A new principle of war ‘Understanding’ must take its rightful place atop the pantheon

BY FRANK HOFFMAN Reflecting revered assumptions and long-standing paradigms, The Principles of War are a list of tenets enshrined since 1949 in the Army’s Field Manual 3-0 “Operations” and more recently in other service and joint doctrines. These foundations — Mass, Maneuver, Unity of Command, and the rest — have stood largely pat for a …

The Perils of Bad Strategy: JUNE 2011 • Richard Rumelt

Bad strategy abounds, says UCLA management professor Richard Rumelt. Senior executives who can spot it stand a much better chance of creating good strategies. Horatio Nelson had a problem. The British admiral’s fleet was outnumbered at Trafalgar by an armada of French and Spanish ships that Napoleon had ordered to disrupt Britain’s commerce and prepare …

4 Harbingers of BAD Strategy organized by J. William DeMarco (sort of…)

Bad strategy is more than just the absence of good strategy. All too often, bad strategy consists of nothing more than platitudes, unrealistic goals and warm-and-fuzzy sounding slogans. Good strategy, by contrast, specifies how an organization will focus its resources to respond to challenges and move forward toward greatness. After reading Does U.S. Need Grand …

Defense Strategy and Military Planning for an Era of Persistent Conflict

By Robert Tomes Journal Article | Jan 26 2012 - 5:17am Editor's Note:  This is a thought-provoking offering from Dr. Robert Tomes.  In particular, his generational interpretation of attitudes towards strategy and military options will generate some spirited discussion.  While he draws distinctions between the Generation X-ers and the Millenials, I think that many readers will see …