Similar to how you have Elite Units which you can buy with gold or build up with tokens/blueprints from supply crates, you could have elite commanders. This need not be an actual unit on the battlefield, but rather a leadership/command style or combat/defence strategy you can adopt from history - that if you have brought or gained through tokens/blueprints you can select before game play that you use during the game.
One of the disadvantages of the Elite Unit is that you have to wait until day 24 before you can even start researching one, if you have it.
A selected Elite Commanders can be used from day one if you have that commander. Using any one commander would give you certain advantages over other commanders, and a good new dynamic to the game.
Possible Elite Commanders:-
1. Infantry Officer - infantry units are cheaper and/or quicker to produce. Barracks are cheaper and/or quicker to construct. Infantry units can be researched earlier;
2. Tank Officer - Tanks are cheaper and/or quicker to produce; Industry is cheaper and/or quicker to construct. Tanks can be researched earlier;
3. Artillery Officer - Artillery is cheaper and/or quicker to produce; Industry is cheaper and/or quicker to construct. Artillery can be researched earlier;
4. Fighter Ace - Interceptors are cheaper and/or quicker to produce; Airfields are cheaper and/or quicker to construct. Interceptors can be researched earlier;
5. Tac bomber Ace - Tac bombers are cheaper and/or quicker to produce; Airfields are cheaper and/or quicker to construct. Tac bombers can be researched earlier;
6. Sub Commander - Subs are cheaper and/or quicker to produce. Naval bases are cheaper and/or quicker to construct. Subs can be researched earlier;
7. Destroyer Commander - Destroyers are cheaper and/or quicker to produce. Naval bases are cheaper and/or quicker to construct. Destroyers can be researched earlier;
8. Battleship Commander - Battleships are cheaper and/or quicker to produce. Naval bases are cheaper and/or quicker to construct. Battleships can be researched earlier;
9. Aircraft carrier Commander - Aircraft carriers are cheaper and/or quicker to produce. Naval bases are cheaper and/or quicker to construct. Aircraft carriers can be researched earlier.
10 Secret Commander - Secret units can be researched from day one.
etc etc.
The benefits obviously dont have to be exactly as I have said above.
You would have to buy or earn any of the above before you could use one. Only one can be selected per game, like a country is selected before a game.
Elite war ministers might be a better title, being the people that determine where the tax payers money goes on defence. Early versions of Hearts of Iron allowed you to choose different ministers for your war government that favoured different equipment etc. Company of Heros allow you to choose a commander pre game that favours certain units/factors. Just because other games has something similar is no excuse to have it in CoW.
Elite officers/ministers would offer CoW players the ability to experiment with trying different advantages/benefits/styles and see what works best for them.

The day 24 was if you had the existing elite militia (level 7 militia) - you could start research on day 24 at the earliest. Other existing elite units are a lot later. It is good having these existing elite units but you cant use them until well into the game.
As I said Elite Commander maybe the wrong title for what I am suggesting, This suggestion maybe better called War Ministers or Specialised industry or ......
The idea was to allow slightly different boosts/favouritism to some units, that could be used from the start. For different players it could be different units, depending on what they prefer. Balancing maybe a bit awkward. Possibly the Elite Infantry Commander gets a bigger boost to infantry production, than the Elite Tank Commander gets to boost for Tank production, yet it would need to still be better than normal tank production/speed in order to warrant someone spending gold to purchase this elite commander.