"The IDF is deliberately understaffed at senior levels. It means that
there are fewer senior officers to issue commands," says Edward
Luttwak, a military historian.
This comes from a recent Newsweek article on the Israeli military culture and its uncanny ability to foster innovative and entrepreneurial leaders.
Here's my favorite sentence from the article:
"Fewer senior officials means more individual initiative at the lower ranks."
What if leaders at every level of Campus Crusade intentionally became dumber and allowed space for greater initiative with those below? The most common response I have heard from staff who have failed to take initiative in a critical area of ministry---"I'm not trained/experienced in ________"
I would love to see the expert culture break down and sincerely hold those below us accountable for iteration, trial and error, and guerilla/bootstrap methods.
One more gem:
"Israeli soldiers are not defined by rank; they are defined by what they are good at."
The proof of the IDF's methods is in the people it produces--successful entrepreneurs who frequently come up with innovative and creative solutions to problems that have long gone unsolved.
Have you solved a problem creatively in the last three months?
