Exceptional instinct cannot provide the foundation for a whole service because most officers need a reasoned way to learn and apply their trade. Mahan's willingness to ask, study, and explain made him especially valuable as an educator and promoter of naval ideas. An instinctive commander may know the right course yet struggle to explain it to officers who do not share that experience. This distinction matters when judging theorists who were competent practitioners without being remembered chiefly as battlefield commanders.
Notable Point · 14:56-18:14
Why naval theory needs explainers as well as instinctive leaders
Mahan could turn naval questions into explanations that trained and persuaded officers who did not share an exceptional commander's instincts.