In today's French gendarmerie, commanding positions are put to the test of new conditions of exercise, both on the technological and relational levels. The removal of barriers and the immediacy in communication go hand in hand with the rise of a new condition of the gendarme that transforms the contours of the hierarchical relationship. In this new context, chiefs are encouraged to downplay some of their traditional prerogatives in favour of a more concerted approach to decision-making.