Wanna know a secret?
There are some clients whose stories take your breath away. Largely because they’re not for public consumption. I have the honor and privilege of working with the U.S. Air Force and a little known innovation university within it called Blue Horizons.
The U.S. military doesn’t launch new technology on a whim. Every innovation—whether it’s drone warfare, AI-assisted strategy, or battlefield robotics—requires aligning dozens of competing interests: policymakers, defense contractors, soldiers on the ground, and the American public.
Sound familiar? If you’re a CIO, you’re likely navigating a corporate battlefield where:
- Leadership wants innovation, but not risk.
- Finance wants ROI, but not uncertainty.
- Operations want stability, but not disruption.
So how does the military align these groups? They master the art of the “Red Team Narrative.”
Relatable Problem: You’re driving an innovation initiative, but stakeholders keep raising objections.
Pro Tip: Borrow the Red Team Narrative to preemptively neutralize resistance:
- List Every Likely Objection: Before presenting your innovation, write down every possible reason someone could say “no.”
- Address Each Objection in Advance: Instead of waiting for resistance, work it into your narrative. Example: “You may be wondering if this will disrupt current workflows. That’s why we designed it to integrate seamlessly with your existing systems.”
- Show a Controlled Test Run: The military rarely deploys new tech at scale immediately. They test small, refine, and prove impact before full rollout. Frame your innovation the same way.
- Find Your Internal Champions: Who inside your company will fight for this innovation? Get their buy-in first, so they advocate when you present to leadership.
Innovation isn’t just about new ideas—it’s about eliminating reasons to say no.
