Berndt Brehmer analyzes John Boyd's military-theoretical thinking and its implications for leadership. He characterizes Boyd as a philosopher of combat who believed that victory is achieved by mentally defeating the opponent, disrupting their ability to understand and act effectively. A key concept in this is getting inside the opponent's OODA loop (Observe-Orient-Decide-Act).

According to Brehmer's interpretation, Boyd argued that the purpose of leadership is to contribute to victory by causing the opponent to "become unglued," hindering their coordinated efforts. A crucial aspect of this is reducing the opponent's ability to interact with the environment and receive information (isolation) while maintaining one's own ability to do so.

Brehmer highlights that for Boyd, the ability to orient ("The Big O") is the central point of leadership. Orientation involves both being informed and having a direction, and Boyd saw it as an interactive process shaped by various factors including shared experience. A shared orientation within a unit allows for implicit understanding and trust, enabling initiative and rapid reaction (mission tactics) without explicit orders. Boyd proposed "leadership and appreciation" as replacements for "command and control," arguing that leadership provides direction, while appreciation entails a clear understanding of what is happening.

Ultimately, effective leadership according to Boyd means producing effects faster than the opponent can react, which necessitates decentralized command based on shared orientation. This shared orientation develops through long-term collaboration and is largely implicit. Brehmer discusses the relevance of Boyd's leadership concepts to modern network-based defense, noting that the challenge lies in realizing this ideal in contemporary conditions, possibly through a combination of technology and joint training. Boyd's emphasis is on creating a system where implicit understanding and trust minimize friction and maximize speed and adaptability, ultimately leading to the opponent's mental and operational collapse.