546: The Myth of Being in Control: Marine Corps Doctrine on Command and Control

Jocko Willink· Host0:00

This is Jocko Podcast number 546 with Cary Hilton and me, Jocko Willink. Good evening, Cary.

Cary Helton· Host0:05

Good evening.

Jocko Willink· Host0:05

"An order should not trespass on the providence of the subordinate. It should contain everything which is beyond the independent authority of the subordinate, but nothing more. It should lay stress upon the object to be attained, and leave open the means to be employed." That's a little quote right there from US Army Field Regulations from 1905. 1905. So you know how people, they think, "Oh, well back in the day, the military, you just told, you just told everyone what to do and they did it"? And sure, you can go back to, you know, Napoleonic times, but even then, Napoleonic times, they didn't want ro- they wanted the soldiers to be robotic in their movement, but they wanted the peo- Napoleon wanted his people to think quick and make things happen. And this, this concept right here, your orders shouldn't, shouldn't trespass on the providence of the subordinate, meaning we want that person to think for themselves. It shouldn't, it shouldn't contain them. It should contain everything which is beyond the independent authority of the subordinate. So look, I'm giving you, "Hey, if you gotta do this here, you gotta ask me. If you gotta do that, this is what I want you to do. But other than that, it's up to you, man." But nothing more. It literally says, "But nothing more. It should lay stress upon the object to be attained," so this is what, this is what I want you to get done, "but