"This is a game of wits and will. You've got to be learning and adapting constantly to survive."—Gen. P.J. Schoonmaker, U.S. Army Counterinsurgency Handbook

On and off the battlefield, the range and depth of influence a powerful idea can have when it inspires people—especially those with a smartphone—underscores a paradigm shift in the way organizations come into being, make themselves known, and shape understanding.

In the past, military innovation has produced technology later adapted for mass consumption. Over the last 10 years, as technology has become "global, social, ubiquitous, and cheap," social media enabled insurgent groups like the Taliban in Afghanistan to attain the kind of political impact and battlefield awareness that makes heavy reliance on combat solutions impracticable. This has, in turn, profoundly changed how the military is approaching the battlefield.

To read the full article by Evan Molho of Siegel+Gale, click here.