"It is Basic Management 101 that if you reward failure you are going to get more failure, and if you want success you should reward success. But if you look at the way this administration has approached national security, they have kind of got that principle backwards"

The quote by Chris Van Hollen presents a review of the method a particular administration, most likely referring to a U.S. governmental administration, handles national security and potentially other areas of governance. The statement draws on an established principle in management theory: fulfilling behavior generally leads to the repeating of that behavior. This concept, typically described as "Basic Management 101", recommends that, in any organizational or systemic context, positive support tends to encourage the reoccurrence of the actions being rewarded.

Van Hollen implies there is a discrepancy in the administration's technique, suggesting that failure is being met rewards, rather than the success-driven rewards required for promoting an environment where effective results are the standard. In a management or organizational setting, satisfying failure can result in a culture where poor efficiency ends up being acceptable or habitual, as there is little external incentive to strive for quality or improvement. This can result in a cycle of underperformance and unmet goals, especially damaging in important areas such as national security, where high stakes require proficiency and efficiency.

By specifying that the administration "got that concept in reverse", Van Hollen is highlighting a viewed flaw in tactical technique, recommending that the administration unintentionally supports or perpetuates inefficient or stopped working policies and actions. This might mean that individuals or departments responsible for failures are not held liable, or that not successful policies are not being reassessed or restructured.

The critique calls for a shift in focus towards reinforcing effective methods and holding people, policies, and operations liable for their drawbacks. Van Hollen's argument lines up with a more standard management stance, advocating for systems that focus on success and learning from failure, instead of rewarding it. In summary, his quote underscores the value of lining up benefits with wanted outcomes to guarantee efficient management and strategic success, specifically in the high-stakes realm of nationwide security.