Change is difficult in any organization, especially huge Federal organizations like the Department of Defense (DOD). Yet even in the military, with rigid obedience to orders and hierarchy, subject to strict central control and bureaucracy, some leaders manage to change quickly and successfully. The few people who have successfully changed DOD practices are particularly good at adaptation, overcoming constraints in an organization almost inherently hostile to adaptability. They offer great lessons for business managers. Since the U.S. military provides both positive and negative lessons, this article also draws from successful hedge funds to lay out a thorough set of recommendations for making an organization more adaptable. This article offers 14 lessons from military and hedge fund experiences on how to make an organization more adaptable and capable of avoiding, recovering from, or even profiting from Black Swan events.
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