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Navy Journal 2019

environment in smaller navy will be examined. Emphasis for analysis will remain
on experience, status of ships and equipment and the factors affecting the
decision-making process in a smaller navy. Finally, this paper will put forward the
relevant recommendations for the smaller navies to adopt more effectively with the
competitive decision-making cycle of naval warfare in the twenty-first century.

Competitive Decision-Making Practices in Bigger Militaries
The term ‘competitive decision-making cycle’ indicates that the faster yet
accurate decision-making is the essence to remain ahead of the enemy. Hence, the
‘centralized planning and decentralized execution’ is not a new concept but a part
of current joint and service doctrine. Analyses of previous successful civilian and
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military leaders indentify several relevant insights of competitive decision-making
process.

General J. Lawton Collins emphasized a few dimensions of leadership which
had direct connotation to the command decision-making process. First, a leader
needs to decentralize to give subordinates a chance to develop. Most importantly, a
leader has to trust subordinates to do their share of the job. That’s important as it
contributes to the good physical and mental health of a leader. Trusting
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subordinates was a deeply endorsed practice of the Secretary of War, Newton D.
Baker and General John Pershing during World War I. It allowed freedom of
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action to their subordinates and enabled them to maintain a high tempo of
operations.
General George C. Marshall was a significant proponent of ‘delegation of
authority’ and ‘total staff involvement’. US President Dwight Eisenhower wrote
about the General Marshall, “His ability to delegate authority not only expedited
work but impelled every subordinate to perform beyond his suspected capacity.”
General Marshall wanted his staff to act on problems, not react to them. He made
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his subordinates fully responsible for their actions. He expected all officers to make
timely decisions within the realm of their authority. Marshall’s approach allowed
him to concentrate on the most important problems and gave him more time to
contemplate the future and “the big picture”. 5
One of the techniques to effective delegation is to ‘resist reverse delegation’.
Interestingly, most reverse delegation is initiated not by the subordinates, but by their
bosses due to impatience. Modern leadership theorist Mary Raum believes that all
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senior officers need to be competent in when and where to participate and delegate. 7

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