The structures, strategies, and warfighters built for the Industrial Age won’t work for the fights of tomorrow. Sense-making and decision-making are too slow. Building a culture of innovation and adaptability requires intentional and sustained effort at all levels: tactical to strategic, from accessions to the highest echelons of leadership, including not only education, but also personnel placement to get optimal return on the education and experiential investment.
“Wartime adaptation is founded on peacetime innovation and the form of learning culture that is established in military institutions. All wars are ultimately human endeavors…the two most important factors in determining victory or defeat are: 1) The soundness of the military strategy 2) The nimbleness with which it can adapt to unforeseen circumstances.” – Maj Gen (Australia) Mick Ryan (retired)
The key to victory in future conflicts will be the speed at which the US Military, Allies, and Partners can identify and adopt, in concert with academia and industry, novel ways to outwit and outflank the enemy in all domains. We must “practice how we play,” and innovation is mastered by deliberately practicing these skills. Innovation education accelerates the pace of learning and builds greater creative capacity within our force. We need to build these skills and relationships now—throughout the range of ranks and responsibilities—in order to leverage them later.
The IEA helps leaders build large ecosystems based on their needs, assess and grow their talent, and put them in position to win.
