Defining Adaptive Leadership in the Context of Mission Command

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Today’s Army is undergoing significant change, completing its modular transformation and adopting mission command as a war fighting function in an effort to meet the needs of a constantly adapting enemy and uncertain environment. Mission command is the exercise of authority and direction by the commander and the commander’s staff to integrate the war fighting functions using the operations process and mission orders to accomplish successful full-spectrum operations. Mission command enables agile and adaptive leaders and organizations to execute disciplined initiative within commander’s intent as part of unified action in a complex and ambiguous environment. In the definition of mission command exists the term adaptive leadership. This term is not currently defined in the Army’s mission command literature or anywhere else in Army literature. Soldiers able to master mission command must also have a strong understanding of what adaptive leadership is in the context of mission command. This paper defines adaptive leadership in the context of mission command by drawing from information in the Army mission command, leadership and operations literature, as well as the Army’s Starfish Program readings concerning interpersonal relationships, and finally considering contemporary business leadership writings.