Why a strategy is not a plan

http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21588834-strategies-too-o ten- ail-beca!semore-e"pected-them-they-can-deli#er-why

$trategies too o ten ail beca!se more is e"pected o them than they can deli#er
Nov 2nd 2013 | From the print edition

$trategy: % &istory. By Lawrence Freedman. Oxford University Press USA; 751 pages; $34.95. Buy from Amazon.com E E!"#NE$ it %eem%$ i% in need of a %trate&y. 'overnment% have (ot% of them) %trate&ie% for hea(th care$ ener&y$ hou%in&$ and %o on. Each area of po(icy i% made to %eem more purpo%efu( if there i% a %trate&y *ehind it. +imi(ar(y$ no company the%e day% wou(d dare to admit it (ac,% one. -f thin&% are &oin& *ad(y it wi(( often *e put down to the (ac, of &ood %trate&y. .eop(e even ta(, a*out u%in& it to improve their (ive%/from copin& with #ver time$ the word 0%trate&y1 ha% *een drained of meanin& *y u*i2uity and overu%e. +ir Lawrence Freedman3% aim in hi% ma&i%teria( new *oo,$ 0+trate&y) A 4i%tory1$ i% to find a wor,a*(e definition of what %trate&y i% and to %how how it ha% evo(ved and *een app(ied in war$ po(itic% and *u%ine%%. A*ove a(($ he ar&ue%$ it i% a*out emp(oyin& whatever re%ource% are avai(a*(e to achieve the *e%t outcome in %ituation% that are *oth dynamic and conte%ted) 0-t i% a*out &ettin& more out of a %ituation than the %tartin& *a(ance of power wou(d %u&&e%t. -t i% the art of creatin& power.1

+ir Lawrence$ who for more than 30 year% ha% *een one of Britain3% foremo%t hi%torian% of mi(itary %trate&y$ e5amine% how the ori&in% of the word can *e found in 'ree, mytho(o&y and the Bi*(e. A recurrent theme emer&e%) the dichotomy *etween %trate&ie% *a%ed on the app(ication of %uperior force 6per%onified *y the heroic Achi((e%7 and tho%e *a%ed on the app(ication of &ui(e 6per%onified *y the crafty #dy%%eu%$ who came up with the idea of the 8ro9an hor%e7. 'ui(e i% more %eductive *ecau%e it offer% the po%%i*i(ity of c(everne%% defeatin& *rute power. A few hundred year% after 4omer3% 0-(iad1$ +un 8zu$ a :hine%e &enera($ wa% writin& 08he Art of ;ar1$ a *oo, that ce(e*rate% cunnin& *y ar&uin& that the way to win i% *y a(way% doin& the oppo%ite of what your opponent e5pect%. +un 8zu &ave *irth to a (on& tradition that *e(ieved %trate&ic &oa(% cou(d often *e%t *e achieved *y avoidin& the de%tructive uncertainty of pitched *att(e. -t wa% prefera*(e to u%e 0%trata&em and fine%%e1 to defeat an enemy/famine wa% a favourite tactic of +un 8zu3%/than to e5po%e your%e(f to 0the chance of arm%1. 4i% teachin&% are %ti(( u%ed in *u%ine%% %choo(% and mi(itary academie% today. No one i% more a%%ociated with %trate&ie% founded on deceit and p%ycho(o&ica( manipu(ation than Nicco(< =achiave((i$ who i% a(%o %ti(( %tudied. 4owever$ a% +ir Lawrence ar&ue%$ &ui(e a(one can *e overrated$ particu(ar(y a&ain%t enemie% that are c(ever a% we(( a% %tron&. =achiave((i *e(ieved that hi% prince needed *oth the cunnin& of the fo5 and the %tren&th of the (ion to ,eep power. -f >avid3% %(in&%hot had mi%%ed the &ap in 'o(iath3% he(met$ which unaided *y 'od it mi&ht we(( have done$ thin&% wou(d have &one *ad(y for him. -t i%$ however$ not rea((y unti( the (ate 1?th century$ part(y a% a con%e2uence of the En(i&htenment and part(y throu&h the impact on mi(itary and po(itica( thin,in& of the Napo(eonic war%$ that the concept of %trate&y a% it i% u%ua((y under%tood today made it% fir%t appearance. -t wa% %een a% a way of unitin& operationa( art in the mi(itary %phere with po(itica( o*9ective%. A% :ar( von :(au%ewitz$ a &reat .ru%%ian %trate&i%t$ put it) 0;ar i% not mere(y an act of po(icy *ut a true po(itica( in%trument$ a continuation of po(itica( intercour%e carried on with other mean%.1 8he other &reat %trate&i%t of that era wa% the more narrow(y pre%criptive Antoine@4enri Aomini. But the two men a&reed on one thin& that wa% di%tinct from their predece%%or% and which *ecame centra( to %trate&ic thin,er% that came after them. 8hey *e(ieved in the centra(ity of the deci%ive victory which compe(% an opponent to %u*mit to one3% wi((. +ir Lawrence e5amine% thi% idea in three main form%. 8he fir%t i% the 0%trate&y of force1$ which dea(% with the mi(itary %ort$ from :(au%ewitz to nuc(ear &ame theory and the ri%e of a%ymmetric warfare today. 8he %econd i% 0%trate&y from *e(ow1$ which (oo,% at po(itica( varietie%$ particu(ar(y tho%e of 1Bth@century profe%%iona( revo(utionarie% %uch a% Car( =ar5$ who %aw them%e(ve% a% the &enera( %taff of the downtrodden. And the third i% 0%trate&y from a*ove1$ which e5amine% the deve(opment of %trate&y in *u%ine%%$ main(y a (ate@20th@century phenomenon$ at (ea%t in it% mo%t %e(f@con%ciou% form. -n a(( three %phere% %trate&y i% %een a% the way to &et a deci%ive and thu% (a%tin& re%u(t. A% thi% (on& *oo,$ fu(( of anecdote and i((u%tration$ unfo(d%$ thi% i% the 2ue%tion that *other% the author the mo%t. 8he idea of ,noc,out mi(itary victory ,eep% &ettin& ,noc,ed down. ;hether it i% Napo(eon3% victory at ;a&ram 6pictured a*ove7$ the ear(y %ucce%% of the +ch(ieffen .(an in 1B1D$ 4it(er3% *(itz,rie& in 1BD0 or the rapid defeat of -ra2i force% in 2003$ a(( turned into (on& war% of attrition *ecau%e the other %ide refu%ed to rea(i%e it had *een *eaten. -n modern time% faith in the pur%uit of deci%ive victory ha% *een undermined *y the overwhe(min& mutua( de%tructive power of nuc(ear weapon% and the fru%tratin& me%%ine%% of counterin%ur&ency operation%.

