Mastering the Art of Command is a detailed examination of Admiral
Chester W. Nimitz's leadership during World War II. It describes how he
used his talents to guide the Pacific Fleet following the attacks on
Pearl 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 a command and operational
history, Mastering the Art of Command explores 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. Hone argues 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 Command uses modern management theories, and builds upon the
approach in his award-winning Learning War. Trent Hone explores the
challenge of leadership in complex adaptive systems through Nimitz's
behavior and causes us to reassess the inevitability of Allied victory
and the reasons for its ultimate accomplishment. A new narrative history
of the Pacific war, this book demonstrates 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 sensemaking 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.
