Networks are the constant throughout human history. Therefore, we propose the Great teams theory by analogy with the Great man theory. It claims that Great teams may actually be the most impactful in history.

We focus on Great men because of their visibility. However, their potential needs an organisation to be fulfilled. They have two choices (and the spectrum between):

• A bureaucracy: an extension of the Great man which will carry his orders. Its impact over time is limited as it becomes dysfunctional with its director's departure.
• A team: simply a part of a network oriented around projects. Members need not to be equals.

For an equal number of members, teams have way more potential since the number of possible teams is exponential (Reed's law) whereas the number of possible links in a network is proportional to the square (Metcalfe's law). Indeed, teams can have overlapping members and contain teams themselves.

The 2005-2015 period was identified as the decade of social networks. There are many suggestions for the next one, such as the decade of market-networks. We suggest team-oriented businesses may also take a prominent role.

A Great team is a team in which Great men dynamics emerge: where each member transcends itself to exactly identify with the team. Rousseau and Voltaire, the Inklings, PARC, many school of thoughts.

Finally, a Great institution is an institution fractally organised with Great teams. The end goal of our theory of history is to build such an institution.

The next step is to study Great teams and understand Great men dynamics.

• Next: Higher-order truth