This summer, I walked through the D-Day beaches at Normandy. What struck me wasn't just the courage of the soldiers, but the incredible leadership that made the invasion possible.
Every detail was planned—down to the minute when troops landed, the exact infiltration points on the beaches, even using Native American code talkers (Comanche speakers) for radio communication because leaders knew it was a language German forces couldn't translate.
But here's what fascinated me most: many soldiers didn't know the big picture. One veteran said, "I didn't actually know what it was that we were doing. I knew my role that I was supposed to be doing. And that was it."
That level of trust—"I know we're doing the right thing for people, and I know my role"—creates a different kind of leadership challenge than what most of us face in corporate environments.
We tend to think of hierarchical leadership as outdated, but there are situations where clear command structures save lives and achieve impossible goals. Military organizations, emergency response teams, surgical units—these environments require people to execute precisely without questioning every decision in the moment.
The key isn't the hierarchy itself, but the trust that makes it work. Those D-Day soldiers trusted their leaders because they knew the planning was thorough, the mission was critical, and their specific role mattered to the larger outcome.
In corporate environments, we often have the hierarchy without the trust foundation. People are expected to follow directives, but they don't see the planning that went into them or understand how their role connects to the larger purpose.
Here's something that puts corporate leadership development in perspective: my nephew is currently in a three-year military training program. Three years. Every single detail that could possibly happen is being covered to get him ready for a role he might not even get.
Meanwhile, we promote someone to management on Tuesday and expect them to lead effectively by Wednesday.
The military approach isn't practical for most business contexts, but the principle matters: leadership development takes time, practice, and exposure to varied scenarios. You can't just read about leadership or attend a workshop. You need repeated practice in increasingly complex situations.
The most effective leaders I've worked with can operate in both structured and flexible environments. They can follow a clear command when that's what's needed, and they can navigate ambiguity when the situation calls for collaborative problem-solving.
This might mean different approaches with different team members. Your new hire might need more structure and clear directives. Your experienced team member might work best with high-level context and the freedom to figure out the execution.
Good leadership isn't about choosing between authoritarian and collaborative styles. It's about reading the situation and matching your approach to what's needed.
As you move up in leadership, it gets lonelier. You're often surrounded by people who tell you what you want to hear, when what you really need is someone who'll give you reality.
This is where external perspective becomes critical. Find people outside your organization who can challenge your thinking, share their own experiences, and help you process decisions without the internal politics or pressure.
Executive groups, mentorship relationships, even informal networks with peers at other companies—these relationships provide the honest feedback that's harder to get as you move up.
You don't need to be planning a military invasion to learn from this kind of leadership. The principles translate:
Most business challenges don't require military-style precision, but they do require leaders who can build trust, provide clarity, and help people see how their work matters.
Whether you're leading through an AI transformation, a merger, or just the daily challenges of hitting quarterly goals, people need to believe that you've thought it through, that their role matters, and that the direction you're heading serves something larger than just hitting numbers.
That kind of trust doesn't happen accidentally. It's built through consistent behavior, clear communication, and the willingness to be as thorough in your preparation as the situation demands.
Leadership looks different at every level and in every context. But the foundation is always the same: earning the trust that makes everything else possible.
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