8he %ame i% true in po(itic% and *u%ine%%) initia( %ucce%% i% hard(y ever deci%ive$ +ir Lawrence ar&ue%. -f you win power$ you %ti(( have a(( the pro*(em% of tryin& to &overnE if you have a run of %ucce%% with %ome &reat product% or an innovative *u%ine%% mode($ it doe% not mean you wi(( %tay on top for ever. +trate&y$ it turn% out$ i% rea((y a*out tryin& to wor, out in a %en%i*(e way how to &et from one %ta&e to the ne5t. ;ith each %ta&e a new %et of pro*(em% ha% to *e ne&otiated *efore you move *eyond it. 8here i% no end point) %trate&y i% not %imp(y a &rander name for a p(an$ %omethin& that move% you forward% in predetermined %tep%. A% 4e(muth von =o(t,e$ a 1Bth@century 'erman fie(d@mar%ha($ put it) 0No p(an %urvive% contact with the enemy.1 #r =i,e 8y%on$ %ti(( more pithi(y) 0Everyone ha% a p(an 3ti( they &et punched in the mouth.1 A %trate&y that %tart% with o*9ective% and wor,% *ac,ward% i% one that i% (i,e(y to fai(. A (ot of %trate&y the%e day%$ e%pecia((y in fa%hiona*(e *u%ine%% *oo,%$ depend% on u%in& narrative *oth to e5p(ain a propo%ed cour%e of action and recruit %upport for it. But %torie% ta,en out of conte5t and convenient(y edited can *e an unre(ia*(e &uide. +ir Lawrence conc(ude% that it may *e *etter to (oo, at %trate&y a% a form of %cript$ a(*eit one which incorporate% the po%%i*i(ity of chance event%$ which attempt% to anticipate the interaction% of many p(ayer% over a (on& time and which i% open@ended. 8he c(ima5 that conc(ude% a norma( drama i% denied the %trate&i%t$ who i% more (i,e the writer of a (on&@runnin& %oap opera$ with it% myriad twi%t% and turn%. 8he %o*erin& (e%%on after F30 pa&e% of wide@ran&in& erudition and den%e(y pac,ed ar&ument i% that a(thou&h it i% u%ua((y *etter to have %ome ,ind of %trate&y than not$ un(e%% you are prepared to adapt it a% circum%tance% chan&e it i% un(i,e(y to do you much &ood. From the print edition) Boo,% and art%

!e(ated topic% Nicco(o =achiave((i +un 8zu