Von Scharnhorst and Auftragstaktik

Lessons for Collaborative Knowledge Work

Gerhard von Scharnhorst

Origins and History

In the aftermath of Prussia’s crushing defeat by Napoleonic forces in 1806, the military theorist Gerhard von Scharnhorst sought to reform the once-formidable Prussian army. One of his key innovations was the concept of “auftragstaktik” or “mission-type-tactics.”

Rather than dictating precise orders from a central command, auftragstaktik pushed decision-making down to lower levels. Commanders at all levels were given a general objective, the resources needed to accomplish it, and the freedom to determine how best to achieve the mission based on their own initiative and circumstances on the ground.

The philosophy empowered front-line soldiers and unlocked the full creative and adaptive potential of the force. After adopting auftragstaktik, the Prussians achieved remarkable success against Napoleon’s armies at the Battles of Leipzig and Waterloo in 1813-1815. Auftragstaktik also played a major role in the stunning Prussian victory over France in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871.

Applicability to Collaborative Knowledge Work (CKW)

While developed for military operations, the core principles of auftragstaktik hold powerful lessons for collaborative knowledge work (CKW) in the modern economy – whether in software, product development, research, or other complex team-based environments.

Like 19th century combat, these domains are rife with volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Central planning and rigid hierarchies falter in the face of rapidly changing circumstances and information asymmetries between layers of management.

Auftragstaktik propounds:

Clear overarching strategic objectives (the “mission”)
Dispersed decision rights to those closest to the information
An emphasis on individual initiative within defined constraints
Bi-directional communication and coordination between layers

Modern Implementations

Many of today’s most innovative companies have embraced versions of auftragstaktik – if not in name, then in substance:

Spotify: The music streaming giant pioneered an organisational model of small, autonomous “squads” each with a clear mission aligned to company strategy. Squads have end-to-end responsibility for their areas and coordinate through linking elements like “tribes,” “chapters,” and other forums.

U.S.M.C. and SpecOps: Modern special operations embrace a philosophy of “centralised command, decentralised control” a.k.a. “Mission-type tactics”. While top leaders set the operational vision, small teams on the ground have maximum leeway and support to accomplish their missions as they see fit based on circumstances.

Maximising Human Potential

At its core, auftragstaktik is about maximizing the full human potential of an organisation. By clearly broadcasting strategic intent while devolving execution to those closest to the information, it unlocks the advantages of both alignment and autonomy.

In our era of accelerating innovation and disruption, optimising for flexibility and adaptability is of paramount importance. The principles of von Scharnhorst’s 19th century military revolution may well be the philosophical lodestar for 21st century organisational success.

Von Scharnhorst and Auftragstaktik