Department of Command Leadership


Coup d’œil and Cognition: How to Build Adaptive Tactical Experts
Dr. Trent Lythgoe, Military Review
January 1, 2023

Students of warfare have long recognized the importance of coup d’œil—a commander’s ability to make timely, effective decisions on the battlefield. Although history records the achievements of successful commanders who possessed coup d’œil, it does not explain how coup d’œil works or how to develop it in leaders. Fortunately, recent advances in cognitive psychology and expert performance can provide the explanations that have eluded military historians.

This article advances a scientific understanding of coup d’œil—what it is, how it works, and how to develop it in Army leaders. It argues that coup d’œil is adaptive tactical expertise—the ability to apply warfighting knowledge flexibly and creatively to solve novel tactical problems. U.S. Army leaders can develop adaptive tactical expertise through deliberate practice, metacognition, and emotional intelligence.

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