Karl Von Clausewitz (1780-1831) was a Prussian who fought in the Russian Army in the early 19th century and rose to the rank of General. He started his military training at the age of 12 as a member of the officers’ corps of the Prussian Army and witness some of the most decisive European battles of the times. He was a renowned German military leader and strategist and documented his theories and observations from the battlefields into what is now referred to as the 9 Principles of War.
These 9 principles, or variations thereof, have become standard doctrine for most military forces and are taught to military leaders at all levels. They have endured significant changes in the way war is waged and are as relevant today as on the battlefield at the advent of firearms and artillery.
It’s not too difficult to draw a comparison between Clausewitz and the modern business theorist, Peter Drucker who established many of the guiding principles of modern business management and leadership. Whilst comparing business to battle is a long bow to draw, there are some very similar challenges faced by leaders in the board room as on the battlefield.
Here are the 9 Principles of War as composed by Clausewitz and modified to provide some context for business. See if you can draw a comparison between your workplace and leadership challenges and how they may be used to help you lead your troops to success.
Objective. In battle, the objective is the feature that must be seized, captured, or destroyed. It is the purpose of the mission and the reason for the battle. It is vital that the commander has a clear understanding of the objective and communicates it effectively to every officer and soldier in his command in order to take the objective. The development of clear objectives is equally important in business as is the need to communicate them to all staff in a clear and concise manner. In the business context, the objective is often written as a mission or purpose statement. It’s important that the objective is achievable and than everyone in the organisation is clear about their part to play in capturing the objective.
Offensive. The offensive is the strategy executed to achieve the objective. It should be the most decisive way to seize, capture or destroy the objective. There are often many simultaneous battles waged within the ‘theatre of war’, so it is critical that all troops understand their freedoms and constraints and the limits of exploitation to prevent blue-on-blue clashes or interference with other missions. In business, you must also develop an effective strategy and execute that strategy decisively without overreaching.
Mass. Mass refers to the employment of your full combat power on to the objective rather than just the concentration of forces at a set time and place. This is referred to as synchronisation and is a more holistic approach to the use of force than to converge troops onto the objective. This reduces the exposure of your troops to enemy fire and allows you to achieve more decisive results. In business be careful not to concentrate all your effort on one sector of the market. Where you do focus your efforts, use the breath of your entire organisational capability to secure the victory rather than concentrating the effort of one branch.
Economy of Force. In contrast to the use of mass, economy of force is the offset needed to conserve combat capability. These two principles must be employed in balance to prevent the premature reduction or loss of combat power. Ensure you know how much of your business resources you can afford to dedicate to taking your objective and what your limit of exploitation is. In other words, know when to hold back, stop or even redeploy your efforts.
Manoeuvre. Manoeuvre is the shaping of the battlefield by the deployment and redeployment of troops and military equipment in relation to the enemy, for the purpose of gaining advantage over the objective. Manoeuvre is used to exploit enemy weaknesses, preserve own troops’ freedom of action, and direct firepower for best effect. Being flexible and able to pivot is critical to business in the modern world. Ensure your business is prepared to embrace change and that manoeuvre is core to your long-term business strategy.
Unity of Command. The decisive action necessary for the achievement of the objective requires all troops to fight under the direction of a single commander. This is not to say that there is only one leader responsible for directing forces, but rather there is one commander who is the ultimate decision-maker and executor of the mission. All other leaders and followers must support the commander’s intent if the objective is to be taken. This can be very challenging in the current business climate. The adoption of Servant Leadership as the dominant approach to leading and juggling decentralised command or “employee empowerment”, doesn’t remove the responsibility of the leader to issue clear directions or subordinate leaders and employees from following them.
Security. The best defence is a good offence, but never forget to maintain security as it enhances your freedom of action. You must identify your vulnerabilities and mitigate enemy attacks before they can disrupt your operations. Security is developed from the market intelligence you gather, and the surveillance of your competition. It allows you to anticipate their actions and manoeuvre to counter their disruption of the market or impact on your business.
Surprise. You should always attack your enemy at a time and place of your choosing when he is least prepared or able to defend or counter-attack. Surprise and the swift application of mass can upset the enemy’s momentum and shift the balance of power in your favour. Innovation and speed to market are two effective ways to use the principle of surprise in a business context.
Simplicity. Your battle plans must be clear, concise, and complete, leaving no doubt in the minds of your troops as to what needs to be done to take the objective. The development of simple plans is not easy and requires the removal of uncertainty and complexity through wargaming and other similar techniques. In the same way, your business plan must be clear and easily understood by everyone in your organisation. Developing simple plans helps to overcome the inertia that prevents the effective execution of so many business plans.
