In the heat of a mission, a United States Marine doesn’t wait for a 10 page memo from headquarters to decide how to react to a changing battlefield. They rely on Commander’s Intent. They know the “why” and the “what” which allows them to figure out the “how” in real time.
Too many business leaders in 2026 are still operating like 19th century generals, clutching every decision to their chest. If you are the only one on your team authorized to make a call, you haven’t built a business; you’ve built a bottleneck.
To scale, you need to stop being a “boss” and start building a Chain of Command.
1. The Power of Decentralized Command
The U.S. Marine Corps thrives because of decentralized command. This doesn’t mean “do whatever you want”. It means that every member of the team understands the mission so deeply that they can act effectively when the leader isn’t in the room.
In your business, this looks like moving from “Do what I tell you” to “Achieve this outcome”. When you provide clear intent, you empower the “Power in Peers”. Your team begins to hold each other accountable to the mission because they are all owners of the result, not just executors of a task.
2. Identifying the “Roles on Your Leadership Throne”
The “Throne” in your business shouldn’t be a seat for your ego; it should be a seat of defined authority. Many leadership teams suffer from “Role Creep” where everyone is involved in everything, and therefore, no one is responsible for anything. To operate with military precision, you must define the “Throne” for every key position:
- What is the specific domain of this throne? (Revenue, Operations, Culture)
- What decisions is this person authorized to make without checking in?
- What is the “Critical Information Requirement” that must be reported back?
When the “throne” is clearly defined, the person sitting in it feels the weight of responsibility and freedom of autonomy. This is how you find the “Better Teammate” hidden inside your current staff.
3. The “Coma Test” for Decision Making
If you want to know if your business can operate like USMC, run through the “Coma Test” (inspired by Michael Gerber): If I fell into a coma for 30 days, would my team know which “Thrones” to occupy to keep the mission moving?
If the answer is no, your intent isn’t clear enough.
- Stop giving instructions. Start giving outcomes. Instead of saying “Format this report by Friday,” say “I need this data to convince the board that our Q3 strategy is sound. You have the lead on the presentation.”
- Define the “No-Go” zones. Tell your team exactly where their authority ends (“Any spend over $5k needs my sign off, but anything under is your call.”)
- Encourage “Bottom Up” Feedback. In the Marines, the person closest to the problem often has the best solution. Create a culture where “Tactical Input” is valued over “Corporate Protocol”.
The Bottom Line
The speed of the modern market doesn’t allow for slow, centralized decision making. By defining the “thrones” of leadership and trusting your “gang” with Commander’s Intent, you create a business that is resilient, agile, and most importantly capable of winning without you standing over their shoulders.
Now ask yourself: If you left your office right now and couldn’t be reached for 48 hours, would anyone step up and lead the way you intended?