In their book Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World, General Stanley McChrystal et al.(2015) speak about the British Admiral Horatio Nelson, who came face-to-face with the Spanish Armada at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Outnumbered (33 ships to Nelson’s 27), Admiral Nelson took a chance and changed battle tactics.

Historically, opposing armadas lined up parallel to one another and fired cannons until the other enemy was defeated. Admirals would strategically position their vessels in the middle of the fleets within those lines, acting as…