Blog #5: Applying the Golden Rule in Business: Lessons from Team of Teams by General Stanley McChrystal

A few years ago as a senior leadership team, we were exploring how we could apply agile working to our entire business, not just in software development. It was then that we discovered General Stanley McCrystal's Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World, which has fundamentally shaped our approach. In this blog, we'll share how we applied our learnings from the book, and the impact they've had as we’ve scaled.

Introduction: The Origin of Team of Teams

General McChrystal, a former military commander, faced a daunting challenge in Iraq in 2003. Despite commanding one of the largest and best-funded military operations in the world, his forces were being outmaneuvered by a smaller, more agile enemy. The solution, McChrystal realized, wasn't just a change in strategy but a fundamental shift in how his teams operated. As a result, he implemented the Team of Teams model, moving from a top-down, "command and control" hierarchy to a networked approach, where small, empowered teams were encouraged to collaborate fluidly to respond to challenges, fast.

In the book, McCrystal reflects on how these same changes are required to make modern organizations effective. Drawing from his experience in Iraq, he argues that traditional organizational structures are inadequate for the complexities of today's volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (aka VUCA) world.

What struck many of us as we read the book was how, despite not being explicitly mentioned, the Golden Rule remains relevant throughout, with McCrystal pointing to empathy, respect, and mutual understanding as the foundations of his team's ultimate success.

What Eagle Eye Learned from Team of Teams

1. Expect the Unexpected

We live in a VUCA world — whether it's a pandemic, changing client needs, or a rogue piece of code, unexpected events continually shift our priorities. Over the last few years, Eagle Eye has transformed from being a predominantly UK-based team into a global business with operations across Europe, North America, ANZ, Singapore, and beyond. As we've scaled, we’ve had to get comfortable with collaborating across new and diverse teams, time zones and sectors. Having the Golden Rule as the foundational ethos in our business has absolutely helped us adapt, meaning we always try to be considerate of others’ circumstances - be they colleagues, customers or partners - ensuring we respond with the adaptability and support we’d want in return. We've learned that to deliver on our objectives, we must not only strive for agility but also be prepared for constant change.

2. Create a Relationship of Trust and Common Purpose

Trust and a shared sense of purpose are critical in any team. At Eagle Eye, our values - Excellence, Integrity, Passion, Innovation, Teamwork, Kindness and Fun - form the foundation of this trust. These values, collectively known as "Purple," guide our behavior and ensure that we treat each other with respect and support, in line with the Golden Rule. Our common purpose, of "powering the personalized marketing revolution" whilst being a gold medal standard business aligns our efforts, helping us to all pull in the same direction. By creating an environment where trust and common purpose are paramount, we are able to build a culture where everyone is treated with respect, feels both seen and heard, and where every member of the team is able to make a difference.

3. Communication and Shared Consciousness

Change is unsettling, but when we understand the reasons behind it, we can embrace it confidently. McChrystal's concept of "shared consciousness" is all about ensuring company-wide alignment of goals and the transparent sharing of information, something we have worked hard to create at Eagle Eye which has been key to successfully navigating change. We've implemented regular communication rituals, from daily stand-ups and weekly "Tea with Teams" meetings to quarterly all-hands and annual company-wide gatherings. These efforts ensure that everyone understands the "why" behind all of our decisions, meaning we can collaborate more effectively. All of these efforts are in the pursuit of treating our team members the way we would like to be treated - by keeping them informed and involved.

4. Lead Like a Gardener: Empowered Execution

One of the most powerful ideas from Team of Teams is McChrystal’s concept of "leading like a gardener." In this model, leaders nurture their teams by providing the resources and support they need while allowing them the autonomy to execute decisions. At Eagle Eye, we believe that the single most important thing about creating an exceptional place to work is how your manager treats you and therefore we encourage our managers to lead with this mindset. Their role is to prepare the ground, select the seeds, to water and feed them, and to keep up with the weeding to ensure their seedlings aren’t overwhelmed. Gardeners can’t change the DNA of the plants they grow, but they can select the right variants and make sure that they have the right conditions for growth – a safe environment with light, water, and nutrients and where they're not eaten by slugs.

One single gardener can grow more than they can eat from a small piece of land. Leadership in my view, is as much about nurture and encouragement as it is about strategy and direction.

After reading Team of Teams, we implemented a new weekly Gardener’s Club meeting for our global senior leadership team which is focused on helping them to become better managers. Some sessions are dedicated to learning (together, we have read and taken actions from a whole host of books including Simon Sinek’s Start With Why, Steve Peters' Chimp Paradox, and of course, Fred Reichheld’s Loyalty Effect and Winning on Purpose, to name a few), others to some of the practical elements around people management including hiring, training, career development, etc., as well as it acting as a safe space for managers to brainstorm, ask for advice from each other and to become a better and stronger team. This has had a fantastic impact on our business and so I would recommend to anyone reading that they think about what their version of a Gardener’s Club might look like within their organization.

Conclusion: The Golden Rule in Action

In an ever-changing, VUCA world, our commitment to the Golden Rule guides our actions as a business. The principles from Team of Teams have helped us build on our culture, highlighting the importance of adaptability, trust, and empowerment. By embracing these lessons, we've become stronger and more resilient, united by our shared values and common purpose. As we continue on this journey, we remain committed to doing our best, both individually and as a team, with the belief that success will come from treating each other with the respect and consideration that we all deserve.

Join the revolution

Please continue to participate in the #GoldenRule revolution. Leave your comments and share examples of where you've experienced the Golden Rule or been part of a highly effective Team of Teams.