One of the most impactful leadership concepts I’ve carried from the Marine Corps into marketing and business is the idea of Commander’s Intent. In the military, before any exercise or combat operation, every Marine knows two things:
- Why are we doing what we’re doing?
- What the desired end state looks like.
It’s not just about barking orders or sticking rigidly to a plan. It’s about clarity—clarity of mission, clarity of purpose, and clarity of outcome. That clarity empowers initiative, flexibility, and speed. Viewed as a military concept, it is every bit as relevant in the business world.
Intent vs. Instruction
Too many business leaders focus on giving step-by-step instructions and micromanaging to the smallest detail. They think control equals quality, but micromanagement kills momentum and creativity.
“Commander’s Intent is clarity and focus that eliminates the need for micromanagement and overanalysis.”
When your team understands the intent—what success looks like and why it matters—they don’t need you to tell them every step. They just need space to execute.
Actionable Takeaway:
Next time you kick off a project, ask yourself:
- Have I clearly defined what success looks like?
- Have I explained why this project matters?
- Can my team run with this without constant check-ins?
If not, you haven’t communicated intent. You’ve just delegated a task.
Empowered Execution
“Understanding the what and why enables the team to execute the how.”
1989 I was newly assigned to an infantry unit when a manual titled Marine Corps Warfighting, FMFM 1, now called MCDP 1, was released. It was the foundational philosophy of the Marine Corps to reinforce a warrior’s mindset. It focused on three key themes. As a junior leader, these three pillars suck with me as they were recosed on preparing for anything ane empowering your resources to do what they do.
- Maneuver Warfare: Focus on disrupting the enemy by rapid, violent, and unexpected actions.
- Commander’s Intent: Explained our job, how it contributes to the outcome, and the overall objective.
- Mission Orders: Each unit has specific tasks and objectives, AND is empowered subordinate leaders to make decisions and act decisively within the framework of the commander’s intent.
“Understanding the commander’s intent allows us to exercise initiative in harmony with the commander’s desires.”
That statement was pure gold because it now gave me the latitude to do my job effectively. Like the battlefield, business is dynamic, and markets shift. Competitors don’t remain static, requiring managers to have the agility to make decisions and take action without needing permission for every decision.
The more rigid your instructions, the more brittle your plans. But if your team understands the desired outcome, they can adapt without losing momentum, waiting for instructions.
It’s like a football play: everyone practices their routes, but when the ball is snapped and things change, players adjust on the fly—because they know the goal.
Actionable Takeaway:
Create space for your team to adjust based on real-time context. Review your management style. Are you:
Why the “Why” Matters More Than the “How”
“The more people understand why, the less ambiguity exists—and that’s when the how becomes easy.”
This was the original working name for our International Webmastery Podcast because one of the biggest leadership gaps I see in business is skipping the “why.” Leaders often define what needs to be done, but fail to explain why it matters.
That lack of context leads to hesitation, misalignment, and inconsistent execution. But when your team understands the “why” behind a decision—targeting a new vertical, investing in SEO, shifting messaging—they can make smarter, faster decisions that align with the broader mission.
Toyota famously institutionalized the value of understanding “why” through their 5 Whys technique—asking “why” five times to uncover the root cause of any problem. It’s a deceptively simple but powerful approach that applies beyond manufacturing. In business and marketing, when teams ask “why are we doing this?” or “why is this process broken?”, repeatedly, they don’t just uncover clearer intent—they connect their work to broader goals and customer outcomes. That level of understanding creates alignment, autonomy, and far better decision-making in the field.
“When people understand the reason behind the mission—not just the mission itself—they stop asking for direction and start making progress.”
Actionable Takeaway:
In your next team meeting or project brief:
- Don’t just assign tasks.
- Explain why they matter to the customer, the company, or the long-term vision.
You’ll be surprised how much faster, better, and more creatively people deliver when they feel connected to the purpose.
From Control to Clarity: The Leader’s Role
Your job as a leader isn’t to know everything or control every move. It’s to set the vision, define the outcome, and create clarity—then step aside. That’s how high-performing teams are built.
“If you leave the how to the team, because you’ve given them the what and why, you will achieve exponential success.”
This mindset turns managers into leaders and turns teams into force multipliers.