Community of Purpose

What a naval battle can tell us about building organizational trust

Warfare has often been a useful lens to understand strategy. Battles are rarely won or lost based on numerical strength alone, but on careful planning. Case in point was the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Napoleon had his sights set on an invasion of England but needed to overcome a superior British Royal Navy which controlled the seas. He ordered Admiral Villeneuve to lead a combined fleet of French and Spanish ships to disrupt the Royal Navy so that Napoleon’s invasion forces could sail up the English Channel.

Admiral Horatio Nelson met the French-Spanish armada off the southwest coast of Spain. Though outnumbered, Nelson carried out a brilliant strategy, thoroughly decimating the other side without losing a single boat. How exactly did Nelson pull this off? He stopped directing his boat crews and let them decide for themselves how to fight the battle.

In his book Team of Teams, General Stanley McChrystal shares the idea of “commander’s intent”. Rather than have leaders who are remote from the situation make decisions, people on the ground should have the agency to decide the best course of action. What actions they decide are informed by goals and objectives set forth by leadership.

“The temptation to lead as a chess master, controlling each move…