Mission Accomplished ?

COMMNENTARY: Regarding the much derided “Mission Accomplished” banner.

On May 1, 2003, on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln, President Bush made a speech  announcing the end of major combat operations. Visible in the background was a banner stating “Mission Accomplished.” 

Military experts have estimated that it would take 25 years to assess most of the positive as well as the negative aspects of the War.  Leadership at the strategic level is responsible for taking the long-view and the associated risks when considering the appropriate level of action. 

Regime change in Iraq has transformed the dynamics in the Middle East – this particular mission represented a strategic level change that was accomplished quickly and decisively.

Regarding action, leaders have three general options. Maintain/sustain the status quo, incremental improvement or radical (transformational) level improvement.   One could argue regarding peace in the Middle East, that initiatives related to sustaining the status quo and incremental change have had limited success – depending on the definition of success.

The ideal challenge for what I define as “Quality Leadership,”  is to win the war and achieve expected outcomes without firing a shot.  The Chinese military philosopher,  Sun Tzu in the Art of War, reinforced this philosophy in his statement: “The acme of skill is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”