The Importance of Authority in the Military Essay

The Importance of Authority in the Military - Essay Example From this discussion it is clear that  before exploring how authority is used in the military, it is important to understand what the word means and the ideas that it implies. The Collins English Dictionary offers up a variety of definitions, such as "the power or right to control, judge, or prohibit the actions of others," or "such a power or right delegated, especially from one person to another," or "the ability to influence or control others".This study highlights that  authority can only be gained through power, mostly due to the position that someone holds. A high up position can give someone authority over others because of their job description, which likely allows them to offer guidance to subordinates. Another component of the word authority is that it is delegated or assigned, typically from one person to another. Authority is often found in a chain of command, with those towards to top of the tree afforded more authority than people lower down the food chain. Also, au thority usually is a two-way street between leaders and followers. There has to be a relationship between each set of individuals and both should know where they stand in the relationship; only in an equal relationship will there be no need for either party to have authority over the other.  Informal relationships are often like this, whereas in formal situations authority is necessary in order to preserve some sort of organization within large groups of people.... In less formal situations, a leader will look to influence his or her subordinates but not control them. Controlling a group of people allows little room for them to be creative and think outside the box. In formal organizations, control is the preferred action because organizational structures are rigid and require compliance rather than creativity. In taking into account all of the definitions mentioned above, authority forms a key part of the success of any military. Military organizations by nature can be heated environments with little room for failure. Because of this, it is important that everyone remains on the same page, particularly when it comes to military strategy. Whenever a new batch of recruits is hired to work for the military, one of the first things that they go through is a type of boot camp. The reason for this is to shape the mind so much that it will almost do anything asked of it and not question why an action is relevant. Boot camps often require new recruit to work themselves into the ground so much that they lose all ability to rationalize and think on their own two feet. Likewise, getting every solider to wear the same uniform and sleeping in the same quarters helps them to understand that they are part of a team, but a team that has no standout individuals and almost requires every solider to be a clone of the other ones. Forcing soldiers to wake up before dawn and go on treks into forests and jungles makes them mentally tough but it also prepares them to be able to do anything that is asked by their superiors. On the part of the leaders, they are only doing what is best for the success of the military, which is to produce a highly skilled but