Military Review English Edition January-February 2017

MISSION COMMAND Detailed control Directive control on tecti d pro e t i Lim t l trus utua m f o l leve Low l of n leve Highronizatio h c n sy aff ed st ienc r e p Inex in / ent erra lex t vironm p m Co nal en atio oper rs eade ate l n i d r subo New l of ding leve n High understa l a n tio situa der e man Comonfidenc c f l se it te un dina ncy r o b Su roficie p The commander assesses environmental and organizational factors to determine which method of control to employ. rs facto l a n atio aniz g r o and ntal e m ron Envi Detailed control Figure 4. Conditions Warranting More Directive Control principles adhered to in any modern, democratic army. Mutual trust, shared understanding, thinking subordinate leaders who exercise initiative, accepting prudent risk—these are not sacred rights bestowed upon junior leaders by an enlightened commander; rather, these are principles vital to success on the modern battlefield. The speed of the information age demands these principles be intrinsic qualities for any army that wants to succeed. The principles should serve as the foundation of the operations process, the art of command, and the science of control in all the Army does. However, the manner in which commanders lead their organizations and their subordinates cannot be standardized. Instead, the Army must acknowledge that successful commanders adjust their approach to command methodology by continually assessing a variety of factors to MILITARY REVIEW January-February 2017 Directive control (Graphic by author) determine how much to tighten or loosen their grip on the reins of control. Commanders must determine their approaches based upon understanding derived from individual assessment of each subordinate and organization. The Army should not dictate one approach (i.e., mission command or command and control) over another. Instead, doctrine should define the art of command and the science of control as occurring in proportional amounts along a continuum, with directive control and detailed control as the bookends (see figure 1, page 52).16 The decision on the method of control should then rest with the commander, based upon his or her understanding of any number of factors (see figure 2, page 53). Doctrine should list the types of factors that commanders should consider when determining the method of control they will employ. However, doctrine should articulate that these factors are only examples to 55

Military Review English Edition January-February 2017 | Page 57