An outstanding commander had to survey the whole situation and ensure that they obtained enough information.
The outcome of a war was decided before the fighting even began. When the quality of both armies and the generational gap in their equipment were roughly equal, the abundance and speed of transmission of effective information, even the commander's personality, could determine victory or defeat. Before battle, commanders had to clearly understand the battlefield situation: the enemy generals, the planet's cycles, weather conditions, seasonal changes, the length of day and night, and so on. They also had to strictly keep troop deployments and movements secret, learn as much as possible about enemy movements, and seize the initiative on the battlefield.
Once the war began, every informational advantage became a bargaining chip for victory.
—"Rules of Engagement: Information Superiority"
Commanders had to exercise their initiative. Whether they were generals coordinating the entire war or frontline officers in the trenches, from the moment they received the first piece of battlefield intelligence, they needed to adjust their tactical plans according to the enemy's actions and maintain control of the battlefield initiative at all times. Both generals and frontline officers had to understand the battlefield situation before the war began, seize every possible opportunity for victory rather than cling to the classic tactics taught in officer academies. All tactics learned in military school could only serve as nourishment, never as dogma. Once an offensive was decided upon, there could be no hesitation; when retreating, one must never hesitate excessively. Only then could an army move as swiftly as lightning and strike as fiercely as a gale.
Do not fear. Do not be cowardly.
Hesitation was the beginning of defeat.
—"Rules of Engagement: Subjective Initiative"
"More than two thousand years ago, there was an exceptionally brilliant strategist named