Dwight D. Eisenhower spent over a year crafting the most intricate battle plan the world had ever seen, but he knew that if soldiers didn’t change the plan in the field, they would fail.
June 6th, 1944, is likely the single most significant day of the entire 20th century. This is the day in World War II when the Allied countries, under the leadership of Supreme Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower, launched on the beaches of Normandy, France, the largest military invasion in history against the occupying Nazi army. Eisenhower demonstrated many leadership qualities that helped make this bold maneuver successful. It took collaboration, planning, vision, instinct, and fortitude. One often-overlooked element of Eisenhower’s leadership proved essential to victory and remains fundamental to every leader’s philosophy: trusting your team.
To understand this example, let me share some context on how both armies made decisions.
The German army was highly regimented, had little room for independent decision-making, struggled with supply issues, and included many conscripted soldiers from conquered nations. Under Eisenhower, the Allied forces were made up of many trained and specialized groups that allowed for more decentralized decision-making. Eisenhower famously understood that while planning for battle was essential, battle plans were largely worthless once the battle began. This approach would mean we should meticulously plan for what is needed but expect the unexpected once the plan commences. This philosophy is largely credited with the Allies’ ability to meet unexpected obstacles, adjust their strategies, and move toward an eventual victory.
So, what does this history lesson have to do with how you should lead a team?
Eisenhower’s example offers several leadership principles that can help leaders guide their teams more effectively. Let’s look at three key ones.
Leaders must cast a vision the team can believe in.
A meaningful vision has three clear components: it must be clear in its objective, compelling in its purpose, and ultimately attainable. Miss any one of these three, and you will reduce your team’s buy-in for pursuing it.
In our example, Eisenhower clearly communicated to both his leaders and the soldiers on the ground what was at stake. No one expected victory to come easily, but they understood why it mattered and believed it was achievable despite the sacrifices required.
Leaders must give the team what they need to win.
A leader will equip their people with the training, resources, and support required to succeed.
In the Eisenhower example, history shows supply issues were a major impediment to the German army being able to ultimately hold their ground (see next point for some of the reasons). The Allies, on the other hand, were much more effective in getting the resources to adapt their strategies. Being asked to achieve a goal but not being given the resources to do it is one of the greatest demotivators a leader can put into place.
A strong leader will never place expectations upon their team that they are not resourced to meet.
Leaders must trust the team to lead in the moment.
Empower your team to make wise, timely decisions when circumstances demand action.
Some historians argue that this philosophy was the key factor in the Allies ultimately taking back Northern Europe and defeating Germany. The German army was paralyzed and could not adapt their battle plans before they heard from their central headquarters in Berlin. While Eisenhower gave the Allies a clear strategic framework, he also empowered his army to adjust tactics in real time to achieve those objectives. This allowed needed on-the-ground innovations and created a degree of tactical unpredictability for the German army to counter. Unanticipated problems were quickly addressed in the field without waiting for approval from central headquarters.
Every strong leader will understand that the team needs freedom to make tactical decisions that don’t change the overall objective.
This empowerment increases team ownership and will create solutions the leader never considered. Mistakes will happen, but strong leaders recognize them as part of team development and know that discovering what does not work can be as valuable as finding the right solution.
Providing a clear, compelling vision, resourcing, and empowering are aspects every leader needs to put into place to get the most out of their teams.
Successfully employing these will grow your people into the type of team that can take on challenges and move the mission forward.