Starfish, Spiders & the Myth of Decentralization

The CDM Podcast

When it comes to DMM, does a centralized leadership team stifle the small group format? Is it more healthy to have leadership, or to not? The answer is a nuanced and emphatic: Both! The Navy seals have incredible leadership structure but operate in small bands, much like DMM. They accomplish this through incredible leader building with intense accountability. It allows the insight of the boots-on-the-ground operator to do what's best, while still being tied to the larger vision and purpose. Our brains can't move like fingers but they can transmit a single purpose that requires multiple faculties (our shoulder, arm, wrist) to work together to accomplish our goal.

If we pursue DMM with no central leadership, our work will have glaring weaknesses, conspicuous by their absence: 1) A radical commitment to a single vision and purpose. 2) Commitment to constant training, coaching and mentoring. 3) Ruthless Evaluation 4) Radical Accountability 5) A call to Higher Character and Maturity. Today, we unpack all of these and answer many questions like:

• What does it take to have a decentralized team?

• What is appropriate and healthy decentralization?

• What happens when we begin training too soon?

and much more...