[March 25, 2015] Carl von Clausewitz published an influential book called On War in 1832. In this work, he introduced the concept of “friction” as a hindrance to the execution of strategy. We have discovered that one of the difficulties associated with senior leadership is being able to accurately identify and surmount strategic friction points.
“The good general must know friction in order to overcome it whenever possible, and in order not to expect a standard of achievement in his operations which this very friction makes impossible.” – Carl von Clausewitz1
In Clausewitz’s concept, a leader can always experience friction in the execution of strategy. By way of example today, the U.S. military’s most senior leaders have identified several friction points that hinder the military mission to protect the USA. Some of these friction points are: Sequestration2, Intelligence sharing problems3, national security issues4, and cross-agency communication5.
There are others of course but these are the top most important. It is not unusual to see the lack of resources, information sharing, and communication as common friction points in most organizations. Identifying them and then developing a plan to overcome them is the utmost in leadership tradition that goes back to the beginning of recorded history.
Too many senior leaders have failed to identify strategic friction points and have been subsequently fired from their job. Recognition of lower-level friction points (tactical friction points in military speak) is relatively easy. And that is the crux of the issue with senior leaders who fail to make the intellectual leap from tactical to strategic thinking.
There will always be a struggle with senior leader capabilities to identify and overcome strategic friction points. Such will determine the successful leader from all others.
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[1] In his book On War, Clausewitz used the term “friction” to describe the “myriad of small, but collectively numerous things that happen that cannot be foreseen or planned for, and which cause leaders to spend time on unforeseen decision making.” Clausewitz noted that no military or organizational unit can be thought of as a single or solitary piece and thus each part has the potential for friction.
[2] http://www.military.com/topics/sequestration
[4] http://www.brookings.edu/about/execed/programs/nationalsecurity/201212