Trust, the Critical Element for the Adoption of Mission Command Philosophy
Abstract
The establishment of a culture of trust around the commander and his staff remains a key aspect of building an effective approach to mission command. Unspoken "mutual trust" between commanders and subordinates even in the most testing of circumstances is a fundamental necessity if an organization wishes to effectively employ a mission command. The culture of trust has the potential to exponentiallyincrease the efficiency and productivity of military organizations. The mission command, the essential military philosophy of the last two hundred years, even though it has been studied, extensively analyzed, and widely diffused, has rarely had positive, concrete effects on military organizations. Mission command has been around for quite a long time, and much has been written about this concept. However, thereare a few militaries and individuals who have effectively employed mission command such as the German Army during WWII, Gen. Mattis, and Gen. McCrystal but most leaders have been unsuccessful in establishing this type of philosophy within their units. The German experience and the innovative approach of the officers mentioned above highlight that this philosophy can be applied only in exchange fora new radical organizational culture that is very much geared towards building a culture of trust. With an effective culture of trust, not only is it possible to conduct military operations efficiently, but the productivity and efficiency of military organizations will also be sharply increased. In an era in which the operational tempo is a game-changer to plan, conduct, and win a military campaign and in which theresources to fight are always limited, the value of human factors and the creation of a culture of trust are the most critical elements to face current and future war-fighting scenarios.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 12, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1178166
Entities
People
- Demetrio Riggio
Organizations
- Marine Corps University