Quote Originally Posted by jmm99 View Post
Now, a serious question to you. You covered your degrees of freedom re: orders coming from on high. Let's say you are a company commander. Does that same freedom of action apply to your platoon, squad and fire team leaders - and to the guy who is ordered to be the tip of the spear on point - as to your orders ?
Yes. Because, in reality, the guy at the tip of the spear is either going to do what he wants, anyway, (and then lie about it) or default to doing nothing, (in the spirit of self-preservation) if he or she isn't fully empowered and developed to understand mission-type orders.

Which makes it necessary for the commander (as well as those subordinates' peers) to be prepared to act in accordance with his/her subordinates' actions, should they succeed or should they fail.

I hear a chorus of "yeah-buts" every time I broach this subject, followed by protests of soldiers' inherent stupidity and inability to be trusted from a large portion of those who object to the concept, but I've seen it work in various organizations to good effect.

I'm reminded of the scenario in "Ender's Game" where Ender decides to not do formations and coordinated maneuvers, but instead trains small groups to act independently, and to recognize and exploit other small groups' successes, without top-down direction.