Understanding Commander's Intent in Leadership

When I spoke at the Naval Academy, they introduced me to a concept called "Commander’s Intent." It’s a military concept. But most leaders don’t realize their teams desperately need it. Here’s how it works: Before every mission, the commanding officer lays out one thing clearly— this is what success looks like. No endless strategy decks.  No overcomplicated objectives.  Just a clear outcome everyone can rally around. JFK gave one of the best examples in 1961:  "We will put a man on the moon and bring him safely home." That was it. No roadmap. No play-by-play instructions. Just a single, undeniable goal. And yet, that clarity was enough. It aligned an entire nation,  Mobilized thousands of people,  And drove one of the most ambitious missions in history. That’s Commander’s Intent in action. And it’s exactly what most teams are missing. When teams are divided, leaders assume it’s about personality clashes, office politics, or competing priorities. But more often than not? It’s just a lack of clarity. Without a clear definition of success, people start fighting over their own agendas. They argue over who's right instead of focusing on "what’s right." High-performing teams don’t have time for that.  They know exactly where they’re going. So if your team feels divided, don’t play referee.  Set the mission. Make the goal crystal clear. Because teams don’t fall apart from too many opinions.  They fall apart when no one knows what "done" looks like.

My intent is for you to become a better manager. You will be successful when you can effectively direct a team so that it can, on its own, respond to challenges in a way that advances the mission you’ve defined. To get there, you should study and apply a principle from the military: Commander’s Intent. Leadership is taken seriously in the military. It’s a matter of life and death — and it’s been studied deeply and rigorously. One conclusion is clear: organizations where leaders issue precise step-by-step instructions are prone to failure. The better approach is to lead by clarifying the why and the goal — and then empowering others to figure out how to get there. That’s the essence of Commander’s Intent, a foundational principle in the U.S. Army and other high-performing forces. The idea is simple but powerful: instead of just issuing orders, leaders define the purpose, the desired outcome, and a few critical tasks — and let teams adjust based on the situation. For example, imagine a traditional order: “Go to the river and disable the enemy position.” What happens if the enemy is gone when the team arrives? They’re stuck — forced to go back for new instructions. But if they understand the intent — for instance, to protect a supply convoy — then they can adapt on the spot. Chase the enemy. Warn the convoy. Hold the terrain. Act with purpose. Here’s how to apply Commander’s Intent: Organize your guidance into three parts: • Purpose: Why are we doing this? • End State: What does success look like? • Key Tasks: What must be done (but not how to do it) A few sentences that hit these three points can be enough to align a team — and give them the autonomy to act when things inevitably change. This framework isn’t just for battlefields. It works in business, in product teams, in customer support — anywhere decisions need to be made in real time, without constant oversight. Go back and reread the opening of this post. It gave you a purpose. It described success. It laid out key tasks. That’s Commander’s Intent in action. Try it with your team.

You might not know it yet, but “commander’s intent” is the leadership power move your business has been waiting for. Straight from military doctrine (JP 3-0, if we’re name-dropping😉), commander’s intent is a crisp, clear statement of purpose and desired end state. In other words: here’s the goal—go make it happen. It answers one golden question: “What should I do if everything goes sideways and I can’t reach you?” Because let’s be honest—life doesn’t follow the script. Comms drop. Intel’s outdated. The plan you spent weeks obsessing over? Out the window in five minutes. But if your team knows the intent, they won’t freeze—they’ll adapt. Let’s rewind to the Gulf War. General Norman Schwarzkopf pulled off a massive win with the famous “Left Hook”—a bold maneuver that caught Iraqi forces off guard. But here’s the real brilliance: he didn’t micromanage. He gave one clear directive: Defeat the Iraqi army quickly and keep coalition casualties low. That was the intent. And then? He let his commanders lead. Complex battlefield. Fast-moving chaos. But everyone knew the goal—and they had the trust and autonomy to make bold decisions in real time. Now fast-forward to the business world. The Ritz-Carlton empowers every employee—yes, every single one—to spend up to $2,000 per guest. No escalation. No approval chain. No panicked calls to corporate. Because the intent is crystal clear: “Create unforgettable experiences for our guests.” It’s not about handing out money—it’s about clarity, judgment, and trust. From housekeeping to concierge, everyone knows the mission. And they own it. 💡That’s commander’s intent. Clarity + Trust + Action. Not just for the battlefield. Not just for five-star hotels. This is how high-performing teams actually run. If you’re leading sales, Customer Success, Marketing, or frankly anything that requires agility—this is your blueprint for initiative over dependence. Make the intent clear. Then let your people shine. Thoughts? #LeadershipDevelopment #HighPerformanceTeams #CommandersIntent #MilitaryToBusiness #TrustAndEmpowerment #StrategicLeadership #MissionDriven #BusinessStrategy #TeamCulture #ClearCommunication #LeadWithClarity #AgileLeadership #InitiativeOverDependence #EmpoweredTeams #LeadershipMatters

In the United States Marine Corps, I learned the power of a leadership principle called Commander’s Intent, which puts the WHY before the HOW. Leading with intent is a key element of my business and leadership toolkit. Here’s why 👇 Marines are often placed in high-pressure, complex, time-constrained and rapidly changing situations. The WHY keeps them focused on the leader’s end state and vision for success. Understanding the Commander’s Intent allows the Marine to improvise, adapt and innovate in the fog of war to complete the mission. The same concept applies to business. As a newcomer to Asia five years ago, I was overwhelmed by so many different countries, cultures, laws, governments, languages and currencies. It felt like a new fog of war to me. 😂 Luckily, at Hines, we have boots on the ground – local experts who live, eat and breathe their markets. I will never know the markets like my teams do. This is where the Commander’s Intent comes in. For our APAC teams, we allow the WHY to be our true north. We have a clear vision for success; we trust each other to do our job in ways that best suit the individual, the local market and, ultimately, our investors. The result? We have highly capable teams who are delivering strong risk-adjusted returns across a portfolio of US$7.7B, 57 assets, 21 cities and seven countries. So here’s the takeaway: Set clear strategic goals. Communicate your vision of success. Everyone should know the end state. Allow the WHY to guide your team – and get out of the way! Believe that strong teams will come up with the HOW (solutions) far better than you ever could. And they will. Let them. #leadership #culture #vision