GENIUS IN MILITARY LEADERSHIP Through the years, there have been many attempts to identify “what makes a genius … genius”. Michael Michalko identified in his article “eight thinking strategies that enable geniuses to generate original ideas” . How do these translate into the military? It is important to highlight from the very beginning that military leadership requires strategies that are both similar and different to what makes a genius. Therefore from a military leadership perspective, only four of the strategies identified by Michalko are applicable. As geniuses do, military leaders “look at the problems from all angles” . They have to be able to use mental solving problems models such as Military Decision Making Process (MDMP) and critical reasoning techniques in order to identify all possible solutions and outcomes. In most cases, this approach to solving problems would eventually lead to elaboration of various courses of action that offer different angles for approaching the problem. …show more content…
At the end of World War II, General Marshall drafted his famous plan by visualizing a strong and stable Germany that would represent a pillar of security in Europe. How many would have envisioned something like this immediately after the war. Yet, a military genius did and indeed history proved him right. Being productive and laborious is a prerequisite of successful military leadership. The experience and knowledge gained either through battle or intensive study and thinking have to be passed on to generations to come. Napoleon excelled at transferring his thought into remarkable papers and documents. He managed to study military art looking from various angles and looked for various solutions. Therefore, he produced not only military manuals but also the famous codes that lasted through ages and are still valid