Mission Command #Leadership and the U.S. Army

I think that many people get confused when they hear "Mission Command". Mission Command is not the ability to do whatever you want in any way you want. The commander sets the size of the mission command "box" (parameters that he or she has to operate within) and subordinate leaders have to operate within that box. The size of the mission command box is determined, usually, by the competence and experience level of the subordinate. If you have a young Squad Leader and he is given a task, his mission command box for him may be quite small. The subordinate leader may see this as micromanaging, but it usually is not. Give the same task to a seasoned, experienced leader and the box will be larger; the subordinate will have more latitude in how they will accomplish the task.

Mission command to me, let's the leaders at all levels plan and execute a mission ( or task) and they see fit. As long as it stays within the commanders intent. The problems we're running into, is over the past 15 years of conflict leaders have been told what and how to complete said mission. Thus leaving no real planning at there level. This in turn has made leaders dependent on execution orders, as opposed to thinking outside the box on their own.
We need to get back to time management, and preparing our own training. IOT meet the commanders intent and accomplish the unit METL.

No complaints