There’s a very old anecdote that goes as follows: During a field exercise pre-WWI, a major in the German army is ordered to approach a hill held by an enemy unit, circle around behind it with his battalion, and then launch an attack to take the hill. The exercise commences.
As the major approaches the hill he’s notified that the enemy unit is preparing to evacuate the hill. He continues moving around the hill and proceeds with the original plan to attack and takes the now empty position on the hilltop.
After the exercise is over, he is chastised by the then leader of the army, von Moltke for not abandoning the encirclement maneuver and immediately attacking the enemy unit to prevent it from escaping.
The major responded that he was only following the orders given him. Von Moltke’s response? “Seine Majestät (the Kaiser) didn’t make you a major to follow orders. He made you a major so that you would know when to not follow orders.”