In the Trenches: Why I Start Down In The Mud
“In the trenches.”
We use the term a lot in business, and we all have a general sense of where it came from. It suggests being down in the gritty, messy, hands-on work.
The phrase comes from World War I, a war defined by long, muddy, miserable trench lines. Soldiers lived, fought, and often died there. For the average infantryman, the war was nothing but trenches — mud, exhaustion, disease, and constant bombardment.
Senior commanders usually stayed far behind the front lines, directing battles from relative safety. But on rare occasions, a higher-ranking officer would visit the trenches in person.
The Story of General Foch
In 1915, General Ferdinand Foch — later the Supreme Allied Commander — made one of those rare visits. Rather than staying in headquarters, he walked the front trenches of the Champagne sector, standing ankle-deep in mud beside ordinary soldiers. He spoke directly to them, asking about their weapons, their rations, and their morale.
The soldiers were astonished. Generals weren’t supposed to show up in the mud like that. But Foch wanted the truth. Reports sent up the chain were often polished or incomplete. By seeing for himself, he discovered jammed rifles, shortages in supplies, and exhaustion that wasn’t being fully conveyed.
He returned to headquarters and made adjustments — changing artillery tactics and pressing for better supply lines. His visit didn’t just improve strategy; it boosted morale. Soldiers felt seen, and they trusted that their struggles were being understood at the highest level.
The Lesson: Trenches vs. Strategy
The war wasn’t won in the trenches alone. Victory came from strategy, industry, and technology. But without understanding the trenches — the ground truth — strategy could be blind. The two depended on each other.
Business is, of course, far less dangerous than war. Lives aren’t at stake, and nothing compares to the sacrifices of the men and women who have actually served in combat. But the metaphor remains powerful: just as strategy and trenches depended on each other then, leadership and day-to-day execution depend on each other now.
How I Work
This is why, when I start with a new client, I go into the weeds (or as I prefer to say — into the trenches). I don’t stay at the abstract level of financial reports or meeting notes. I shadow staff as they work. I click through the databases. I sit in on the checklists. I ask the questions that surface the real issues:
Are people hiding mistakes because they’re afraid of accountability?
Is a system broken and no one knows how to fix it?
Are employees trying to communicate problems but not being understood by leadership?
Once I’ve seen the reality at ground level, I come back to headquarters with clarity. I design systems, SOPs, and processes that fix the actual problems — and then I train the team so they can own it themselves.
Like General Foch, I don’t go into the trenches to stay there. I go so I can come back with insight, build strategy rooted in reality, and leave a team that runs independently.
The trenches show the truth. The strategy wins the war. My work bridges the two.
Ready to talk? Contact me to set up a time.
