Why is anticipation important in command and control, and how can leaders cultivate it?

• A. To foresee events and respond proactively
• B. To react after events occur
• C. To centralize decisions
• D. To reduce decision cycles

Answer: (A)

Anticipation in command and control is about looking ahead to what might happen and preparing to act before it actually does. When leaders anticipate, they shape the tempo, align resources, and reduce the surprise factor by staying a step ahead of the situation rather than waiting to react.

Cultivating anticipation involves building a clear shared understanding of the intent and the most likely enemy or environment developments through continuous intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, as well as regular wargaming and scenario analysis. It also means developing and rehearsing flexible plans with pre-approved options, so subordinates can act decisively on early indicators without waiting for a top-down directive. Maintaining a robust common operating picture and open information flow helps everyone see the same build-up of events. Encouraging initiative at lower levels, with clear triggering conditions and decentralized decision rights, keeps actions timely. Red-teaming and after-action reviews help surface assumptions to refine forecasts and responses.

That focus on foreseeing events and acting proactively is what makes anticipation the best answer. Merely reacting after events occur misses the proactive edge; centralizing decisions can slow responsiveness; and reducing decision cycles, while beneficial, is a byproduct, not the essence, of anticipating and shaping events.