Mastering the Art of Command

Mastering the Art of Commandis a detailed examination of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz's leadership during World War II. It describes how he used his talents toguidethe Pacific Fleetfollowing the attacks onPearl Harbor, win crucial victories against the forces of Imperial Japan, and then seize the initiative in the Pacific. Once Nimitz's forces held the initiative, they maintained it through an offensive campaign of unparalleled speed that overcame Japanese defenses and created the conditions for victory. As acommand and operational history,Mastering the Art of Commandexplores how Nimitz used his leadership skills, command talents, and strategic acumen to achieve these decisive results. Hone recounts how Nimitz, as both Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC) and Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Ocean Areas (CINCPOA), revised and adapted his organizational structure to capitalize on lessons and newly emerging information.Honeargues that Nimitz--because he served simultaneously as CINCPAC and CINCPOA--was able to couple tactical successes to strategic outcomes and more effectively plan and execute operations that brought victory at Midway, Guadalcanal, the Marshall Islands, the Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. As a study of leadership,Mastering the Art of Commandusesmodern management theories, and buildsupon the approach in his award-winningLearning War.Trent Hone explores the challenge of leadership in complex adaptive systems through Nimitz's behavior andcauses us toreassess the inevitability of Allied victory and the reasons for its ultimate accomplishment. A new narrative history of the Pacific war,this bookdemonstrates effective patterns for complexity-informed leadership by highlighting how Nimitz maintained coherence within his organization, established the conditions for his subordinates to succeed, and fostered collaborative sense-making to identify and pursue options more rapidly.Nimitz's "strategic artistry" is a pattern worthy of study and emulation, for today's military officers, civilian leaders, and managers in large organizations.