Large, complex organizations, especially those with a global footprint, face challenges in aligning leaders and organizations with the parent organization. As organizations grow, bureaucratic inertia creeps in, often hindering performance. Siloed business units based on function and region also lead to lack of agility. In December 1944, the US Army, with millions of soldiers and recently liberated France, faced a stunning reversal.
How would this massive force respond to a devastating German surprise offensive? The Ardennes Offensive, or Battle of the Bulge, was the largest battle in US Army history. Over a million Allied troops fought against a massive German surprise offensive as Hitler sought to break the Allies’ grip on Northern Europe and sever the British-American alliance. Initially, things went poorly for the Americans, but flawed planning assumptions and unrealistic expectations hindered the German effort. The competing forces and their strategies offer a compelling venue for Battlefield Leadership and elevating business leadership skills for senior leaders and their teams.
