Team of Teams: Post #6-- Engineering isn't Leadership

Engineering is Not Leading. For engineers, problem solving is often

the Holy Grail. A set of inputs and expected outputs, a formula, a way to solve it and voila—problem solved.  And if you spot any new problem that looks like the old one, simply apply the same old solution. However, when the problem morphs from day to day, traditional engineers, such as commanders hatched at West Point, had to adapt their problem-solving skills to successfully lead. This is from an insightful foreword to Team of Teams by the author of The Innovators, Walter Isaacson: “Efficiency remains important, but the ability to adapt to complexity and continual change has become an imperative.”

Team of Teams: Post #5--Delegate, not Micromanage

Delegate but Don’t Micromanage. Intuitive to many of us today but less obvious years ago while under the Taylor efficiency shadow, micromanagement of every step in a process is a ticket to frustration and disengagement. McChrystal and his commanders learned that the more delegation down the chain of command a commander allowed, the more likely the decisions made were equally as good as if being made by commanders themselves.

Team of Teams: Post #4--Space

Space Makes a Difference.  Indeed, the physical layout of an enterprise can make a big difference in how the organizational culture grows.  More open and fluid workspaces allow leaders to communicate more openly and efficiently than in an isolated atmosphere. “Serendipitous interaction” takes place when people hang out near each other and can literally bump into each other and share ideas.