The Seductive Allure of Command-and-Control

Defining Command-and-Control

In the context of business organisations, command-and-control refers to a top-down, highly centralised management approach. It is characterised by strict hierarchies, rigid processes and procedures, and a focus on enforcing compliance through rules and policies set by senior management.

Under a command-and-control model, strategy and decision-making flow vertically downwards, from the top, with managers and executives dictating priorities and objectives that must be executed down the chain of command. Employees have little autonomy or latitude for questioning directives from above.

The Lure of Execution

We all want to get things done effectively and efficiently. As humans, there’s a deep satisfaction in seeing our efforts translated into concrete results. Whether it’s getting that big project shipped, launching a new product, or just ticking items off our personal to-do list, achievement feels good.

However, in many organisations, the primacy placed on “getting things to work” can blind us to deeper systemic forces at play. All too often, the siren song of efficiency and execution drowns out more fundamental questions about whether we’re even working on the right things in the first place (a.k.a. effectiveness).

Institutional Inertia

The truth is, large organisations are complex systems governed as much by unspoken assumptions, ingrained beliefs, and social incentives as any official policy or executive mandate. The very rubrics we use to measure success – be it revenue targets, user growth, or other metrics – emerge from a particular culturally-entrenched worldview.

Within this context, a command-and-control narrative reigns supreme. We optimise for top-down directives, vertical hierarchies, and centralised decision-making. Goals get cascaded down, while accountability and compliance permeate back up the chain. Efficiency and order and managers’ wellbeing are prioritised above all else.

The system effectively hard-wires this command-and-control mentality. Being a “team player” often means deferring to established processes, not rocking the boat, and falling in line with conventional thinking. Those who push back or challenge assumptions are frequently sidelined as “not pragmatic” or “not working towards the same priorities.”

The Costs of Control

Things get done, to be sure. But at what cost? A singular focus on execution often means unquestioningly working towards the wrong objectives in the first place. It breeds an insular, institutionalised mindset that is exquisitely efficient…at preserving the status quo.

Perhaps more importantly, a command-and-control culture discourages the very creativity, critical thinking, and experimentation needed for an organisation to truly adapt and evolve over time. After all, what incentive does anyone have to question the deepest assumptions that underlie day-to-day work when doing so could threaten their standing, compensation, and career prospects?

Catalysing Change

True change requires creating space for fundamentally rethinking and reimagining what an organisation is optimising for in the first place. It means giving voice to diverse perspectives, nurturing a willingness to exploit fleeting opportunities and take calculated risks, and embracing a degree of productive failure.

Dismantling existing systems is hard, uncomfortable work. Doubly so for dismantling entrenched assumptions and beliefs. It inevitably encounters inertia and opposition from those who are vested in maintaining the current order. But simply getting things done is not enough – we must wrestle with whether we’re even pulling the right levers to begin with.

To catalyse genuine innovation and transformation, we might choose to move beyond blind adherence to the siren song of pure execution. We must create the conditions for all voices to be heard, for first principles to be questioned, and for fundamentally new visions and possibilities to emerge. Only then can we achieve meaningful change.

Further Reading

Seddon, J., et al. (2019). Beyond Command and Control. Vanguard Consulting