by Stanley A. McChrystal
The Izzy Way Book Review
Team of Teams is a fascinating read. While heavily focused on winning the Afghan war from the lens of the US Military, it shed light on how the old school approach to hierarchical leadership and leading with authority no longer works. As a leader, one needs to consider what their team lacks on staying current and shifting left in thinking; no longer order takers and moving more towards strategic thinking. Overall, the book amplified my internal networking, executing plans, and adapting to a new level.
Some key takeaways from the book:
- Complicated to complex. As we introduce new technologies, the work becomes more complex and demands new approaches at light speed. As a leader, you must be ready to shift how you lead (from authority to influence).
- The more you try to optimize a complex system entirely, the more impact the total system’s ability to adapt. As a leader, you need to make sure your team can function without you so they can lean on each other to adjust when needed. High-performing teams don’t need micromanaging, and they need to figure out the how without a lot of input from you.
- Organizational charts that are tidy and full of information on roles and responsibilities make teams messy. Now, you do need some organizational structure, but 100% of outcomes, if done well, will not be achieved by a group, especially if you need to adapt to the ever-changing technological, social, and political landscape.
I could go on for pages of what I have gained as a leader by reading and implementing the concepts in the book. However, I suggest you read it and learn about the needs and processes to adapt and shift from command and control leadership to a “team of teams”. Who knows, you might like “leading like a gardener”.
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