FOI Blog

By: Lt Col Dave Lyle, USAF

In the classic September 1974 Harvard Business Review article “The Skills of an Effective Administrator”, Robert Katz described three main areas of expertise that define the competency of a good administrator, based not on the personal qualities of the executive, but rather upon what good executives do, and the “three basic developable skills” they need to do them:

It…

Change has always been a constant in human affairs; today, indeed, it is one of the determining characteristics of our civilization… More important for our immediate purpose, America is fundamentally an industrial society in a time of tremendous technological development. We are thus constantly presented with new devices or new forms of power that in their refinement and extension continually bombard the fixed structure…

(Note – all bolded passages within quotes are highlights by the author of the post)

Of the three components of our model of innovation, Tools - and more specifically, artifacts of technology that allow us to do things that we can’t do with our physical bodies alone - are usually the one most easily associated with innovation. They provide tangible evidence of growth and progress, with their importance as visible…

“Other officers told me how they had seen the Hussars charging into the Jerry tanks sitting on the tops of their turrets more or less with their whips out. ‘It looked like the run-up to the first fence and the point-to-point’ the adjutant described it. The first action was very typical of a number of those early encounters involving cavalry regiments. They had incredible enthusiasm and dash, and sheer exciting courage…

(Note – all bolded passages within quotes are highlights by the author of the post)

Innovation starts with Ideas – the realization that something new is possible once old things are seen in new ways.  Thus, it’s very important to understand how knowledge and insight are created both individually and in groups if one wishes to posture themselves to encourage successful innovations.

In the American Civil…

(Note – all bolded passages within quotes are highlights by the author of the post)

How should we scope and understand the dynamic processes behind innovation, in order to better set ourselves up for success?  How have other military thinkers done it in the past?

In his highly respected essay “An Imperfect Jewel: Military Theory and the Military Profession”, Harold R. Winton explained General George A…

Lt Col Dave Lyle, USAF

Innovation is a major theme in our organizational strategies and strategic communications in both the Department of Defense and the Department of the Air Force, and for good reason: 

• Our era of protracted conflict shows no sign of abating, while great power rivalries are increasingly coming to the fore
• Our current plans for force structure and employment are unsustainable given our internal fiscal…

Photo courtesy of The Association for Intelligent Information Management

When it comes to our data on the Internet, there is nothing more frustrating that Big Tech companies controlling it and is most cases owning it.  Social Media platforms are one example of big tech companies owning, controlling and in some cases denying access through unilaterally censoring accounts. 

What can be done?  In this examination of the future…

Its no new years resolution that everyone will use more AI in the new year.  We don't really have a choice, as its already plugged into seemingly normal activities, like texting, advertisements that bomb you Facebook feed and the ever present apps we can't do without.  The one big resolution big tech companies are committing to in 2022 is low code and no code AI platforms.  We must recognize that these are like …