Of course, this is all fictional evidence, but something like this ought to be true in real life. The question is under what circumstances this sort of self-organization does better than centralized strategic planning.

From the USMC Warfighting Doctrine manual, pp. 62-63 (PDF pages 64-65):

Our philosophy of command must also exploit the human ability to communicate implicitly. We believe that implicit communication -- to communicate through mutual understanding, using a minimum of key, well-understood phrases or even anticipating each other's thoughts is a faster, more effective way to communicate than through the use of detailed, explicit instructions. We develop this ability through familiarity and trust, which are based on a shared philosophy and shared experience.

(Believe it or not, I didn't add any emphases to the above: the italicized phrases are that way in the original!)

Now, the USMC warfighting doctrine is specifically intended for state-vs-state warfare, so one may take it with a grain of salt as to whether it's suitable for dealing with a barbarian horde or other guerrillas. But, at least it's some non-fictional evidence. ;-)