The Art of War (III)

2010.05.21

 

Leaders – it is an important aspect of all military strategy. Without a leader, a group cannot fully organize and become successful. Master Sun Tzu says that leaders are defined by five characteristics: intelligence, trustworthiness, humaneness, courage, and sternness. Commentator Jia Lin explains how only these five virtues together make a functioning commander.

 

Reliance on intelligence alone results in rebelliousness. Exercise of humaneness alone results in weakness. Fixation on trust results in folly. Dependence on the strength of courage results in violence. Excessive sternness of command results in cruelty. When one has all five virtues together, each appropriate to its function, then one can be a military leader.

 

Being a good leader not only requires these virtues, but needs to be executed properly. Sun Tzu says that “discipline means organization, chain of command, and logistics.” In order to operate a successful cooperation of divisions, the leader must be able to organize the people and place them in a clear, direct chain of command. Failure to give generals unconstrained control from their leaders can lead to perilous results.

 

In World War II (WWII), the Allied command structure gave General Eisenhower absolute authority as supreme leader of all Ally forces on the Western Front. Beneath General Eisenhower are four commanders for the Navy, the Air Force, the US Army group, and the British Army Group – each with their own resources and defined responsibilities. This system is designed similar to that of an organized org chart, each being able to cooperate with Eisenhower, while having the freedom to independently utilize his own resources without restraint. The Allied command chain allowed all the units to collaborate efficiently and effectively to a specific set of commanders with a common goal.

 

One would assume a dictator as Hitler would design an even more defined and efficient system of command. However, it is quite the opposite. In fact, Hitler’s org chart is cluttered with responsibilities that are shared amongst some commanders, while resources are separated or split to different commanders. The system is confusing with overlapping authority. This was to ensure that no one person obtained all the information or had direct control over forces at their disposal. It was designed to direct all authority to the hands of Hitler; he would make the final decision on the allocation of troops and dispersion of weapons and materials.