Guessing is not a strategy: How to build decision velocity with AI and real-time data
June 10, 2026 | Live Webinar
Agility Begins with Responsibility
Doug is the author of the landmark book, Extreme Project Management®: Using Leadership, Principles and Tools to Deliver Value in the Face of Volatility. He works with clients who undertake projects in very demanding environments: those settings that feature high speed, high change, high unpredictability and high stress. Doug has lived in the trenches—from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to Beijing, China—with over 275 project teams with budgets that ranged from $25,000 to over $25 million. He is one of the founders of the Agile Leadership Network, an organization dedicated to connecting, developing and supporting great project leaders. He is known for his hard-hitting and humorous keynote speeches that address vital issues facing today’s project-based organizations. You can visit Doug at www.dougdecarlo.com.
Ants are a good example of agility at its best. This last weekend, in the midst of doing some gardening, I inadvertently trampled on a bustling ant colony. Initially, the ants scattered in all directions, but then regrouped and went about their business as if nothing happened. The adversity didn’t seem to phase them.
If this were a colony of people instead of ants, it would not be uncommon to assemble a committee and launch an investigation: “Whose idea was it to build the colony along a busy walkway?” Although an investigation can be a useful learning experience to prevent future disasters, these are often exercises in finger pointing and then assigning blame. If ants were people, we would likely hear words to the effect of: “I was just following orders.” Or, “I told you guys we should be building the colony two feet more to the east.” Or even, “Great. Now we have to rebuild the mound.”
What’s happening here? In the quest to hold someone accountable for the mistake, no one takes ownership--call it responsibility--for causing the problem or for solving the problem. As a result, resources are diverted, the energy becomes negative and redirected, looking backward rather than moving forward. All this runs counter to the generally accepted meaning of agility: the ability to respond to change. Call it …
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"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one." - Mark Twain |