take the shot, I had to act decisively, in this case holding back my lead
sniper from taking a shot on a target because we didn’t have clear,
positive identification. It was one of any number of combat examples
from our time in Ramadi that demonstrated how critical it was for
leadership to be decisive amid uncertainty.
In combat as in life, the outcome is never certain, the picture never
clear. There are no guarantees of success. But in order to succeed,
leaders must be comfortable under pressure, and act on logic, not
emotion. This is a critical component to victory.
PRINCIPLE
Books, movies, and television shows can never truly capture or articulate
the pressure from uncertainty, chaos, and the element of unknown with
which real combat leaders must contend. The combat leader almost
never has the full picture or a clear and certain understanding of the
enemy’s actions or reactions, nor even the knowledge of the immediate
consequences for momentary decisions. On the battlefield, for those
immersed in the action, the first recognition of an attack might be the
wicked snap and violent impact of incoming rounds, flying shards of
concrete and debris, or the screams of pain from wounded comrades.
Urgent questions arise: Where are they shooting from? How many are
there? Are any of my men wounded? If so, how badly? Where are other
friendly forces? Is it possible they are friendly forces mistakenly
shooting at us? The answers are almost never immediately obvious. In
some cases, the answers to who attacked and how will never be known.
Regardless, leaders cannot be paralyzed by fear. That results in inaction.
It is critical for leaders to act decisively amid uncertainty; to make the
best decisions they can based on only the immediate information
available.