ABSTRACT
From sports to investment banking, momentum enhances performance. For teams operating in extreme contexts, however, the momentum–performance relationship is more complicated. Momentum is a necessary force for containing unexpected events through improvisation. Yet, momentum might also spur improvisations that render the team in peril. To counter potential loss or excessive gain of momentum, team leaders carefully attend to it. Regulating momentum, they indirectly enable and constrain team improvisations in response to unexpected events. Our study of team leaders in special operation forces suggests they forego command and control in favor of situational judgment to enable their teams to perform and stay safe in extreme contexts. Focusing on how leaders regulate momentum, we contribute to research on team leadership and improvisation.
