Revised Leadership Operations Overlay
The continuation of a leadership philosophy — Revised for 2022
PREFACE — I published the Leadership Operations Overlay in 2017. I used the overlay as both a depiction of how I see everyone’s role within the formation heading towards a common objective and as a tactical terminology teaching tool. As I’ve prepared for brigade command in the coming months I’ve revised the original Leadership Operations Overlay to include what I’ve found to be a fundamental necessity of leadership — empathy. The rest is pretty much as you saw it in 2017. So let me present to you the Leadership Operations Overlay Version 2.
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In one of my first blog entries back in April 2015 I reviewed and critiqued the evolution of my own leadership philosophies over the years. Some were better than others and some were not leadership philosophies at all. I used the 2017 Leadership Operations Overlay while commanding the 4th Squadron, 10th U.S. Cavalry Regiment through two operational deployments to both eastern Europe and the Middle East. This latest version is what I’ll use moving forward into brigade command this summer. The new version incorporates a few things I’ve learned over the past five years about human interaction and leadership.
To review, this edition is a bit unusual in design. As we saw in the earlier entry leadership philosophies take on many shapes, sizes, and forms. This philosophy, however, has very little text. It can be depicted on one page. It is meant to provoke dialog. It is intentionally handwritten. It is a facsimile of the operational overlay we use in our profession of arms to synchronize and coordinate operations across formations. The central idea is this — once explained the context of the overlay will be more clear and will proliferate throughout the squadron, much like operations graphics are disseminated with the mission orders describing the operation to subordinate units.
Our Mission Command as outlined in ADP 6–0 and described a bit in this earlier blog post is the United States Army’s philosophy on command. While doctrine revised in 2019, it is fundamentally unchanged. When GEN David Perkins, former Commander of US Army Training and Doctrine Commander, was the commander of Fort Leavenworth and the Combined Arms Center he explained Mission Command during the AUSA Mission Command Symposium in 2013. I recommend watching the linked YouTube video both if you’re unfamiliar with mission command doctrine or if you simply need to review the guiding principles. A familiarity with mission command philosophy is necessary to understand the concepts of the Leadership Operations Overlay. The logic map below describes the Army’s Mission Command philosophy and how it affects decision making and decentralized execution.
Through their own understanding and visualization commanders describe operations and intent through the use of mission orders to create a shared understanding with cohesive teams. Teams are built and trained upon a foundation of mutual trust and disciplined initiative. Through leadership and direction commanders and staffs assess positions of relative advantage and accept prudent risk where necessary to seize, retain, and exploit initiative and opportunities.
The Overlay
Concept of the Operation
As in any other operation, one must first describe the operating environment. Our area of operations is defined by two boundaries: on one flank is the boundary of Morals, Values, and Ethics and on the other is the boundary of Proficiency. So long as the leader executing the Leadership Operations Overlay stays within the boundaries the concept allows freedom of maneuver within the boundary area while adhering to the standards of conduct expected of a professional Soldier accompanied by proficiency in the duties and responsibilities required of their billet. I want leaders to understand that performing their duties in a professional and ethical manner is paramount to success within the institution. When leaders stray outside the boundary of morals, values, ethics, and the standards of conduct we have issues. Likewise, I expect leaders who are good at their job within the profession of arms. Just as units who operate outside the boundaries of their defined area of operation create issues for adjacent units and their higher headquarters, leaders who operate outside these boundaries become liabilities to the organization and mission accomplishment.
The boundaries are also subdivided by phase lines. Doctrinally phase lines are graphic control measures to control and coordinate operations. The first phase line is the line of departure — the starting line for operations. Phase Line (PL) Personal Initiative requires personal ownership in leadership. Our Start Point (SP) along PL Personal Initiative is SP It Starts with Me. Friends of this blog understand the importance of “It Starts With Me.” As explained in the very first blog entry “It Starts With Me” is the personal declaration to be a positive agent.
It starts with my conscious decision to make a positive and lasting impact upon the lives of the people within the organization to which I belong. It starts with my attitude. It starts with my mindset. It starts with my determination, grit, and enthusiasm.
As we move forward into the Area of Operations we approach another phase line, Phase Line Ownership, with two coordination points oriented along the phase line. Coordination points are areas where two or more units come together to share information and coordinate fires and maneuver. Like personal initiative, ownership both individually and collectively allows buy-in and investment in those actions and activities we execute. Fostering an attitude of ownership places the triumph of success on the shoulders of all owners. Conversely, ownership requires the active participation by all in identifying and correcting shortcomings identified as we move along in our journey.
