This quotation, which is readily attributed to Marshal Leclerc, illustrates what the warrior spirit could represent for a leader on an operation, namely the will to to overcome, even when all seems lost, the ability to turn a situation around, to regain the initiative in battle and finally prevail over the opponent. For this, being a simple leader of men is not enough. The leader must also have the ability to make relevant operational decisions, even in the most adverse circumstances. Knowing how to preserve his means, his faculty of discernment, resisting pressure, whether from the enemy, from his superiors, or even sometimes from his subordinates: these are the qualities required for a leader in an operation. There is nothing worse in combat than paralysis, indecision or even renunciation. How, then, can this ability to make decisions in operations be taught in practice?

Master and student

The ability to make operational decisions is based above all on the mastery of methods and tools. The primary role of a teacher, whatever his organic function, school instructor, but also head of corps, head of office or even unit commander, is obviously to transfer his knowledge in this area to his pupil. But this is obviously not limited to purely academic teaching. Once the student has mastered the theory perfectly, he or she will then have to apply this knowledge in specific circles, under the close supervision of the teacher. This quotation, which is willingly lent to Marshal Leclerc, illustrates what the warrior spirit could represent for a conductor in opera.It illustrates what the warrior spirit could represent for a leader in an operation, namely the will to win, even when all seems lost, the ability to turn a situation around, to regain the initiative in combat and finally prevail over the adversary. For this, being a simple leader of men is not enough. The leader must also have the ability to make relevant operational decisions, even in the most adverse circumstances. Knowing how to preserve his means, his faculty of discernment, resisting pressure, whether from the enemy, from his superiors, or even sometimes from his subordinates: these are the qualities required for a leader in an operation. There is nothing worse in combat than paralysis, indecision or even renunciation. How, then, can this ability to make decisions in operations be taught in practice?

Master and student

The ability to make operational decisions is based above all on the mastery of methods and tools. The primary role of a teacher, whatever his organic function, is to be an instructor in a school, but also to be the head of a corps, the head of an office or to advise him, criticize him, push him into his entrenched position with the sole aim of making him progress. As for the student, whatever his rank and even if he has already exercised responsibilities in operations in the past, he still has the duty to prepare himself for a future confrontation. Humility, the ability to question oneself and to recognize one's mistakes are essential qualities to maintain. How many brilliant leaders at a given time in our military history have proved incapable of making good operational decisions during the conflict that has arisen?

Eteach boldness and fearlessness in operational decision making

Boldness for a leader in operations is characterized by his ability to break out of conventional tactical patterns and his ability to take measured risks. Fearlessness is the quality that should enable him to gain the upper hand over his opponent. Teaching boldness and fearlessness therefore consists, for the master, in training the student to make decisions under pressure, in a time of constraint, in the face of an intelligent enemy, an enemy who manoeuvres. One suggestion for this could be to not just conduct training sessions where one is sure to win and where all participants end up congratulating each other. One could therefore envisage developing, in a systematic way, double-action tactical exercises where two teams would compete against each other, under the objective eye of a referee. In addition to the naturally stimulating aspect, each team would strive to have the shortest and most relevant decision-making cycle possible, so as to seize the initiative, keep the lead and finally unbalance the opponent and push him/her to the fault. The coach would also encourage innovative modes of action, provided, of course, that they are coherent and realistic, so as to create surprise, to provoke a feeling of uncertainty in the opposite camp. Finally, in order to encourage risk-taking, the pupil should be allowed a right to make mistakes. Learning from one's failures in training helps to develop the warrior spirit in a future leader in operations.

Teach resilience and hardiness in the future operational leader

Knowing how to cope with losses and destruction, to evolve in difficult environments, outside one's comfort zone, in conditions that are as close as possible to war: Here again, only practical situations, through exercises directed and controlled by the master, can finally teach the student the warrior spirit. Artificially creating a degraded operational environment is not inherently complicated, provided that there is the will to do so. It is simply a matter of developing exercises where the biological rhythm is disturbed by lack of sleep, cold or hunger. Regardless of one's level of responsibility, the fact of losing part of one's means in operation simply because of a lack of comfort represents a real risk. The ability to make a relevant operational decision in a situation of discomfort must therefore be developed and maintained in the future leader. Likewise, his ability to react to a critical or even desperate tactical situation, or with degraded means, must be tested as often as possible during training. Learning to know oneself, to know one's limits in order to better know how to push them back is also an essential factor in developing the warrior spirit.

Teaching the warrior spirit to a future leader in operation is therefore not insignificant. Even if there is technically nothing very complicated, we must first of all accept, both masters and students, to leave the classical and relatively comfortable framework of our training, to make them evolve towards more realism, more pragmatism, with in fine a single goal: victory.