Leading outside the lines: How to Mobilize the (in)Formal Organization, Energize Your Team, and Get Better Results

BRINGING AGILITY TO THE UN

MacIntyre’s rise is a classic example of what a fast zebra can accomplish in a fast-paced and high-intensity environment. It is also a great example of how important one’s informal sensitivity can be when the situation is complicated by an entrenched bureaucratic culture. Transferring the informal talents that helped during the campaign to an appointee’s position in the highly formalized world of international diplomacy was a challenge that required Wallace and MacIntyre to stretch their informal organization muscles. MacIntyre astutely saw where the lines were, and she led outside them when necessary.

As Wallace explains, two types of people work at the UN, and they are fundamentally different: political appointees ...