Leadership Owns Values, Vision, and Strategy — Just Like a Commander Owns the Operations Order

Many of you know that I started my career as an Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army, the lessons I learned there have been foundational to everything I’ve done in my corporate career.  One of the most significant tools we used was the Operations Order, or the OPORD.  Nothing significant happens without an OPORD. It’s the document that translates intent into coordinated action. It tells soldiers what matters, where we’re going, why it matters, and how we will accomplish our objectives.

Can you imagine a highly trained military unit being told, “go take the hill” and then leadership walks out of the room?

Which hill? When? How? Who is responsible for what? 

I could go on – except, well – it is already nonsensical, right?  We would never do that!  That’s why we use OPORDs: to keep the entire team aligned, focused, and moving in the same direction. Most importantly, the OPORD isn’t reserved for a select few. It is communicated to the entire unit. EVERYBODY knows.

Why? Because it’s combat. Things change. People get pulled away. Communications fail. The enemy—just like our business competition—does not cooperate. The team must understand the whole operation so they can act decisively when circumstances change.  If the commander, or a technical specialist suddenly isn’t available – everybody needs to know and respond accordingly based on their understanding of the whole operation. 

In business, we don’t issue OPORDs, but the principles are exactly the same. Our corporate teams need the same clarity, context, and understanding to perform at their best. And yet, while we would never leave a military unit without this essential information, many companies unintentionally do it to their people.

Without clear, widely understood values, vision, and strategy, organizations drift. That is the bad news, the good news? These are just as fundamental in business as OPORDs are in the military.

In high performing organizations, leadership defines the values, vision (mission, goals and objectives), and the strategy to achieve that vision.

Using the OPORD framework, here’s how great leaders own these essentials.

1. Values = Commander's Intent (The “Why”)

In every OPORD, the commander’s intent is the North Star.  It answers three simple but essential questions:

• Why?

• What principles guide decisions when conditions change?

• What does success look like?

  
  

Values play the same role in an organization.

They are not slogans or posters. They are the rules of engagement for how the team behaves when no one is watching. Values clarify what is acceptable, what is non-negotiable, and what the organization will never compromise – ever.

WHY do we do what we do? Why choose us? Why are we different? What do we stand for? (Feel free to think Simon Sinek here!)

When leaders own the values, they create alignment. They create culture! 

Culture always exists.  If leadership doesn’t own it, define it, model it, and inspire it – others will - And that’s when culture fractures.

2. Vision = The Mission (The “Where”)

In an OPORD, the mission statement is short, clear, and unmistakable:

• Who

• What

• When

• Where

• Why

There is no ambiguity. Everyone—from the newest soldier to the most senior officers — understand the destination and the purpose.

Organizational vision works the same way.

A compelling vision answers:

• Where are we going?

• What does the future look like when we get this right?

• Why should anyone care?

When the vision is clear, teams move with unity. When it’s vague, teams hesitate and drift.  They succumb to “what’s on my desk.” They succumb to the loudest, squeekiest wheel – regardless of the organizational vision.

3. Strategy = The Concept of the Operation (The “How”)

An OPORD doesn’t just state intentions—it outlines how the mission will be accomplished.

• Scheme of maneuver

• Tasks to subordinate units

• Coordinating instructions

• Priorities of effort

• Support plans

Strategy is the civilian equivalent. It is the battle plan.

It connects the values and the vision to the actions that produce results.Good strategy is simple, coherent, and focused.  Bad strategy is a collection of disconnected goals, wishful thinking, and reactive decisions.

Leaders own strategy because only the leader sees the whole terrain—opportunities, threats, resources, constraints, and timing.

Most importantly, like the Concept of the Operation in an OPORD, Strategy must be ACTIONABLE! 

Strategy isn’t a Powerpoint presentation delivered in a boardroom and reviewed quarterly – or never.  It is:

• How we conduct our business

• How we define our roles and responsibilities

• How we hold each other accountable

• How we identify issues and risks that need to be addressed

Consider for example, that a critical project manager for a newly awarded project announces his resignation – who is taking over these responsibilities?  Is the project advancing? Does the team know what to do in his absence?  An actionable corporate strategy identifies the risk and facilitates our ability to address the change and keep the overall strategy in tact.

When leaders fail to set actionable strategy—supported by clear responsibilities and continual follow-up—entropy takes over. The team defaults to busyness over progress, not from laziness or incompetence, but because clarity is missing.

Why This Matters: The Battlefield Always Gets a Vote

Every Army leader knows the truth:No plan survives first contact—but intent does. Concept of the Operation does.

Our companies must protect the same pillars:

• Our values (intent – who we are – what we stand for)

• Our vision (mission – goals and objectives)

• Our strategy (plan – our how)

These keep organizations aligned when:

• Markets shift

• Competitors react

• Conditions change

• The unexpected happens

When the picture gets blurry, a team grounded in clear values, aligned to a compelling vision, and executing a coherent strategy stays decisive and resilient.

Without that foundation, teams fall into chaos—reacting instead of leading.

Final Thought: Leaders Don’t Delegate Their OPORD

Just as a commander signs the OPORD, business leaders must personally own:

• Our values: how we behave; who we are

• Our vision: where we’re going; what success looks like

• Our strategy: how we will win, and who does what

These are core leadership responsibilities.

“Owning” them does not make leaders kings or dictators, nor does it mean they act in isolation. It means they own responsibility for the process—the decisions, the outcomes, and the follow-up.  Wise leaders absolutely include the right members of their team.  Wise leaders listen.  Wise leaders collaborate.  Acknowledging their own strengths and weaknesses, wise leaders invite team members and partners who can help address any of the personal or team weaknesses and challenges.   

Everything starts with leadership.  Leadership starts with owning the OPORD. 

If you made it this far – I would love to hear your thoughts on values, vision and strategy!  I’d love to hear how you’ve seen organizations be incredibly successful – or not.  What have you learned and observed that can help the rest of us grow?

Interested in learning more about how Promoveo Group can support your organization?  Feel free to reach out via our contact page!

Keep doing great things!  Next time, we’ll talk about building the right people, processes, and tools.