U.S. Army photo by Spc. Zoe Garbarino. Nov. 7, 2018
“An officer who understands mission command and commander’s intent is worth 10 officers who don’t. When you are given a legal and lawful order, execute and stay within your limits. When a commander decides on a course of action, it is not your place to second guess. We advise and make recommendations, commanders make decisions and assume the risks.”
Do you want to be indispensable to your unit? Master the skill of adapting plans to reality while achieving the commander’s desired end state and intent. The primary purpose of staff sections and the officers who lead them is to operationalize the commander’s intent. The same can be said for subordinate units (platoons in a company, companies in a battalion, etcetera). Unless you are one of the fortunate few born with the requisite intuition, learning the proper time and place for disagreement takes years of learning by trial and error. This essay shares some lessons learned to assist new leaders in navigating this difficult landscape.
What it means to support your commander
Supporting your commander means sharing their vision and working towards their objectives. It also means never speaking negatively about them to subordinates. The unit will be more effective and you will be given more responsibility when you demonstrate through your actions that you are committed to your team’s success. Commanders must be able to trust their subordinate leaders, and trust is earned by accomplishing assigned tasks in an effective and ethical manner. Show up on time, give candid advice and learn how to communicate the price of “yes.” Explaining what it will cost to achieve a task is much preferred to explaining why you “can’t” do something. Military units succeed or fail as a team. If things go well, everyone gets the credit, when things go wrong it is the commander that ultimately takes the blame and pays the price. Understanding this simple truth and supporting your commander accordingly will help to create a winning organization.
The role of subordinate leaders in relation to commanders
Staff officers and subordinate commanders must be the subject matter experts in their assigned fields. That means being in a constant state of self-development, and putting time into your personal battle rhythm to study your staff function or tactical role. TRADOC schools do not have the time to teach you everything you need to know, and being a true expert requires time spent outside of the classroom.
Great care should be taken to ensure subordinates clearly understand what they are being directed to do. Once that understanding is achieved, subordinates are free to maneuver within the left and right limits given them by the commander. Depending on a commander’s leadership style, those limits will be specified, implied, or a combination of the two. Leaders who effectively exercise initiative within the commander’s intent are worth their weight in gold. Try not to get emotionally attached to your projects and ideas. If the commander does not like your idea, that is not a reflection of their opinion of you. Do not make the mistake of allowing your ego to cloud the issue at hand.
The “truth to power” trap
Speaking truth to power requires more than courage. To speak the truth, you must first know what it is. Militarily speaking, that means knowing the pertinent doctrine and regulations. If you are arguing without an effective foundation, you are just being obstructive. If you know your role, you will be in a much better position to “speak your truth.” No effective commander desires blind obedience. However, constant argument and active or passive resistance can grind an organization to a halt. Commanders and staffs must be unified in the fight to achieve the mission. This only happens when individuals put aside their differences and come together as a team. Keep arguments straight forward and to the point. It is also important to have a solution to offer rather than simply shooting holes in the plan. Once the commander decides on a course of action, the focus shifts away from “who has a better idea” to how can we best accomplish our assigned tasks.
Leadership in the military is different than in civilian organizations
You can quit a civilian job if you feel strongly enough about a decision that has been made. You do not have that option in the military. The United States Army runs on a system of authority, responsibility, and delegation known as Mission Command. All lawful orders must be obeyed, and it does not matter if you think your idea is better, or if you disagree with a decision. Subordinate leaders analyze orders given to them and determine the best way to achieve assigned tasks. If they identify what they believe to be a better course of action, subordinates are expected to bring their concerns and recommendations to the commander. Once the commander makes a decision, the focus becomes how best to carry out the assigned mission.
The nature and burden of command
Command is a lonely position. A unit’s success or failure is the commander’s responsibility. While it is impossible for one leader to directly manage everything that goes on in a platoon, much less a brigade or division, commanders have complete authority at their echelon and are responsible for everything that happens or fails to happen in their organizations. That is why command philosophies are published at all levels. Moreover, commanders are key participants in the decision-making processes and provide commander’s intent and desired end state for the mission. The simple truth is that we are part of a hierarchical organization. It is our duty to execute lawful orders, not to dispute or undermine them. Officers who master the fine art of supporting their commanders through candid informed advice during the planning phase and dedicated expert implementation during execution will be essential members of any team. Remember that you will be in the commander’s seat one day. Support your commander the way you want to be supported when the time comes.
This article is the fourth in a series from guest contributor Nate Player. Check out the original article:
The Eight Essential Characteristics of Officership
Major Nathan Player is currently a student at the Superior School of War in Bogota Colombia. He is assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg following graduation. He has 13 years of combined enlisted and officer service, has commanded at the O3 Level, and served in various joint staff and professional education assignments.