text: Chapter 4
  AUTHORITY
  4-23. Authority is the right and power to judge, act, or command. Commanders exercise authority by virtue
  of their positions; they sustain authority, in many cases, by their competence and leadership abilities and by
  the trust and respect with which they are held by superiors and subordinates. Command authority permeates
  all force and engagement operations. This authority may be, and often is, delegated to subordinates.
  Commanders must determine how much authority is delegated and when. These determinations are made
  based on the commander’s confidence and trust in subordinates and METT-TC. For example, when
  significant air threats are imminent or an air battle intensifies, engagement authority for air threats may be
  delegated to Avenger team leaders. Authority with respect to command and to control is more fully discussed
  in Authorities: Command and Control, beginning on page 4-6.
  RESPONSIBILITY
  4-24. With authority comes responsibility. Though commanders may delegate authority, they cannot
  delegate responsibility. Commanders are legally and ethically responsible and accountable for their own
  actions and decisions and for those of their subordinates. Responsibility entails fulfilling the assigned task;
  accountability is about “answerability.” Commanders are responsible and accountable for mission
  accomplishment; the health, welfare, morale, and discipline of Soldiers; and the use and maintenance of
  resources. Commanders are always accountable to their superiors for what happens or fails to happen in their
  command. AMD command responsibility and accountability are inherent in all force and engagement
  operations irrespective of phase of operation, time, allocation of ADA resources, or aerial threats.
  DECISION MAKING
  4-25. Given the nature of the AMD operational environment (compressed detection-to-engagement
  timelines, congested airspace, and ambiguous air pictures), ADA commanders and their staffs must be
  equipped and trained to make decisions that are both timely and effective. While our AMD capabilities
  include a variety of automated decision aids, the volume and variety of information presented to commanders
  and operators require those making decisions to process and understand it quickly enough to allow for the
  most appropriate response/action. To facilitate this, ADA commanders must train subordinates to realistic
  standards, organize available assets, establish procedures, and demand focus in order to streamline the
  information flow and expedite the decision-making process.
  LEADERSHIP
  4-26. A key ingredient to successful command is the exercise of effective leadership in the inherently
  stressful, ambiguous, and often chaotic conditions of combat operations. Leadership is the activity of
  influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation to accomplish the mission and improve
  the organization (ADP 6-22). Collaboration and dialogue are essential to this process, and effective
  commanders employ their C2 system to promote these in order to support decision making.
  4-27. Effective leadership requires commanders to establish their presence at the critical place and time in
  battle. Commanders’ presence at subordinate elements allows them to personally check for an understanding
  of plans and intent. Their presence also allows them to better understand the operational concerns and
  challenges of their subordinate commanders and factor those into their decision making. Finally, their
  presence allows them to assess the overall unit climate, readiness, and morale.
  4-28. Commanders at all echelons must exploit opportunities for greater leadership presence and use those
  opportunities to instill confidence in their Soldiers and cultivate a positive leadership climate. The typically
  wide dispersion of subordinate units in an AMD defense design makes this extremely challenging. As such,
  commanders must be deliberate about prioritizing the time spent “on the ground” with their staffs and
  subordinate units. The face-to-face interaction with subordinate leaders and Soldiers helps to improve the
  flow of information, both up and down, contributing to a common and shared situational understanding across
  echelons. Ultimately, this time spent “on the ground” is time well spent; it facilitates building and maintaining
  trust and confidence, which will result in significant operational dividends during those times when command
  presence is not possible.