The bigger question here, I think, is what is the role of an effective Command Philosophy?  What purpose does it serve for the organization?  Is it to communicate the Commander’s Vision for where he/she wants the company to go?  Is it to communicate a set of guiding principles that direct the Company’s daily actions?  While there are many techniques, it is important that every Commander and Commander-to-be thinks deliberately about the effect they intend for their philosophy to have on their organization.  You can have the longest, perfectly-worded, awe-inspiring Command Philosophy written in the history of the Army, but if it doesn’t translate into action, can’t be understood down to the lowest level, or isn’t reinforced in everything else the Commander does, you have to ask yourself: “What is it for?”

The attached article delves into this topic fairly well, and reminds us to first think about why we are writing a Command Philosophy and how to make it an effective tool for a Commander.