of the sheer volume of possible interactions and outcomes.
Ambiguity: describes a specific type of uncertainty that results from differences in interpretation when contextual clues are insufficient to clarify meaning. Ironically, “ambiguous” is an ambiguous term, whose definition changes subtly depending on the context of its usage. For our purposes here, it refers to the difficulty of interpreting meaning when context is blurred by factors such as cultural blindness, cognitive bias, or limited perspective. At the strategic level, leaders can often legitimately interpret events in more than one way, and the likelihood of misinterpretation is high.3
How, then, can innovation, creativity, and adaptability help us deal with the VUCA world? Innovation often focuses on hardware: in the previous century, it was submarines and carrier-launched aircraft; today it is directed energy, drones, and other scientific breakthroughs. But in reality, innovation is about a great deal more than hardware. Leaders, both in and out of the military, must have adaptive and agile minds, able to operate efficiently in spite of this level of near chaos. Developing open minds, willing and able to consider new ideas, is facilitated by formal education programs such as those offered at the Naval War College and other professional military education institutions; through self-directed exposure to the thoughts of others by participating in programs such as the Chief of Naval Operations Professional Reading Program (CNO-PRP); and through involvement with the numerous interest groups and blogs that have proliferated on the internet. Professional competency in one’s chosen field is fundamental, but taking the next steps to expand your vision beyond your in-box is critical to becoming an innovator.
At this point, a few words about the nature of innovation are in order. As a baseline, it is interesting to note that a simple Google search on the term “innovation” delivers more than 127 million hits in less than a half-second! (The fact that you can access this level of information with a few keystrokes is itself remarkable evidence of innovation.) Much has been written on the subject, and one can find some consensus on the factors necessary to create an environment in which innovative and adaptive thinking can thrive. It has been suggested that in industry, government, academia, and in other fields, leaders should:
1. Stress the importance of creative thinking, and be open to new ideas.
2. Allocate time—“white-space” if you will—in busy schedules, to allow new ideas to arise.
3. Cross-fertilize: Encourage discussions between diverse individuals who may bring new insights based on their experiences. We should avoid talking only to people with similar backgrounds and training. We should seek to step outside of our comfort zone.
4. Tolerate mistakes and encourage mental “risk-taking.”
5. Reward creativity. Individuals with creative and adaptive minds are a valuable commodity and should be prized and protected.
6. Act on ideas. Great ideas and new concepts are only worthwhile if they result in action.
Hopefully these thoughts, consisting of just over one hundred words, provide some practical examples of steps we can take to foster innovation in whatever line of work we lead. The validity of these broad steps will be addressed in many of the articles reproduced in this Wheel Book.
Certainly, the process of encouraging innovation is not easy and there have always been impediments to change. Noted British military historian and theorist B. H. Liddell Hart is famously quoted as saying, “The only thing harder than getting a new idea into the military mind is to get an old one out.”4 I would argue that this sentiment applies equally to non-military minds, which are also conditioned by a lifetime of experiences to seek comfort in the familiar, and to remain cautious about the new and the unknown. Regardless of how difficult it may be, I argue that we must be innovative and adaptive if only because our enemies most certainly will be.
In addressing the subject of change, American historian and author Williamson Murray has noted:
It is clear that we live in an era of increasingly rapid technological change. The historical lesson is equally clear: U.S. military forces are going to have to place increasing emphasis on realistic innovation in peacetime and swift adaptation in combat. This will require leaders who understand war and its reality, as well as implications of technological change. Imagination and intellectual qualities will be as important as the specific technical details of war-making. The significant challenges here are how to inculcate those qualities widely in the officer corps and what are the peacetime metrics.5
Murray further stated:
It is all too easy to suggest that the American military needs to be more adaptive and imaginative in the twenty-first century. How to do so is the real question. Again, the answer is a simple matter, but its realization represents extraordinary difficulties because it involves changing military cultures that have evolved over the course of the past century. And cultural change in large organizations represents an effort akin to altering the course of an aircraft carrier.6
Innovation, from a military strategist’s perspective, is the single greatest guarantor of success. Inability to innovate—especially in the modern world—is a guarantor of failure. Returning once again to Murray:
A crucial piece of the puzzle for successful adaptation lies in the willingness of senior military leaders to reach out to civilian experts beyond their narrowly focused military bureaucracies. No matter how expert senior officers may be in technical matters, they can rarely, if ever, be masters of the technological side of the equation. Thus, real openness to civilian expertise in the area of science and technology must form a crucial portion of the process of adaptation.7
Similar factors drive successful innovation in peacetime as drive successful adaptation in war. Both involve imagination and a willingness to change; both involve imagination as to the possibilities and potential for change; and both demand organizational cultures that encourage the upward flow of ideas and perceptions, as well as direction from above. Particularly important is the need for senior leaders to encourage their staff and subordinates to seek out new paths. Both involve intellectual understanding as well as instinct and action.8
Much has been written over the years trying to explain and rationalize the nature of military innovation. Some suggest that innovation is more likely to occur in times of peace, when resources (R&D funding and research time) may be more plentiful. Others argue that innovation and adaptation are more likely to succeed during combat, when the stakes are higher and immediate results can be measured through changes on the battlefield. There is no “right answer.” In a similar manner, some researchers hold that innovation must come from a uniformed “maverick” able to push his ideas through unyielding bureaucracies and seniors in the chain-of-command, while others theorize that innovation must come from outside the armed services themselves, from civilian leaders in the executive and legislative branches of government. Again, there is no single “right answer” or clear path. Historical examples can be found to support each perspective, and some will be offered for consideration in the articles that follow.
Since the U.S. Naval Institute is, by design, the “Independent Forum of the Sea Services,” this Wheel Book has an appropriately saltwater flavor. In recognition of this fact, mention should be made of the fact that in 2012, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert, USN, in a desire to encourage creative thinking in the naval service, created the Chief of Naval Operations Rapid Innovation Cell (CRIC), which is hosted by the Navy Warfare Development Command (NWDC). According to an 11 September 2013 NWDC press release, the purpose of the CRIC is
to provide junior leaders with an opportunity to identify and rapidly field emerging technologies that address the Navy’s most pressing challenges. The CRIC capitalizes on the unique perspective and familiarity that junior leaders
