First responders and military veterans know how essential a hierarchy of command is. You can't put people together and expect them to organize and produce results magically. It would help if you had someone to guide them. This individual, or group of individuals, needs to understand the requirements of the group, the assets, and the skills of the individuals involved. They have to be able to understand the inputs and formulate that information into productive output.

The media was supposed to do this for America. They were supposed to gather all the noise and happenings of the country and share that information in a productive, non-bias way for Americans to develop actionable conclusions. However, they have turned their duty into a propaganda dissemination machine to sway the public into specific views. It's time to turn off the TV and gather the information for yourself.

The ideal number of people in charge of the hierarchy depends on the size of the group. The leadership structure needs to be in direct proportion with the number of people they are guiding. For example, in a family, the hierarchy may consist of mom and dad. One person can't be responsible for everything. When you have a successful leadership structure, it leaves each person ample time to accomplish each specific task constructively. There will be a difference in the number of individuals in the leadership structure if you try to organize a neighborhood versus a subdivision. The proportion must scale the group, so all of the tasks that need to get done.

The authority of this group can shift, depending on the job that needs completion. For example, defending the group versus food planning for the community. Each group has a leader that passes needs and messages to the next leader to ensure coordination of tasks exists.

Establishing a hierarchy is a condition of human existence. Effective leaders need to know when it's time to listen or take action on the information.

Weeding through candidates to determine who will be the leader is a difficult task. There is a difference between legitimate authority and a title. With legitimate authority, the individual earns respected because they have experience and command respect because of accurate knowledge. A person with a label may not have the specific knowledge or experience to command respect. Still, they have a title that indicates their subordinates must follow their directions. Some individuals may have natural leadership abilities but don't choose to lead. Leaders who work hand in hand with those they direct are often respected because they share the load and boost morale.

We must start thinking about a command structure now. However, establishing one may be much more difficult. Even if you have a survival group established, many groups are spread out over a geographic region. The people you end up surviving with may not be the people you made plans with. Sometimes it isn't easy to get groups together. Some preppers are still in hiding because of the social stigmatism directed at this group of people. Having a preparedness mindset gives you the ability to take disasters in stride. You know you prepared, and you have thought the plan through already.

It may be challenging to hold the leadership of your survival group accountable. You can't "re-elect" a leader without mechanisms in place to do so. These mechanisms take time to develop, and it's tricky for small groups to build. Usually, popular opinion is going to rule the day. To remove a leader, popular belief must overwhelmingly decide it is the correct course of action. Typically smaller groups would fragment. Larger groups would expel a leader and their leadership group. When you have one leader calling all the shots, this is a dictatorship, and it's not always a bad thing. A group will need to make decisions quickly, and the group will have to follow so they can move with agility. This individual may be difficult to remove once they have the power. You may have to leave on your own if you are not in line with the decisions of this leader. Bad things will happen if the leader loses the confidence of the group.

Before disaster strikes, it is critical to assess your area and determine who you can and can't rely on from the group around you. Preppers will turn into leaders because they have been learning survival strategies and have already thought through many scenarios. Be prepared to lead!