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TEAMDYNAMICS TYPE · ILAD

The Tiger Team

The ILAD team excels at moving quickly and nimbly while working through complex problems and plans. Their unstructured communication style and decisiveness makes them both creative and efficient. New ideas emerge frequently and fluidly, and are tested rapidly via fast feedback loops. While the ILAD team tends to be analytical and data-driven, it doesn’t get bogged down by analysis paralysis or unnecessary overhead.

ILAD teams often thrive in startup, tech, or creative environments, but unlike more spontaneous teams, the Tiger Team is also well suited to work on complex problems and projects with many moving parts, that require more deliberate planning and execution. Examples of archetypal Tiger Teams include a group spinning up a new product within a large corporation or a disaster response team deployed to help a community rebuild.

ILAD, The Tiger Team

Informal

Communicators

Information is surfaced and shared organically.

Logical

Processors

Information is evaluated on its own merits without regard to source.

Authoritative

Deciders

Decision is driven by direction from team leadership.

Deliberate

Executors

Plans are thorough, closely followed, and regularly updated.

A SHARED LANGUAGE

Words that typically describe ILAD teams.

Informalflexibleconversationcustomizeddynamic
Logicalexpertiseobjectiveargumentlogic
Authoritativeindividualismdirectioninstructionleadership
Deliberateforecastplanpreparingexpected
01

Characteristics of ILAD teams:

  • Communication is direct and non-hierarchical. New ideas are quickly shared and tested.
  • The team tends to rely data and analysis rather than priors and intuition to figure out what’s going on.
  • Leaders are comfortable making decisions even (or especially) if the team has not reached a consensus. Team members “disagree and commit.”
  • Projects are well planned and tracked, though the team can — and does — adjust direction quickly when needed.
  • The team is well-suited for high-pressure and fast-changing environments, an effective balance of strategic foresight and operational agility.
02

Where ILAD teams excel:

  • ILAD teams excel at balancing the need for swift action with the imperative to avoid errors, a crucial capability in high-stakes situations. Their approach combines fast-paced decision-making with meticulous planning, allowing them to respond quickly without compromising on quality.
  • ILAD teams thrive when working on ambiguous or unstructured problems, especially under tight deadlines. Their ability to dissect complex issues and apply data-driven analysis allows them to quickly devise clear, actionable solutions.
  • The Tiger Team's strengths come to the forefront when tasked with turning around poorly performing projects or aiding in recovery efforts following organizational failures. Their authoritative decision-making and deliberate execution style equip them to implement corrective measures effectively, often rescuing projects at risk of failure.
03

Potential blind spots for ILAD teams:

  • ILAD teams are uniquely susceptible to path dependence—sticking too rigidly to an established plan even when new information has emerged. This can delay necessary changes to strategies, impacting the team's ability to respond to evolving conditions.
  • ILAD teams often adopt regimented, logical approaches to problem-solving, which can sideline more creative or unconventional solutions. This focus on traditional, tried-and-tested methods may prevent the team from exploring innovative approaches that could potentially yield better results.
  • The top-down decision-making style of ILAD teams, coupled with a strong focus on rationality, can sometimes make more relationship-oriented team members feel undervalued. This can lead to a lack of emotional engagement from some team members, potentially affecting team cohesion and morale.
04

Areas of growth for ILAD teams:

  • Set up recurring meetings specifically dedicated to reviewing new data and emerging trends. And during these reviews, assign one or more team members to play the role of devil’s advocate: challenging the current project path and pressure testing assumptions based on the latest data.
  • ILAD teams can improve their decision-making by actively seeking and incorporating diverse viewpoints before finalizing decisions. This can be facilitated by structured discussions that ensure every team member has the opportunity to voice their thoughts and concerns, or by using collaborative decision-making tools that democratize the process.
ILAD quick reference

Keep this overview handy for conversations about how your team works. It describes the team type, not anyone's personal results.

ILAD

The Tiger Team

I
Informal communicators
L
Logical processors
A
Authoritative deciders
D
Deliberate executors

Key characteristics

  • Fast-paced decision-making
  • Direct, no-nonsense communication
  • Action-oriented with a laser focus on results

Working with us

  • Stay flexible and ready to pivot as plans evolve
  • Act decisively and avoid over-analyzing
  • Be solution-oriented (vs. dwelling on challenges)
Download the reference card

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