Operating In The Gray.
US Tier 1 Special Operators entering Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s compound on 27 OCT 19.
In the wee hours of 27 OCT 19, US Army Tier 1 units killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIL. The two-hour operation concluded with Baghdadi fleeing through a tunnel network with two of his children, who then self-detonated himself a suicide vest.
How were these amazing Tier 1 Special Operators so successful? What did the CENTCOM Commander mean that "this difficult, complex, and precise raid... [was only executed with] the highest level of professionalism" in a kinetic strike?
Despite the storybook finish of this spectacular operation, the DOD’s effort to hunt and kill Baghdadi was undoubtedly laced with ambiguity, uncertainty, and of course Murphy’s Law, from start to finish. To quickly collect, analyze, and act on our intelligence, our military professionals had to work “in the gray,” and make accurate decisions to be proactive in this complicated environment.
This “gray” zone is an environment between black and white, where nothing is for certain and nearly everything is interwoven with each other and hence pretty complicated. There is no one right answer. Much like in war, or in business. Special Operators need to be comfortable with this uncertainty, as well as entrepreneurs and leaders of businesses. Only by operating under the right values and principles, where everyone is aligned and rowing in the same direction, can a team be successful.
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Men who have operated in the "gray.”
I was having a conversation with a friend who served in the Tier 1 unit, and he told me of an interesting perspective he got from his then commander. This wise commander told my friend and his teammates that he would personally back each and every member of the unit operating “in the gray”, under any circumstances, unless someone gets caught for doing something out of his own self-interests. Once you insert the “I” in team, you are immediately off the team.
Since our Special Operators are entrusted to act on behalf of our national security, they are granted enormous autonomy, but they are expected to “do the right thing” at all times. This requires them to operate oftentimes in the gray. But like the commander said, once you think your personal priorities surpass those of your team’s, the mission’s, and the country’s, you become unfit for the mission and team.
We as business leaders aren’t responsible for our country’s security, but we can replicate this philosophy for our own teams’ cultures and successes:
Are you building the mindset of team and mission first?
Do you trust that your leaders will do what’s best for your team?
Do you give your people the training and autonomy, to operate successfully even with limited guidance?
Even if mistakes are made, will members of your team feel safe and learn to pivot to continue progressing?
Granted, many of us are far from this level of teamwork and functionality. This requires an incredible resolve to build a strong culture of trust, accountability, and mission-focus on our teams. It requires strong leadership, at all levels of the organization.
And our Veterans already have these competencies and hence a leg up on other employees.
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MilSpec Capital is a boutique headhunting firm that connects High-Impact Veterans to our client companies in various industries. Our Veterans typically have 5-15 years of private sector experience, in addition to their successful track record of Leadership.
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