Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2007: 153-159

Authority of Commander (Chief Official) in the Professional ACRMilitary professional

Pplk. Ing. Miroslav Mašlej, doc. Ing. Vítězslav Stodůlka, CSc., doc. Ing. Bohumil Brechta, CSc.

The first part of the article defines notions of the competence, the power, and the authority. Next part of the article deals with the assertion of the power and authority. Those terms are not the same. Whereas the power is universal, the authority of a commander is performed only within the Army of the Czech Republic (ACR), it does not go beyond. The authority presents the "right" or "duty"; the power is the capacity to implement authority, to fulfil intentions. Business, labour, educational, governmental and military systems depend on a hierarchy to carry out specialized tasks. Therefore the authorities are tied with individual levels of mentioned hierarchies. In the professional forces the formal authority is not enough. Professional warrior is an expert that can't be managed in ways the soldiers used to be, in the former conscript army. It is necessary for the commander to exercise natural authority, based upon knowledge, skills, all-round proficiency. Formal aspects of his authority are only secondary.

Keywords: delegation of authority,armed forces of the czech republic,command and control,commander

Published: March 15, 2007  Show citation