HBR On Strategy
How to Push for Change in a Large Organization
Mar 12, 2025
Maria Roche, a Harvard Business School professor specializing in innovation management, joins U.S. Air Force Major Victor Salsa-Lopez, who spearheaded AI initiatives in defense. They discuss the hurdles of driving innovation within bureaucracies and how the Department of Defense has surprisingly contributed to tech advancements since WWII. The conversation highlights the role of AI in optimizing military operations, the challenge of integrating new technologies in legacy organizations, and contrasting the innovation landscapes of government versus private sectors.
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Quick takeaways
- Major Victor Salsa-Lopez's approach highlights the necessity of restructuring teams within bureaucracies to enhance innovation in adopting AI technologies.
- The AI Accelerator initiative represents a strategic shift towards ethical AI integration in defense, promoting transparency and collaboration with leading institutions like MIT.
Deep dives
Challenges of Innovation in Bureaucracies
Fostering innovation within large bureaucratic organizations presents unique challenges that require a strategic approach. Major Victor Salsa-Lopez's work in the U.S. Air Force exemplifies the difficulties of implementing new technologies like AI in such environments. Traditional hierarchies create inertia, making change daunting as processes are often entrenched within established routines. To counter this, initiatives like the AI Accelerator propose a restructuring of teams to operate independently from bureaucratic constraints, enhancing agility and innovation.
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