Adm Sam Paparo, commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, emphasized that leadership must take responsibility for risks to enable faster innovation within teams.
He stated that relying on middle managers, often criticized as the “frozen middle,” to decide on risky moves slows progress and hinders change.
Culture Shift Needed to Move Faster Than Committees
Paparo explained this during a Q&A session at the Shangri-La Dialogue, highlighting the need for the US military to move away from a culture that “operates at the speed of committee instead of the speed of combat.”
To achieve this shift, leaders must actively “eat risk” rather than passing it down to middle managers who may feel pressured or blamed for resistance to change.
Middle Managers Often Blamed as the Frozen Middle
“The young people and the old people gang up on the middle-aged people, by calling them the frozen middle,” Paparo noted.
He advised leaders to empower their teams by providing official permission to “go break the rules” through formal letters or endorsements bearing their names.
This approach, he said, encourages teams to innovate rapidly and take bold steps without fearing individual consequences.
Private Sector Innovation Accelerates Military Technology
Paparo’s comments come as the US military increasingly integrates cutting-edge technologies developed by private venture-backed companies, moving away from traditional acquisition models.
For instance, Anduril and Meta recently partnered to develop extended reality headsets for the military, funded through private capital without taxpayer money.
Urgency to Speed Up in Indo-Pacific Region
The admiral warned that accelerating decision-making and development processes is critical for maintaining the military’s edge, especially in the Indo-Pacific region.
Although he did not directly name China as a threat during the panel, other officials, such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have publicly expressed concern over China’s military expansion and potential for conflict.
Leadership Responsibility Is Key to Innovation
Paparo’s message is clear: to keep pace with evolving global challenges, military leadership must lead by assuming risk and empowering innovation at every level.