“Be in command, not control” - Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Holms
When an individual is put in command of a team, it is often due to past performance. They proved they could control what was in front of them, execute at a high level, and deliver results. That success earns them the opportunity to lead on a larger scale.
One of the biggest challenges in that transition is letting go of control and stepping fully into command.
Command is the art of motivating and directing people and organizations to accomplish a mission. Control is managing and directing specific functions. Both are important, but they are not the same.
When leading a team with multiple components, there is a natural urge to stay involved in everything. To keep both hands on every piece to ensure the outcome. While that may feel productive, it quickly becomes a limitation.
Trying to control everything leads to micromanagement. And micromanagement erodes trust.
When you step into areas that others are responsible for, you send a clear message, whether intended or not. You do not trust them to execute. You do not believe they can carry out your intent. Over time, that limits ownership, slows decision making, and reduces the effectiveness of the entire team.
Command requires a different approach.
It requires clearly communicating intent, setting expectations, and then allowing others to operate within that framework. It means empowering people to take ownership of their role and make decisions without constant oversight.
You are no longer responsible for doing everything. You are responsible for ensuring everything gets done.
This is something I experienced firsthand as a platoon leader in the Army. Being responsible for over 40 people and the success or failure of that platoon can feel overwhelming. The natural reaction is to tighten your grip and try to control everything.
But keeping this principle in mind changed how I approached leadership. Instead of controlling every action, I focused on empowering my senior and junior leaders to do what they did best. My role was to align them with the commander’s intent, set clear boundaries, and ensure they had the resources they needed to succeed.
Not to control every move, but to lead in a way that allowed them to execute.
That shift is what allows teams to scale.
When individuals understand the mission and feel trusted to execute, they move faster. They take ownership. They solve problems without waiting. The leader is no longer a bottleneck, but a force multiplier.
Control may produce short term precision, but command creates long term effectiveness.
The best leaders are not the ones who touch every detail. They are the ones who build teams that can operate, adapt, and succeed without them being present in every moment.
DANNY DAVIS · Executive insights