14 June 2009

Withing paradigm versus between paradigms (or, management versus leadership once again)

"You manage within a paradigm.
You lead between paradigms."

- Joel Barker, Paradigms


Very wise words.

It's easier to act within paradigms. People like the safe-side of a well stablished paradigm and dislike the shaky ground of a new mindset. But sometimes you have to take the unpopular call and lead the organization to the next paradigm. Evolution, even with resistence. Puting out your neck on the axe's range is not easy. Sometimes people will hate you because you are "changing how things are done to this crazy new way". But, if it's a good call, the reward of the new and better new paradigm pays off.

I think, as a CEO of an organization that needs a big deal of evolution to keep relevant and competitive in these mutant times, I will experienced a lot of that. In fact, I started experiencing it already, by changing the financial incentives and responsibilities of our local AIESEC Norway chapters.

So, what are the things that us leaders can do to move to move our organizations and teams to the next paradigm without so much bumps on the way? What do you think?

And what if we are wrong, the new paradigm is not the right one? How to be sure? (In fact I guess there's no answer to this one).

1 comment:

  1. First of all we should break all these paradigms separing what is a fact from waht is a belief...

    Most of paradigms are created by people's beliefs, and most of theirs beliefs are based on people's own experience, which is so singular and "simple" because it's based on a single person point of view.

    What does this mean? It means that, sometimes, people generalize things based on their own experience creating beliefs that are not really true (maybe things are true for one people, but not for everyone, what makes this generalization a "false" thing)...

    For instance: "Eating watermelon and milk together will create a rock into your stomach..." Or: "If people laugh at me means that they hate me...". Maybe these beleifs were true for a very single person in a singular context and life experience, but they are not necessarily true for everyone.

    About being sure of a new paradigm (here is the paradox), you should believe (hehe) that the newer paradigm is better that previous one. How to be sure about that? Basing your beliefs on real facts (not that ones created by our creative minds).

    I hope this helps :P

    Xande

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.