In U.S. military terms, the world “has gotten V.U.C.A.: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous.“
With so many variables in every situation, it’s virtually impossible to predict how the event may unfold.
Instead of relying on top-down commands and rigid plans, the military developed a new approach called “Commander’s Intent.”
Whenever there’s a new mission, the commanding officer has a meeting with their direct reports and their direct reports’ direct reports.
At the meeting, the commander issues the “Commander’s Intent” of the mission which is composed of three key elements.
The “Why” of the mission: Why is this our objective? Why do we need to take on this mission?
The “What” of the mission: What needs to be done? What key events must occur in order for us to identify the mission as successful?
The “End State” of the mission: What a successful mission will look like in its end state.
The goal is that the group leaves the room clear on the Commander’s Intent because then everyone can move ahead aligned on the mission.
No matter what gets thrown at them, they can handle it.
This passage — which I came across in the excellent book The Wisdom Of A Bullfrog: Leadership Made Simple (But Not Easy) — has implications far beyond the military.
Admiral William H. McRaven is typing:
“Ambush right! Ambush right!” someone screamed.
From the high brush to my right, the sound of blank fire erupted in a deafening roar. The ambush was on. Simultaneously, all the men in the platoon dropped to the ground and returned fire into the tall grass.
“Grenade! Grenade!” another voice shouted out.
To my immediate left, just to the side of the point man, a grenade simulator exploded, first one, then another, booming in my ears with stunning effect. On the ground around me, my platoon continued to fire, changing magazines and waiting for me to give the order to move. We couldn’t counterattack through the brush; it was too thick. We couldn’t move to the right; the instructors had sealed off our exit. It appeared that our only choice was to move left and try to get out of the kill zone. In my mind I knew that was the textbook answer, but I had a better idea.
Without hesitation, I jacked another magazine into my M16, jumped up from my prone position, and ran around the left edge of the heavy brush, nodding to the point man as I bolted past him. I would flank the instructors, circle around the bushes, come up from behind them, and counter-ambush them myself. This was going to be awesome. Like a man possessed, I charged past the row of bushes, jumped over a few small boulders, and found myself unopposed on the high ground behind the instructors. Flipping my selector switch to full auto, I pulled the trigger and raked the bodies of the seven men lying behind the high brush. I moved forward, continuing to fire as I methodically shot each man with blank ammunition.
We had won!
“What the hell are you doing, Mr. Mac?” Instructor Faketty yelled, jumping up from the ground.
“Killing bad guys,” was my quick and proud retort.
Doc Jennings, one of the few Black frogmen of the Vietnam era, stood up from where he was lying and gave me a look of complete disdain.
“Sir, you’re a damn fool,” he said, or words to that effect.
“You left your platoon lying in the kill zone. Did they know what you were doing?”
Somehow, this wasn’t going as I had imagined.
“Get back with your platoon, Mr. Mac,” Jennings said sternly.
I thought the worst of my ass-chewing was over. Surely the platoon would appreciate my quick thinking. They would understand what I was trying to do. I had defeated the instructors. That must count for something.
“Sir, what the hell were you thinking?” Varner said, echoing the words of Faketty. “We had no idea where you went,” LeBlanc piped in.
I quickly tried to explain.
“Look, guys. I saw an opportunity to flank the enemy and save the platoon. I reacted.”
“Well sir, that’s just fine, but we had no clue what you were doing or where you were going.”
Marshall Lubin had swung around to join in the conversation.
“Yeah, man. I thought you were running away from the firefight.”
“No, no, no! Come on, guys. I was trying to save the platoon.”
“Sir, with all due respect,” Varner said, a little less caustic now, “your job was to get us out of the kill zone, to communicate your intent so we could all move together and survive.”
I just nodded. I knew they were right.
Jim Varner’s words stayed with me for the rest of my career. Your job was to get us out of the kill zone, to communicate your intent so we could all move together and survive.
Sooner or later, every leader gets ambushed with trouble.
And few things are worse than running in the wrong direction, enthusiastically.
Communication is no longer a “soft” skill - it is the human edge that will make you unstoppable, irresistible, and irreplaceable - earning you that perfect rating, that fifth star.
If you want the whole team to work together smoothly, it's important to make sure that every single person, no matter their role, knows what you're aiming for.
Do your people understand what you're doing and why?
PS. Do you struggle to set yourself apart from your competitors? Does your tone of voice lack a little personality? Either way, get in touch and I’ll help you become remarkable. Or get more communication advice that doesn't suck here.
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