This week’s newsletter is a twist: an open letter to the Secretary of War after his recent meeting with uniformed senior leaders.

Dear Mr. Secretary, 

Your meeting in Quantico, Virginia, for all U.S. flag-ranked officers worldwide was one of the most expensive peacetime military gatherings in history. And with so much on the line, the return on that investment must be real. Here are three ways to turn that investment into lasting impact.

I’m not a political partisan. I want you to be successful. The consequences of the alternative in today’s world would be damaging to our interests and perhaps irreversible for the foreseeable future.

Lead From the Front 

Some people argue that your points about fitness, appearance, and standards seem out of touch with today’s high-tech, AI-powered world. I disagree. 

Fitness builds stamina to perform under high stress for long stretches. Out-of-shape people are at higher risk of fatigue, which can lead to bad decisions that get people killed. 

A person’s weight and fitness are their own business, but we’re talking about military leaders who defend our republic. 

Flag-ranked officers and senior leaders should set the example. Nothing screams “our standards aren’t serious” more than privates being drummed out of the military for failure to meet height-weight standards while senior officers and NCOs get a pass. 

Create your own SecWar challenge, something like The Secretary of War Elite Aptitude Test (SWEAT), and give anyone an “I beat the Secretary” certificate who bests your score. Imagine the esprit de corps if young officers and troopers could say they outperformed the Secretary of War.

Signal that standards matter by holding senior leaders accountable. They should exemplify standards, not excuse themselves. 

Fix the recruiting problems by strengthening standards, rather than repeating the mistakes of past administrations by watering them down. 

Break the Failure Cycle

You said that victory is the only acceptable end-state, and yet we have no clear idea why our major military interventions, and the vast majority of our minor ones, keep turning into disasters. Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan: one failure is an unfortunate accident. Two fiascos are a terrible coincidence. Three quagmires reveal a pattern of behavior that we’ll continue to repeat until we fix the causes. 

Add in Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Somalia, and the case goes from pattern to pathology.

Commission a study of the chronic policy and strategy errors that are leading to these failures. The so-called Afghanistan War Commission is insufficient because it does not examine other conflicts, so it will miss the systemic problems. 

I outlined many of these recurring errors in Zero-Sum Victory: What We’re Getting Wrong About War, which can be a starting point.

If we fail to learn, the next war could be even costlier. Once you determine the causes of these failures, you can put the measures in place to fix them. These policies won’t guarantee victory in the next war, but they will reduce the risks of repeating past errors.

Build a Winning Inner Circle

Common sense is like oxygen, John Lewis Gaddis said, the higher you go, the rarer it gets. 

​​Leaders who feel under siege tend to surround themselves with cheerleaders. You may feel better being around people who make you feel better, but you will increasingly lose touch with reality. It’s always a downward spiral.

At the same time, avoid a team of rivals who thwart your goals, have differing agendas, or want your job. You’ll get hyperactivity, chaos, and no progress.

Your plate is overflowing: strengthening the defense industrial base, harnessing technology, deterring adversaries, and reforming culture, among other priorities. These are daunting tasks requiring the best talent. 

Hit the sweet spot with trusted advisors who share your goals and bring complementary gifts to the table. A proper trusted advisor meets three tests: 

• They have expertise that you don’t.
• They are willing to tell you the truth, and 
• They align with you on purpose. 

They will alert you to blind spots while expanding your options and thickening your solutions. Legendary leaders distinguish themselves by surrounding themselves with truth-tellers who bring fresh perspectives and insights.

Of course, my newsletter readers will recognize the more universal lessons here.

1. Play to your strengths. Energy and joy follow focus. Focus preceded outcomes.
2. Fix systemic problems. Complexity breeds chaos; simplicity unlocks progress.

Surround yourself with complementary talent. Fresh air is bracing at first, and makes you better.