Six Principles of Mission Command: Leadership and Teamwork

Introduction

Trust, understanding, clarity, and discipline sit at the heart of the six principles of mission command. Prudence also plays a part in terms of accepting risk in a mission. One of the most important aspects of successfully accomplishing a mission, however, is the ability to engage with others in effective teamwork. Teamwork among officers and enlisted personnel is essential in the military. Effective teamwork relies on a secure platform of trust to serve as its foundation. Embedded in the foundation of strong leadership is the necessity for a thorough flow of communication and the openness for deliberation. Providing quality leadership allows for greater influence and effectiveness within mission command.

Building Teamwork Through Trust

Teamwork is built on mutual trust and commitment to the team. Every member must have a sense of his value—of what he brings to the team and why he is essential to its success. A member who lacks this sense is essentially a dead weight; he becomes a drag on the team rather than a contributor. To get all members on the same page and animated by the same spirit, the leader must develop his emotional and social intelligence skills (Fredrickson, 2001) and engage in the practices learned during resiliency training. This will help the leader provide the support each team member needs to overcome personal challenges and devote himself fully to the team and its mission (Reivich, Seligman, & McBride, 2011).

The key element in teamwork is building trust; transparency through open communication contributes to an engaged, resilient, and effective team. Trust is built by developing a culture and environment of transparency. Openness and honesty are qualities a leader must possess. Followers will recognize and appreciate a leader's candor, honesty, and willingness to be forthright. Trust cannot be established in the dark: it needs light, which acts as a disinfectant and eliminates the hidden problems that arise when thoughts and feelings are suppressed. Trust is built by establishing a two-way flow of communication, which allows that light in and enables positive morale to increase. As Mission Command (2012) notes, "two-way communication and interaction between the commander, subordinates, and Soldiers reinforces trust. Soldiers expect to see the chain of command accomplishing the mission while taking care of their welfare and sharing hardships and danger" (p. 19). Nothing creates a better environment for teamwork than the ability of all members to recognize that their leader is sharing their burdens and leading by example in an open, honest, and transparent manner.

Trust and cohesion are measures of unit climate; leaders must understand the dimensions of trust and its impact on their soldiers and units. Commanders are responsible for the team-building process. It is not up to individual members to organize themselves—rather, it is the leader's role to organize the team. The leader is the most visible and vocal person on the team. All eyes are on him, and all follow his lead. The commander must demonstrate patience and strong interpersonal skills—emotional and social intelligence—in order to earn the trust of his followers.

Recognizing the unique assets each member brings to the table, and working collectively to capitalize on one another's strengths, is a defining tenet of effective mission command. Every person will have strengths and weaknesses. It is up to the commander to identify those strengths and determine how they can best be leveraged to make the team as efficient and effective as possible. Commanders must also get their soldiers to "buy in" to the doctrines being established—including the expectation that soldiers themselves act as adaptive and reactive leaders (Koester, 2013). Everyone must come to the team ready to act like a leader, even while following orders from the team leader: leadership starts from within, and each member must lead himself in overcoming personal weaknesses.

Shared Understanding and Communication

All leaders must actively build and maintain a shared understanding in all facets of the mission. No mission can be accomplished without understanding how it will be carried out. Knowledge, training, and education all contribute to a leader's ability to drive success. Understanding is, in fact, the basis of trust (Mission Command, 2012). Shared understanding of the operational environment, the purpose of the operation, potential problems that may arise, and the various approaches available to solve them are all aspects of the shared understanding that every member of the team must possess.

Fostering an environment of collaboration may be met with resistance, but it remains necessary. Resistance typically occurs when stakeholders are not adequately informed. It is motivated by a range of factors—from fear, to a sense of having been denied the opportunity to provide input, to simple ignorance about the purpose of and approaches to mission accomplishment. To counter resistance, leaders must be sufficiently engaged to recognize that soldiers want the opportunity to provide feedback. Soldiers are on the ground, they have direct experiences, and they want to know their leaders value their time and their observations. Simply giving soldiers the opportunity to speak can be enough to break down barriers of resistance. Leaders must still be able to articulate the plan, the vision, and the purpose—and provide motivation—so that a genuine spirit of collaboration can take hold.

Thorough and proper communication is vital to remaining mission capable and functional. Communication is the process by which understanding is achieved. Vital information flows from leaders to followers, and back again as leaders receive feedback that can be used to assess how the mission is developing. Communication must be two-way rather than one-way. If communication flows in only one direction, one half of the team is hearing everything while the other half hears nothing in return. When one half of the team is effectively deaf, comprehensive understanding cannot be achieved. Communication must be constant and flowing in both directions.

The basis for unity of effort and trust within a team is a shared understanding and purpose. Purpose illuminates the way forward, and shared understanding enables the team to take the steps necessary to reach the destination. Purpose motivates and inspires; shared understanding empowers and projects. The leader must know how to cultivate understanding and communicate purpose in order to move the mission forward.

Conclusion

A well-crafted commander's intent conveys a clear image of the operation's purpose, key tasks, and desired outcome. The purpose will be plain, the key tasks will be understood and achievable, and the desired outcome will be clearly envisioned so that all members recognize it and are motivated to pursue it. The freedom to act while adhering to the stated purpose, key tasks, and desired outcome will make the mission that much more meaningful for followers. Leaders who give followers the space they need to develop as decision-makers will adequately prepare the next generation for command.

References

Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218.

Koester, J. (2013). NCOs have important roles in mission command. NCO Journal. Retrieved from http://ncojournal.dodlive.mil/2013/09/17/1932/

Mission Command, Army Doctrine Publication 6-0 (ADP 6-0, 2012, pp. 2–4).

Reivich, K. J., Seligman, M. E., & McBride, S. (2011). Master resilience training in the US Army. American Psychologist, 66(1), 25.