Movement is oriented along Axis of Advance Intent. An Axis of Advance is the general area in which the bulk of a unit’s combat power will move. Intent is a powerful element in mission command. It describes the overarching purpose of the operation to achieve a defined end state. Intent is described by the commander in terms of what the organization is supposed to achieve.
Within Axis of Advance Intent is Route Humility. A route is a prescribed course to be traveled from a specific point of origin to a specific destination. Humility in leadership is important as it allows us to not only develop the confidence in what we know but to actively acknowledge and seek answers to those things we do not understand about the environment, the situation, and (perhaps most importantly) ourselves. By being perfectly honest with ourselves and having the self-awareness to understand our shortcomings we can take active measures to shore up those deficiencies and grow.
There are now four checkpoints along Route Humility; CP Enthusiasm, CP Contagiousness, CP Accountability, and CP Empathy. A checkpoint is a point on the ground used to control movement, tactical maneuver, and orientation. The checkpoints in this example are reminders of building blocks in team cohesion and development. Leaders enthusiastic about their profession and collective success breed environments of contagious enthusiasm that permeate the organization. Blind enthusiasm can be a distraction which is why accountability is required to focus and orient enthusiasm. Accountability, like ownership and humility, allows acknowledgement of successes and shortcomings and assigns the responsibility for corrective action both individually and collectively. I’ve come to subscribe to an idea that empathy is the secret ingredient to leadership. Tactical Empathy, as former FBI negotiator and CEO of the Black Swan Group Chris Voss states, is the intellectual understanding of the thoughts and feelings of others. This prompts effective communication, leads to feelings of safety and trust, and enhances connectedness.
Which leads us to trust. The culminating control measure along Route Humility is designated Release Point Trust. A release point is the location on a route where marching elements are released from centralized control. Trust is the central unifying element of mission command. Once trust is established both individually and organizationally the concept of centralized control becomes less important. Within our mission command philosophy trust is the essential element that allows leaders and organizations to operate within intent to achieve mission accomplishment.
As we approach the objective, Objective Mission Command (the overarching goal for the organization operating within this specific area of operation) we find the enemy. The enemy is depicted by red icons and described as self-doubt, distrust, indiscipline, disconnection, and poor morale. By adhering to the graphic control measures provided thus far the friendly unit finds itself in a position of relative advantage. The enemy can (and will) be destroyed!
By occupying mutually supporting positions the organization can mass effects in the objective area to suppress and destroy enemy forces. Support by Fire Position Mutual Respect and Attack By Fire Position Disciplined Initiative provide complementary and reinforcing actions to achieve effects on the enemy. A support by fire (SBF) is a tactical mission task in which a maneuver force moves to a position where it can engage the enemy by direct fire in support of another maneuvering force. An attack by fire (ABF) is a tactical mission task in which a commander uses direct fires, supported by indirect fires, to engage an enemy force without closing with the enemy to destroy, suppress, fix, or deceive that enemy.
Organizations where mutual respect accompanied by trust and empathy is resident achieve great things. Confidence in those around you breeds and increased sense of trust in that what they are doing is right, just, and correct. SBF Mutual Respect is a position of relative advantage that those adjacent units and teammates are doing the right thing whether or not you are present. Trust is certainly a central element of this as well.
Disciplined Initiative connects back to our line of departure of personal initiative. Disciplined initiative is identifying, assessing, and applying actions consistent with intent that achieve the desired end state. It includes weighing risks involved and mitigating risks where appropriate or necessary. When coupled with trust it allows the freedom to make decisions that allow prudent risk to be taken with the expectation that the rewards and benefits create opportunities to seize, retain, and exploit initiative resulting in mission accomplishment.
The mutually supporting positions allow for a position of relative advantage over the enemies of self-doubt, distrust, indiscipline, and poor moral. Units that exercise within the boundaries of proficiency and morals, values, and ethics to achieve the commander’s intent to seize, retain, and exploit initiative within environments where mutual trust and respect permeates are strong teams capable of great things!
Building teams where these elements are proliferated throughout the organization is the responsibility of the leader. Fostering the purpose, direction, motivation, and confidence within individuals and the organization is the goal and lynchpin to successful organizations.
