Name: Team of Teams
ISBN: 9781591847489

Team of Teams

As commander of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), General Stanley McChrystal played a crucial role in the War on Terror. But when he took the helm in 2004, America was losing that war badly: despite vastly inferior resources and technology, Al Qaeda was outmaneuvering America's most elite warriors. McChrystal came to realize that today's faster, more interdependent world had overwhelmed the conventional, top-down hierarchy of the U.S. military. Al Qaeda had seen the future: a decentralized network that could move quickly and strike ruthlessly. To defeat such an enemy, JSOC would have to discard a century of management wisdom, and pivot from a pursuit of mechanical efficiency to organic adaptability. Under McChrystal's leadership, JSOC remade itself, in the midst of a grueling war, into something entirely new: a network that combined robust centralized communication with decentralized managerial authority. As a result, they beat back Al Qaeda. In this book, McChrystal shows not only how the military made that transition, but also how similar shifts are possible in all organizations, from large companies to startups to charities to governments. In a turbulent world, the best organizations think and act like a team of teams, embracing small groups that combine the freedom to experiment with a relentless drive to share what they've learned.

What Hacker News says

guiambrosApr 2023

You seem to be off to a good start; being open and willing to learn is an important trait of great leaders.

Have you reflected on what do you feel is challenging wrt to leading and motivate people? It could be psych safety on the team, your communication style, unclear mission, lack of purpose, high turnover, newly formed team, etc, etc.

It's easier when you have 1-2 areas that you know you need to get better at, and then intentionally invest time and energy. It also helps to make your team aware that you're trying to improve on those areas, so a) you demonstrate vulnerability and effort to improve your own areas for development, and b) you need their help to give you candid feedback, so you can improve more quickly.

Leading teams is probably one of the hardest professional challenges I've ever faced, but it can be incredibly fulfilling as well. I hope you end up enjoying it.

Here's my recommended reading for new-ish managers. These are the books I wish I had read when I first started managing people:

1) Radical Candor, by Kim Scott - https://www.radicalcandor.com/

2) Resilient Management, by Lara Hogan - https://resilient-management.com/

3) Dare to Lead, by Brené Brown (or any of her other books; they all revolve around the importance of vulnerability, of being in the field, being authentic, etc) - https://brenebrown.com/hubs/dare-to-lead/

4) The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni

For experienced managers of managers / Directors, I recommend:

1) What got you here won't get you there, Marshall Goldsmith

2) Team of Teams, Gen. Stanley McChrystal

3) Trillion Dollar Coach

4) How women rise, by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith

5) and get an executive coach ASAP

If you have any specific questions / challenges you're facing, feel free to reach out; email in my profile.

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jshenDec 2022

Become a better story teller and persuader, and learn how to make better decisions and manage risk. A few books that helped me in no particular order …

The Science of Storytelling - Will Storr

Influence - Robert Cialdini

Thinking Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman

Antifragile - Nassim Taleb

How Innovation Works - Natt Ridley

The One Thing You Need to Know - Marcus Buckingham

Team of Teams - General Stanley McChrystal

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antipaulOct 2022

Team of Teams by Stanley McChrystal

Although the first third was a slog (a simplistic history of management), the rest was filled with great insights in every page. I read those very slowly, almost meditating, because it was so good.

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strife25Feb 2022

Everyone recommends The Manager's Path, but I don't think it's a good book to explain HOW to become a manager. The book's goal is to explain the career path of a manager from tech lead to CTO.

My #1 recommendation these days is "Become an Effective Software Engineering Manager" by Jamies Stanier. This book explains how to approach the work a manager is involved in and what you can expect from the day to day. Planning, hard conversations, performance reviews etc.

Also, look for general management books. Leadership is something all humans do – software management is about managing creative people. Some other books I recommend are:

• Creativity, Inc by Ed Matmull • Crucial Conversation • Team of Teams

For email newsletters, I recommend Software Lead Weekly (https://softwareleadweekly.com/) and Better Allies (https://betterallies.com/more-content/).

Lastly, I also write a blog called Build the Stage (https://www.buildthestage.com) about managing SWEs. I've got posts about performance reviews, team meetings, how to give feedback, etc. It'll help you out.

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j_walterFeb 2022

This book was given to me by the president of my company when I was promoted to management. It's a great book and like most of these types of books not all of the information applies, but it does a good job of explaining how to do a better job in a leadership role.

This book along with the following are good for any managers in a technical role: Checklist Manifesto, Team of Teams, Influence: Science and Practice, The New Rational Manager

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neomJun 2021

Good book on building organizational systems that are able to deal with many different situations:

One Mission: How Leaders Build a Team of Teams:

https://www.amazon.ca/One-Mission-Leaders-Build-Teams/dp/073...

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