Monograph on “Responsible Command,” looking at the origins of the term in the laws of land warfare and the skills, knowledge, and attributes required of leaders to ensure their units act honorably and lawfully both in combat and in the garrison environment. Developed using the collection of oral histories at the Army Heritage and Education Center, and includes a wonderful case study of Matthew Ridgway by Conrad Crane and a terrific preface by Paul Mikolashek.

The five themes I uncovered in the study follow. Each differentiate responsible command from ‘ordinary’ leadership and are explored in the middle chapters of the book.

Theme 1. Commanders Must Establish Clear Command & Control and Strategic Direction 

Theme 2. Commanders Must Be the Focal Points of the Defense Enterprise 

Theme 3. Commanders Must Establish Climates for Lawful Action 

Theme 4. Commanders must Master Complexity 

Theme 5. Commanders Must Be the Needle of the Organization’s Collective Moral Compass 

The final two chapters are developmental and are meant to help prospective senior-leader commanders reflect on their capability and capacity to satisfy the skills, knowledge, and attributes suggested by the above themes.
Available through the U.S. Army War College Publications site / Practitioner’s Corner page at the below link:

RESPONSIBLE COMMAND: Primer for Senior Leaders, 1st Edition (November 2020)