Key to Success In Afghanistan- Get It's President Involved

This Wall Street Journal article shows how McChrystal was careful to brief Karzai on plans for the offensive into Marjah and to get his sign-off before the launching of operations. As the Journal notes:
For both the Americans and the Afghans, who have been fighting together for more than eight years, it was a novel moment. As Mr. Karzai said after being roused from a nap: “No one has ever asked me to decide before.”

Much more at Mishandling Karzai

This seems like a obvious idea but I guess untill recently Mr Karzai did not have much of a military to be Commander in Cheif of.