Hall of Fame Baseball Player, Yogi Berra, famously said, “You can’t think and hit at the same time,”.

Even these greats invested countless hours of practice – Malcolm Gladwell’s 10k hour rule. Like Jordan and the hoop, Babe at the bat, Unitas in the pocket, or Ray at Middle Linebacker…these leaders see the field. Some leaders are just born with it – in the sports world we revere these competitors. As Clausewitz would put it, it is the commander’s coup d’œil. There is a certain vision for the game or System-1 thinking that great tacticians possess. The most obvious benefit is that they require little in resources, can vary in complexity, and provide a low-threat environment to challenge and develop your team’s creative thinking. Most notably, Field Marshall Helmuth von Moltke, Chief of the Prussian General Staff, used them in the mid-to-late 1800s for contingency planning and called them “tactical assignments” (taktische Aufgaben). They have been used throughout history dating back to before the 1800s. It allows leaders to work through their decision-making processes (TLPs, MDMP, etc.) and develop a plan. Tactical drawing from Field Marshall Rommel’s Infantry AttacksĪ TDG is a situational exercise, driven by a narrative, that provides basic mission, intent, and resources available. TDGs are an invaluable tool that need to be regular practice as low as the squad-level. Consider this, a Tactical Battalion Commander or Command Sergeant Major at 18-20 years in service, is developing and leading a tactical force.

A career in the Army, whether Officer or NCO, is spent primarily in the tactical arena. Strategic and operational leadership is critical, but at a base level – the Army is a tactical force. “Si vis pacem, para bellum.” – Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus (Translation: If you want peace, prepare for war). TDGs are, in my opinion, an underused tool in the institutional, organizational, and self-development domains. They require little in resources and provide huge returns for decision-making and critical-thinking. The worst time to prepare for war is when you find yourself in the middle of one. Tactical Decision Games (TDGs) – also called Tactical Decision Exercises (TDEs) – are, simply, situational narratives of a tactical scenario that provide leaders the opportunity to develop a plan based on abbreviated information and in a time-constrained environment.

Squad leader scenarios