Marina Nitze on why emotional arguments don't move bureaucracies, and what actually does

Defense Disrupted · Apr 10, 2026 · 30m

Every defense leader knows the feeling: the capability exists, the need is real, and the system won't move. Marina Nitze spent years inside the federal government — first as one of the original Presidential Innovation Fellows, then as Crisis Engineer & Partner at Layer Aleph — learning why that happens and, more importantly, how to break through it. Her new book, Crisis Engineering, out April 7, makes a case that cuts against most change management thinking: lasting transformation rarely comes from sustained pressure. It comes from a narrow window, and most organizations miss it entirely.

Ian…