Table of Contents

Preface to the First Edition vii

Preface to the Tenth Anniversary Edition xiii

1 The Problem

What Do You Want Me to Do? 1

An unanswered question 1

An undiagnosed disease 6

Getting things done 13

Legacy thinking 15

The discipline of execution 19

A route map 24

2 The Cause

The Three Gaps 26

Clausewitz and friction 26

Friction and nonlinearity 33

The three gaps 42

Quick recap 52

3 Elements of a Solution

Leading through intent 54

Culture change 54

Helmuth von Moltke and Auftragstaktik 57

From Auftragstaktik to mission command 76

From mission command to leading through intent 83

Quick recap 88

4 The Knowledge Gap

What and Why 90

Von Moltke on strategy 90

Strategy, planning, and preparing 98

Intent and main effort 110

Quick recap 121

5 The Alignment Gap

Briefing and Backbriefing 123

Von Moltke writes a directive 123

Tracy's dilemma 132

Structuring the organization 142

The story of Joe 149

Strategy briefing and backbriefing 163

Quick recap 175

6 The Effects Gap

Independent Thinking Obedience 177

Building the organization 177

Developing people 181

Drivers of behavior 191

Aligning processes 198

Keeping score 204

Quick recap 214

7 Leadership that Works

From Common Sense to Common Practice 216

The three levels 216

Strategy, tactics, and execution 222

The executive's trinity 227

Impact 233

Conclusion 238

Appendix: On Strategy, 1871 245

A Template for Strategy Briefing 249

Notes 251

Bibliography 277

Index 281

Acknowledgments 289