Carla K Fisher

Elements of Strategic Vision Carla K Fisher

This paper approaches the subject of strategic vision indirectly by examining the lives of three men, Marshal Napoleon Buonaparte, Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan, and General George Catlett Marshall, military careers, considered to have displayed strategic vision during the course of their military careers. They have been chosen from different periods of history, different countries, and different military services for the purpose of finding common factors in the development of their visions that transcend time, nationality, and service orientation. The paper begins its development of the concept by discriminating between those elements that are and those that are not an essential part of strategic vision. Specifically, it discusses the visions of these men, the environment(s) the grew up in, their thought processes, their experiences, and other factors that played a part in shaping their visions. It identifies components that have implications for Army policies and programs that could nurture the recognition, expansion, or creation of opportunities for expression of strategic vision.