was August 1990. Operation Desert Shield had begun, and Banks, then a young officer serving with the 82nd Airborne Division, was among the first boots on the ground in Saudi Arabia. He and his fellow paratroopers were given one mission: prepare for war.
'We were engaged in nothing but training activities designed to prepare for the initiation of hostilities with the Iraqi army,' Banks recalled. 'We just prepared over and over and over again.'
Those words—prepare over and over and over again—are at the heart of every high-performing organization. Whether it's on the battlefield, in the locker room, or inside a Fortune 500 boardroom, sustained excellence is built on relentless preparation and a deep understanding of momentum.
That relentless preparation paid off. When Operation Desert Storm began in January 1991, Banks and his unit were ready—more than ready. 'Once the operation actually began,' Banks said, 'we were so well prepared and we had such a concrete understanding of the objectives we must ensure and do correctly... the next 96 hours, we simply overwhelmed what was one of the largest standing armies in the world.'
New York, NY - CIRCA 1991: Desert Storm Ticker Tape Parade in Lower Broadway circa 1991 in New York ... More City. (Photo by PL Gould/IMAGES/Getty Images)
That's momentum, and when it's unleashed with clarity, purpose, and preparation, it becomes a tidal wave—something Banks knows very well. Now a retired brigadier general, former chair of West Point's Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership, and current Director of the Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University, Banks has co-authored a powerful new book: The New Science of Momentum: How the Best Coaches and Leaders Build Fire from a Single Spark. In this groundbreaking work, Banks distills decades of military wisdom, academic research, and executive coaching into a model that any leader—military, sports, political or corporate—can use to build and sustain momentum inside their teams.
'Seizing the initiative is all about the establishment of positive momentum,' Banks said in a recent interview. 'We do a variety of things that are all focused on ensuring that we can dictate the terms of the engagement with our competitor or adversary. We prepare to seize the initiative. We plan through a variety of contingencies. We run drills to say, how would we respond if things don't go well? But it's always about, how do we seize the initiative? How do we retain it? How do we build upon it? And if we lose it, how do we get it back?'
For leaders serious about performance, that's not theory—that's a playbook. What makes Banks' insights so compelling is their universal relevance. His book draws from more than 250 interviews and thousands of survey responses to identify what ignites and sustains momentum inside high-performing organizations. It answers critical questions:
Banks has put his theories into action—leading teams from 10 to 3,000, shaping cadets at West Point, and now preparing the next generation of changemakers at Rice. From all his experience and studies, he has come to the conclusion that momentum is never random. It's the result of meticulous preparation, intentional leadership, and the ability to transform potential into performance.
'You should be running scenarios in advance,' Banks advised. 'So that you know—if this transpires, here's how we'll respond...Transformation is the key. When people found themselves in a situation that was less than favorable, they really hammered down on, 'How do we do our basics well?''
How we turn adversity into opportunity separates elite performers from the rest. 'Leaders transform potential into performance,' Banks said. 'Understanding how to get things moving in the right direction at the required pace is essential.'
Simply put, the best don't wait for momentum. They manufacture it. Mike Cangi, co-founder and CEO of FareRx and a Forbes Council member, echoed this idea in a recent article, arguing that leaders often focus too much on outcomes and not enough on inputs. 'When we obsess over results,' Cangi wrote, 'the goal feels too big, and we can lose motivation. Instead, focus on small, consistent habits that lead to success.' That's a lesson worth embedding in your culture: results are just the byproduct of rhythm. Get the rhythm right, and the results will follow.
Despite all the research, theory, and accolades, Banks still returns in his mind to those early days in uniform—the desert heat, the endless drills, the unwavering belief that preparation would shape the outcome.
"I saw the value of preparation as a young commissioned officer because of the outcomes we achieved during that operation,' he reflected. 'And it stuck with me forever that preparation matters and that leaders ensure that the right things transpire at the right times.'
The greatest CEOs, coaches, and captains know that fire doesn't just appear. Momentum's built, one spark at a time, and when you understand how to ignite it, it becomes your most powerful strategic weapon.