The CF Principles of Leadership and the Principles of War

[GnyHwy]

An attempt to bring this thread back to life. 

The first quote, a humorous but absurdly true post.  The second, a brutally honest truth.

Well, I don't know anything about leadership, but how about this: "The Five Stages of Any Military Endeavour"
1) Great Expectations.
2) Failure
3) Panic
4) Search for a Scapegoat
5) Punishment of the Innocent
6) Reward of  the Unworthy

Military incompetence involves:

  A serious wastage of human resources and failure to observe one of the first principles of war - economy of force.
  A fundamental conservatism and clinging to outworn tradition, an inability to profit from past mistakes (owing in part to a refusal to admit past mistakes).
  A tendency to reject or ignore information which is unpalatable or which conflicts with preconceptions.
  A tendency to underestimate the enemy and overestimate the capabilities of one's own side.
  Indecisiveness and a tendency to abdicate from the role of decision-maker.
  An obstinate persistence in a given task despite strong contrary evidence.
  A failure to exploit a situation gained and a tendency to `pull punches' rather than push home an attack.
  A failure to make adequate reconnaissance.
  A predilection for frontal assaults, often against the enemy's strongest point.
  A belief in brute force, rather than the clever ruse.
  A failure to make use of surprise or deception.
  An undue readiness to find scapegoats for military set- backs.
  A suppression or distortion of news from the front, usually rationalized as necessary for morale or security.
  A belief in mystical forces - fate, bad luck, etc.

Norman F. Dixon, On the Psychology of Military Incompetence, 1976

Both of these sway from the obvious which is why I think they need revisiting. 

A quote from and old RSM.

Leadership is, getting the men to do what you want them to do because they want to do it.

We are all students of Principles of Leadership and War.  Those who think not are naive.

 

[Jarnhamar]

A predilection for frontal assaults, often against the enemy's strongest point.

So what worked in Afghanistan