Some military leadership lessons that can get you through the pandemic—and any crisis

Plan your campaign  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

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Lead the way The news • Trust your gut. Colin Powell, who died recently at the age of 84, was the first Black American to be secretary of state, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and national security adviser. Powell’s life was guided by 13 leadership rules, including staying optimistic, minimizing your ego, and hearing out the skeptics but staying focused on your goal. “Listen to everyone you need to, and then go with your fearless instinct,” Powell advised in his 2012 memoir. [CNBC] • War versus work. In the military, “mission command” means to have a core group of leaders set intent, while execution is delegated to others. Agile organizations use the same idea; independent teams hold the ability to make decisions about how to tackle their work. But while some lessons from the military can be useful to others, wars and workplaces aren’t always the same. For instance, people serving in the armed forces often have a deep source of purpose, such as loyalty to one’s country, whereas employees might change companies at will. [Economist] “Mission command” and other military principles can guide policy makers and business leaders thrust into crisis. Our insights • Why it matters. In a perfect world, everyone would have the right team and the right experts at the right time. However, one lesson from the military is that the ideal situation almost never happens. So it’s important to be open to change, to be willing to adapt and evolve, and to make your mission and your goals clear. • Leadership lessons. With a deadly pandemic still unfolding, today’s leaders are under intense pressure to make decisions quickly, sometimes with incomplete information. The military can offer valuable lessons about managing in a crisis—for instance, military leaders are obsessive about planning; they constantly reassess plans as circumstances change. For six principles from the military that may benefit other organizations, read our article. — Edited by Katherine Tam    Forward march Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here. Or send us feedback — we’d love to hear from you. Follow our thinking This email contains information about McKinsey’s research, insights, services, or events. By opening our emails or clicking on links, you agree to our use of cookies and web tracking technology. For more information on how we use and protect your information, please review our privacy policy. You received this email because you subscribed to the On Point newsletter. Manage subscriptions | Unsubscribe Copyright © 2021 | McKinsey & Company, 3 World Trade Center, 175 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007