Lessons from "Ender's Game"

Reading Orson Scott Card's excellent book "Ender's Game" Ender's retrospective upon learning of his pending transfer:

"What have I learned so far?"  Ender listed things in his mind . . . .

. . .  The enemy's gate is down;  Use my legs as a shield in battle;  A small reserve held back until the end of the game can be decisive; and, soldiers can sometime make decisions that are smarter than the orders they've been given.

The Enemy's Gate is Down

In the context of the book - this is all about knowing your objective.  Deploy your project team based on the project's objective(s) - not dogma unrelated to your specific project environment.

Use my legs as a Shield in Battle

This one is a stretch - Pass :)

A Small Reserve Held Back Until the End of the Game can be Decisive

A small reserve schedule and or financial reserve held until the end of the project can be decisive.

Soldiers can sometimes make decisions that are smarter than the orders they've been given

This is the money line!  Don't micromanage!  Instead surround yourself with brilliant people, make sure they understand the objectives, and let them make decisions using their knowledge and perspective.

Command and Control === BAD!

Autonomy === AWESOME!