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Conventional wisdom specifies that, when things are not going well or when an unfolding crisis must be managed in real time, control should be centralized. All information is fed to, and orders for action flow from, the person in control. That, it is believed, increases both efficiency and coordination. In fact, central control may be the opposite of what is needed.
When quick and well-informed responses to developing situations are required, autonomy and accountability should be pushed downward, not gathered up.
It is, indeed, hard to dance well under an umbrella that someone else is holding.
Framing a problem is a creative act that is more appropriate for a single talented individual than for an interacting group…. Leaders who overlook the distinction between designing and executing a task risk using teams more often and less appropriately than those who think carefully about whether using a team is actually the best way to carry out a particular piece of work.