A few years ago I bought a course from “The Teaching Company” entitled “History’s Great Military Blunders and the Lessons They Teach.” The course was taught by professor Gregory S. Aldrete. The course analyzed ten or 15 battles ranging from ancient Greece to modern times. Dr. Aldrete said battles were lost for any of four reasons, often in combination.
I thought the war in Iran makes an interesting case study. I’ll let you decide how many of the causes of failure apply.
1. Failures in planning. Includes failure to define objectives and failure to pay attention to intelligence and the strengths of the enemy.
2. Failures in leadership. Includes incompetence, working above one’s ability, and inability to work with other leaders.
3. Failures in execution. Includes such problems as splitting one’s forces, moving too early or too late, and not knowing when to cut one’s losses. Reinforcing failure is a common theme.
4. Failures to adapt. Change occurs, and a leader must be ready to adjust to meet those changes.
Pretty amazing, isn’t it?
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