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Final Thoughts

A valid question, as we come to the close of the book, might be If maneuver warfare is so overwhelmingly effective, why aren t more people employing it? Our response: because it is difficult. Maneuver warfare requires considerable self-confidence , sound moral character, a healthy appetite for calculated risk, and a high degree of commitment on the part of the leader. Maneuver warfare may also require a radical cultural overhaul that most organizations are not willing to undertake; in particular, it requires more trust in subordinates than most seniors are willing to grant and more trust from subordinates than most seniors are willing to earn.

But given the likelihood that there may very well be someone out there aiming to use maneuver warfare against you, the potential benefits of adopting the Marine Corps Way may far outweigh the costs. You do not have to be a master tactician , nor do you have to be a CEO to implement maneuver warfare in your organization; you just need to be prepared to make a full commitment.

With study and practice you can internalize the seven guiding principles, just as hundreds of newly minted Marine second lieutenants ” butter bars ”do each year at The Basic School. Moreover, whether you are the CEO, a division head, a department manager, or even the leader of a small team, it is your prerogative to lead your little piece of the world as you see fit. In the short term you will need to commit to sweeping and possibly painful organizational change. Over the longer term you will need to ensure that your mastery of the seven guiding principles and accompanying core values and leadership traits evolves ahead of rivals ”lest you risk an unexpected and humiliating defeat at the hands of a rival who uses maneuver warfare against you. The rewards, though, will more than repay your efforts.

We hope we have now accomplished our mission. We thank you for your time and interest and welcome any thoughts, feedback, or personal accounts of the actual implementation of maneuver warfare in your organization. To this end, please visit us at www.themarinecorpsway.com.

Appendix: Summary of Key Prescriptions

Chapter 1

Maneuver Warfare Defined

A state of mind bent on shattering the enemy morally and physically by paralyzing and confounding him, by avoiding his strength, by quickly and aggressively exploiting his vulnerabilities, and by striking him in a way that will hurt him most.

Factors That Mediate Competitive Encounters

The four human and environmental factors that shape military conflict are also inherent aspects of business.

Friction: The force that makes the simple difficult and the difficult seemingly impossible

Uncertainty: The fog of war

Fluidity: The continuous cycle of cause and effect replete with fleeting opportunities and unforeseen events

Disorder: The state toward which competitive situations deteriorate as time progresses

Chapter 3

The Elements of Maneuver Warfare

The concepts of maneuver warfare, while valuable individually, are most powerful when applied in an integrated fashion.

Targeting Critical Vulnerabilities: Analyze and probe rivals with the aim of identifying and rapidly exploiting those weaknesses that will most effectively undermine their competitive position.

Boldness: Take calculated risks that have the potential to achieve major, market-shifting results.

Surprise: Use stealth, ambiguity, and deception to degrade the quality of information available to competitors and impair their ability to deploy resources efficiently .

Focus: Bring overwhelming resources to bear at critical points and times to capitalize on key market opportunities.

Decentralized Decision Making: Push decision-making authority to those who are closest to the point of decision and who possess superior local information. Align these individual decisions by communicating commander s intent ”or final result desired ”throughout the organization.

Tempo: Identify opportunities, make decisions, and implement plans faster than competitors do to seize the initiative and force them into a constant state of reaction.

Combined Arms: Look for ways to combine complementary resources in a manner that increases their collective effectiveness and places competitors on the horns of a dilemma.