Mission Command Doctrine
Centralized strategic intent with decentralized tactical execution—like the octopus whose central brain sets objectives while 90% of its neurons make autonomous decisions in its arms and optic lobes.
The octopus demonstrates mission command at the neural level: its central brain (45 million neurons, less than 10%) sets high-level objectives like 'search for food,' while roughly 350 million neurons reside in its arms, which independently decide how to achieve those objectives without consulting headquarters.
Business Application of Mission Command Doctrine
Modern military hybrid architecture combining centralized strategic planning with distributed tactical execution. Senior commanders set objectives and allocate resources (centralized), while squad leaders have autonomy to achieve objectives using judgment about local conditions (distributed). Clear commander's intent bridges strategic direction and tactical autonomy.