MISSION COMMAND IN THE 21ST CENTURY - Army University Press

MISSION COMMAND IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Empowering to Win in a Complex World

Foreword by Lieutenant General

Robert B. Brown

The Army Press

Cover image "Modern City at Night" used by license. Additional imagery courtesy of US Army.

MISSION COMMAND IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Empowering to Win in a Complex World

General Editors Nathan K. Finney Jonathan P. Klug

The Army Press Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

The Bridge

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Finney, Nathan K., editor of compilation. | Klug, Jonathan P., editor of compilation. Title: Mission command in the 21st century : empowering to win in a complex world / general editors Nathan K. Finney and Jonathan P. Klug. Description: Fort Leavenworth, Kansas : The Army Press, [2016] Identifiers: LCCN 2016001491 | ISBN 9781940804248 (pbk.) Subjects: LCSH: Command of troops. | United States. Army--Officers. | Command of troops--History--21st century--Case studies. Classification: LCC UB210 .M58 2016 | DDC 355.3/30410973--dc23 LC record available at Caution-

2016 Army Press publications cover a wide variety of military topics. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense. It is prohibited to use the official seal of the Army Press and/or Army University on any republication without the express written permission of the Provost of Army University.

Editing and layout by Jennifer B. Fike

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Foreword

For more than a decade, our leaders and Soldiers have consistently demonstrated mission command ? a philosophy of leadership that decentralizes execution by providing clear intent ? in various combat environments that demanded agile and adaptive leaders to make decisions in accordance with their commander's intent. While acknowledged in doctrine as a core element in unified land operations, the acceptance and practice of mission command in garrison and training is less apparent. Mission command has served us well in the unforgiving crucible of ground combat and will be essential for winning in complex future environments. Since our task as leaders is to win, we must take every opportunity to reinforce mission command in garrison and training to maximize our personnel readiness for whatever the future may bring.

One of the six principles of mission command outlined in Army Doctrine Publication (ADP) 6-0 is "create shared understanding." Our doctrine of mission command accurately states that "a defining challenge for commanders and staffs is creating shared understanding of their operational environment, their operation's purpose, its problems, and approaches to solving them." As we collectively move forward to address our problems and challenges, we need to prioritize mission command to empower our Army leaders. This volume of work uniquely accomplishes that task and represents a tremendous contribution toward unity of effort, collaboration, and dialogue, which is essential for both shared understanding and for continuing the legacy of mission command.

Whether myth or reality, our Army continues to endure accounts of mass centralization and an endless stream of guidance from well-intentioned leaders about what to do and how to accomplish an everexpanding list of tasks. We can and must do better than this ? with commanders providing a purpose and end state that enables staff and subordinate leaders to accomplish the mission without excessive limitations. Leaders should provide guidance and intent, then work to motivate and empower subordinate leaders to focus on priorities. While subordinates may not always deliver a perfect solution, good leaders build trust and underwrite the risk of our leaders and staff as they navigate constraints and restraints to achieve overall

objectives. Leaders need to allow subordinates the freedom to operate in the true spirit of mission command. The diagram above represents a tool shared by Lieutenant General (Ret.) Jim Dubik to assist in visual-

izing this idea of mission command. The outer box denotes the purpose and end state, or the why, of a given iii

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