On July 2nd, 1863 Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain found himself fighting for his life on a small hill called Little Round Top. It was the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg and Chamberlain’s regiment, the 20th Maine, was the far left edge of the Union Army’s line of defense.
Chamberlain’s commander, Colonel Strong Vincent, had placed the 20th Maine on the hill just minutes before the first attack. Vincent quickly ordered Chamberlain to hold that ground at all costs, explaining that if the Confederates broke through, they could take the rest of the army from behind.
The situation was bleak for the Union soldiers. Attack after attack by the 15th Alabama had decimated their ranks. They were out of ammunition. As the Confederates reformed for another assault, Chamberlain knew this one would finish them off. There were only two options:
- Retreat: Try to save themselves and fail to hold the flank.
- Stay: Fight and die as the Confederates overran their position and broke into the rear.
Both of these options were unacceptable to Chamberlain. So he created a third option: Attack. The enemy had to be tired, he reasoned, and his men would have the advantage of moving downhill coupled with the element of surprise.
“BAYONETS!” came the order and it spread through his remaining soldiers like wildfire.
As the Confederates attacked up the hill, Chamberlain launched his men down the hill. They swept down on their stunned attackers. The ranks of the 15th Alabama quickly broke. Chamberlain and the 20th Maine turned certain defeat into a tremendous victory.
How was Chamberlain able to come up with this third option? Aside from being a brilliant leader, he was working for a leader that trusted him and set him up for success. With only minutes to spare, Vincent had communicated a clear and concise “commander’s intent.” Here’s why it worked:
- He said what needed to be done. Chamberlain’s objective was clear: deny the enemy passage no matter what.
- He said why it needed to be done. Vincent concisely conveyed the purpose of the operation: to protect the entire Union Army.
- He did not say how to do it. Vincent trusted Chamberlain to do his job and work out the details of how to accomplish his mission.
Because Vincent trusted Chamberlain and communicated so clearly, Chamberlain was free to quickly innovate and act decisively in the heat of battle.
A clear and concise “commander’s intent” is crucial to setting the conditions for distributed leadership and decentralized execution. And it’s not just for the battlefield. It’s effective with any team trying to advance quickly through an ever-changing world.
Reflection Question: How well do you communicate WHAT & WHY, while leaving HOW up to the other person?
