As a recent graduate, I’ll also add in that the assumptions we have about the ways we evaluate success also need re-thinking. Static assessment philosophy is just as bad as static production philosophy. 

I’m looking for methods that can be used to argue for new assumptions – times when business-based cases will be difficult or impossible to make. Otherwise, it looks like we’re left to wait until someone else takes action and proves that a different philosophy works. 

The saying goes, ‘the fish rots from the head’ and as leaders, we need to be letting go of the way it was done in the past and grabbing on to market changes as they occur. If the leader isn’t right, neither is the business. 

In my opinion, we as the modern company, should not actually have anything breakable in it, but rather malleable. Leaders and employees alike should be flexible in their thinking and approaches, prepared to change with the landscape.

Those that attempt to hold on to past and then at the same time go forward into the future are a bit like like Tarzan, as he swings through the jungle from vine to vine. If he was to hold on to the last vine and the next vine at the same time, he would be static. Organisations are the same, if they are too scared to firstly, break their existing processes/sacred cows, they too will be static and eventually fail (or be able to swing through the jungle, to continue the Tarzan reference). 

Also, as a leader, constantly breaking things might eventually be detrimental to (a) the health of the business & (b) the length of the leaders tenure. What I would suggest is the key as a leader is to make an organization malleable, prepared to change and avoiding those sacred cows getting too comfortable in the first place…

Mike…

Thanks for bringing out this thought: “we change in response to discomfort.” This is a very common position adopted by many – it’s also a big problem. While it’s never too late to change, and discomfort is certainly a legitimate catalyst for change, why wait for the pain to be inflicted before waking up? My premise is savvy leaders implement change to avoid discomfort, not in reaction to it – it’s a vision thing. If you wait until the truck runs you over to realize you should have moved, you’re too late. Thanks for pointing this out Mike. Great contribution to the thought stream.  

Welcome and thanks for the kind words. There are few places in need of disruptive innovation like our school systems. Thank you for caring enough to make a difference in the lives of our next generation of leaders.