Book Review - Auftragstaktik: The Birth of Enlightened Leadership - Oliviero, Charles S.

Reviewed by Major (Ret’d) Gerry (GD) Madigan, CD, M.Sc., M.A., who is a retired Canadian Armed Forces logistician

Leadership is often assumed to be an innate gift that comes naturally. More often that not, though, it is found in the continual learning of professional education and career progression. A true leader is one who is open to new experiences, concepts, and ideas, and who sees the value of their application, if not at present, at least for the future.

Auftragstaktik: The Birth of Enlightened Leadership provides such an opportunity. The author, Colonel Charles S. Oliviero, contends that Auftragstaktik as a concept remains “poorly understood” despite being embraced as one of the pillars of NATO’s Mission Command. He comprehensively explains the concept with the aim of providing a closer understanding of the true intent of Auftragstaktik.

Oliviero delves into the historical record, covering the persons, places, events, and evolution of the German General Staff, its rise and fall, and its excellence. It is important to note that the German General Staff led to the evolution and development of this concept through failures and lessons learned, which provide the context to his thesis of the ongoing continuity and relevance of Auftragstaktik. Despite its success in some militaries and the desire by other militaries to emulate it, it is not something that can be adopted easily or applied smoothly from one military to another, primarily because of varying military cultures. Auftragstaktik is a cultural philosophy, and approaching it as a value system is uneasy.

It is a concept that allows for the possibility of failure and deviation, wherein there is “[…] mutual trust between superiors and subordinates, where superiors set goals, provide resources, and give subordinates free rein to achieve those goals.”^{Footnote 1}  Oliviero is not alone in the call for leadership change. It is timely that his work comes at a point when our civilian colleagues are looking at the same issue, albeit from differing perspectives. They, too, call for a new concept of leadership, with similar expectations.

The greatest latitude and trust lie in an outcome where a commander’s strategic intent is respected. Perhaps that is the issue that is problematic for many, as it also implies shared responsibility and trust amongst leaders and subordinates.^{Footnote 2}  In fact, that alone is likely anathema to Canadian strategic thinking, learning, and training. In Oliviero’s words, “trust was not only directed upward, but more importantly, it was directed downward, from officers to soldiers.”^{Footnote 3}  Most important is the similarity to our civilian colleague’s view––the point of this concept is to make soldiers “shareholders of operations, rather than un-consulted employees.”^{Footnote 4}  Oliviero’s early exposure to Auftragstaktik arises from a posting to a German Staff College in Hamburg early in his career. It was in the cauldron of course work, experience, and debate amongst his colleagues and directing staff that he began to explore Auftragstaktik’s relevance and application.

The author argues that sometimes the fundamental virtue of concepts is not readily evident. These are often buried deep in the social psyche and language hidden in another culture. Thus, their relevance is neither easily understood, transferable, nor translatable, and that is a difficulty and shortfall of Auftragstaktik.

Oliviero’s career clearly demonstrates the value of both learning, living the language, and absorbing the culture that makes such an attempt worthwhile, through that cultural exposure. It is where ideas are incubated in the genesis of personal military education and inculcated through the ideals of history, the cultural values, and the thoughts of a host nation that are openly and honestly explored without pre-condition. Then and only then can one begin to truly understand and attempt to translate these into ones’ own maternal language. Few are afforded the privilege of attaining or experiencing such exposure; fewer still are willing to take advantage of it.

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto is such an example. His career progression, education and personal experience weighed on the evolution of his military leadership style and thinking.^{Footnote 5}  Yamamoto, like Oliviero, was exposed to education and postings that led to a lifetime pursuit of professional education and betterment. The takeaway from Yamamoto’s life was the crucial role played by his time, experience, and education in the United States and various diplomatic missions overseas. The combination of those factors early in his career shaped his thoughts and concepts that were employed in the Pacific War. Yamamoto considered and embraced new ideas. He steered away from the prevailing doctrine of the great guns of the battleship in favour of the primacy of the aircraft carrier in his planning. His exposure to aircraft greatly influenced the strategic thinking not only of the Japanese naval staff but of all belligerents as well.

Another takeaway from Oliviero’s work is the value of lessons learned, regardless of source, and applying them accordingly. It implies that leadership involves the willingness and openness to learn, concomitant with a will to accept the consequences of an error. In this book, Oliviero admits that the concept of Auftragstaktik is not readily transferable and may even shake our Canadian military sensibilities. As a result, some may reject the concept out of hand as doctrinally indefensible. Yet the seed of its implications are important for consideration if strategic concepts and doctrine are to advance.

Auftragstaktik requires faith in one’s subordinates. Oliviero was once Chief of Staff to the Canadian Army Command and Staff College. He took the bold step of empowering his civilian and military subordinates for decision making when required, without fear of retribution or censure. A bold move in the days of “walking the walk and talking the talk” left many with a degree of skepticism. Oliviero gave an example of trust concerning a secretary left alone before a long weekend. The printing office called and required urgent permission to print extra copies for a course’s joining instructions. The dilemma was that she could either wait for the manager’s return or be proactive and approve the simple request. Oliviero gave the context that, given that the requirement was both legitimate and urgent, she could approve it and advise her supervisor on his return.^{Footnote 6}  Such was the level of trust never extended to her before.

Auftragstaktik is a value system that has evolved in Germany from the early 1600s and was sustained and developed through the eventual creation of its General Staff. It may not be a system amenable to many. It is an intellectual challenge that the reader can undertake for themselves. As such, Auftragstaktik can be used as an intellectual construct for personal and professional learning.

Regardless of one’s opinion and disposition towards the concept and its utility, Auftragstaktik: The Birth of Enlightened Leadership is visionary and deserves a greater readership, especially within the Forces.

This article first appeared in the April, 2024 edition of Canadian Army Journal (20-2).