Changing the Way We Assess Leadership

Defense leaders face unprecedented challenges of accelerating change in a world without a Cold War. The technology explosion is forcing reduced cycle times as acquisition leaders lead the way to “better, faster, and cheaper.” Specific initiatives and reforms such as single process initiative, electrical combat/electronic data interchange (EC/EDI), cost as an independent variable, and increased emphasis on commercial specifications helped accomplish this. The challenges, however, will not go away. The acquisition community cannot meet these demands simply by implementing the reform efforts of the Colleen Preston (former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense [Acquisition Reform]) era. To ensure that cost, schedule, and performance are continually improved, change must be inextricably linked to both the “thinking” and the “doing” of the T.S. Eliot quote below. Change is required at the organizational level, the team level, and the personal level, so the acquisition community can operate effectively and efficiently within a constrained budget and with fewer people. To effect this transformation, leaders must lead differently. Einstein’s insight reflects this imperative: “No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it; we must learn to see the world anew.” Continuing to do what we have always done will only get us what we already have. Better, faster, and cheaper weapons systems, flexible management systems, and empowered integrated product teams are required to produce new results.