Leading in Wartime: Ten Principles for Leading in Crisis

Summer of 2020

Most leaders are built in peacetime but judged in wartime. Peacetime is where you build identity, culture, discipline, and systems. Wartime is where you’re forced to act under stress, make decisions with imperfect information, and defend the mission when the world is watching. Crisis doesn’t change who you are; it exposes who you already were.

I learned that lesson viscerally in July of 2020 when I assumed command of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. The dismembered and burned remains of Vanessa Guillén had been found in a field just days before. COVID restrictions were still in place. Racial injustice riots continued in the wake of the death of George Floyd. And the brigade I had just taken over was still returning from a deployment to Europe. In fact, I met many of our Soldiers by greeting their flights as they landed at Robert Gray Army Airfield.

The Aftermath at Fort Hood

Over the following months, multiple investigations unfolded. They examined how Guillén’s disappearance was handled, how sexual assault and harassment were reported and addressed, and the overall command climate across the installation. Members of Congress and the Secretary of the Army flew to Texas to tell the world, in their own words, that something was deeply wrong with us — and with how we were leading. Several respected leaders and friends were suspended or relieved of their duties.

I had just taken command, but people who had known me for decades called to ask if I was going to be next. My honest answer was: “I don’t know. Maybe.” It felt like the world was coming after us.

In that period, a new question began to surface publicly and privately: Can a unit be both lethal and people-first? The implication seemed to be that a leader had to choose one, that you could not take care of your people, get the best out of them individually and collectively, and also demand disciplined performance and winning outcomes. That caring and excellence were mutually exclusive.

I didn’t buy that. I still don’t. In fact, I believe the opposite: high performance and genuine care are mutually reinforcing, and crisis is where that becomes obvious.

That experience taught me about leading in conflict and what leaders must do when adversity comes.

TEN PRINCIPLES FOR LEADING IN CRISIS

1. Anticipate Friction

If your plan only works in ideal conditions, it isn’t a plan. Build contingencies. Expect disruption. War is won by those who are ready for surprise.

2. Build & Reinforce Identity (Peacetime Work)

Identity must be known before the pressure shows up. Who we are drives how we fight. Identity can’t be improvised; it is trained, taught, and lived.

3. Lead with Values (In Transition)

When the map stops matching the terrain, values become the compass. Use them to make choices, set limits, and prioritize the mission.

4. Culture as the Operating System

Culture is what enables decentralized execution when time compresses and ambiguity spikes. Shared norms allow a team to move without constant orders.

5. Tell the Truth Early

Bad news doesn’t get better with age. Ambiguity kills trust and slows action. Teams can handle reality; they crumble under denial.

6. Model Composure

Panic is contagious; so is composure. Leaders set the emotional temperature. Calm doesn’t guarantee success, but chaos guarantees failure.

7. Shorten the Feedback Loop

Speed beats perfection in crisis. Tighten communication, shorten cycles, iterate quickly. The goal isn’t flawless decisions; it’s fast learning.

8. Create Momentum Through Small Wins

Momentum restores agency. In adversity, victory often comes from accumulating small advantages, not a single decisive blow.

9. Reframe for Opportunity

When conditions shift, new angles open. Adapt. Problems often contain opportunities that weren’t visible before the disruption.

10. Lead with Courage

Crisis punishes hesitation. Leaders move first; not recklessly, but decisively. Courage creates action, action creates clarity, and clarity pulls the team forward.

Anchoring to Who We Are

As things evolved over the following months, I found that, though we were certainly not doing everything perfectly, we only needed to double down on what we already knew: leaders had to be honest with themselves and with those they led, and the only way through the adversity was to anchor to our values and lean on one another.

But the application was more complex than that. We had to make sure our voices were louder than the outside noise. We had to remind ourselves that we had what it took to emerge intact. And we had to keep our mission and purpose paramount. The country counted on us to stay focused.

Just as important was our willingness to confront our shortcomings honestly. This situation wasn’t about whether our hearts broke for Vanessa Guillén and her family. They did. It wasn’t about pretending things couldn’t be better. They could. It was about reaffirming who we were and who we could become: a cohesive, values-based organization built to withstand adversity and accomplish the missions the nation demanded of us.