I'm currently listening to an account of the de-centralized command structure Gen Stanley Mcchrystal put in place to combat Al Quaeda in Iraq and the taliban in Afghanistan. One thing that is clear is that in a fast paced environment (be that the theater of war or a start up) top down rigid command doesn't work. All this is really saying that the the organization that gets through a feedback loop as fast as possible wins. You can call that the OODA loop, lean, holocracy or whatever you want.

I'm strongly in favor of giving up centralized control in the interests of allowing emergent behavior to tackle opportunities as fast as possible. Leadership to me should be:

* Set the direction

* Gather smart, motivated people

* Create an environment that gets everyone on the same page

* Get the fuck out of their way.