Command and Control leadership

Much of this book involves the author's progress through military officer ranks. At every stage of this there are issues concerning who is in command, and who is in control of which projects and activities. This is also true for enlisted personnel but the structure and implications are different. For enlisted personnel, they are given tasks to perform. The higher the ranks, the more personnel involved, and therefore more managerial requisites and more responsibility.

Charlie Beckwith is an officer over soldiers. The higher in rank he rises the more people are under him and the fewer people there are over him. While he is with the SAS, he has a commanding officer. This is similar in some regard to the civilian corporate or government world. There are people over him he may not ever meet and others who he knows. The lower ranks are usually...