commander of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC),
commander of Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR),
commanding officer of NAVY SEAL's Team THREE
THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT TEAM,
IS THE ONE THAT CAN ACT AND REACT WITH MINIMAL SUPERVISION.
Leadership is a complicated issue, and leadership relies entirely on contextual judgment at every turn.
Leadership is also very personal: everyone has their own style of leadership, even if using certain models as a guide. There is a great amount of nuance to leadership, much of it tacit. There is no repeatable pattern that everyone can simply execute. Leadership is complex because humans are complex. Trying to define the perfect model of leadership is like trying to define the perfect relationship.
In the MISSION COMMAND MODEL, decision-making is pushed down to the lowest level so that those in the field can act immediately, using their own judgment, without having to wait for orders. Mission command relies on training those in the field so that they have sufficient knowledge and leadership skills so that they can make competent decisions autonomously.
BUILD PROJECTS AROUND MOTIVATED INDIVIDUALS.
GIVE THEM THE ENVIRONMENT AND SUPPORT THEY NEED,
AND TRUST THEM TO GET THE JOB DONE.
The ideal field commander is an experienced leader and is knowledgeable of the “big picture” so that field decisions can take the overall strategy objective into account. Individual soldiers are expected to be able to make judgments too, so that if they are separated from their commander, they can act without delay.
Applying this in a business context, the mission command model informs team members of the big picture and goals, empowers team members to decide how to get the job done, whatever it takes.
"NEVER TELL PEOPLE HOW TO DO THINGS. TELL THEM WHAT TO DO AND THEY WILL SURPRISE YOU WITH THEIR INGENUITY."
General George S. Patton
There are three real dilemmas that inhibit the practice of mission command, but like all dilemmas, they are easy to fix when confronted.
the fear of subordinates making mistakes
the discomfort of superiors feeling out of control
the angst of leaders chancing their careers on others’ mistakes
Mission command is the Army’s approach to command and control that empowers subordinate decision making and decentralized execution appropriate to the situation. Mission command supports the Army’s operational concept of unified land operations and its emphasis on seizing, retaining, and exploiting the initiative.
The mission command approach to command and control is based on the Army’s view that war is (business can be) inherently chaotic and uncertain. No plan can account for every possibility, and most plans must change rapidly during execution to account for changes in the situation.
No single person is ever sufficiently informed to make every important decision, nor can a single person keep up with the number of decisions that need to be made during combat. Subordinate leaders often have a better understanding of what is happening during a battle, and are more likely to respond effectively to threats and fleeting opportunities if allowed to make decisions and act based on changing situations and unforeseen events not addressed in the initial plan in order to achieve their commander’s intent. Enemy forces may behave differently than expected, a route may become impassable, or units could consume supplies at unexpected rates.
Friction and unforeseeable combinations of variables impose uncertainty in all operations and require an approach to command and control that does not attempt to impose perfect order, but rather accepts uncertainty and makes allowances for unpredictability.