You are not a bystander!
I’ve been reflecting lately on leadership and agency. As one does. And when I think about agency in organizational life, I’m always reminded of an incident that happened to me years ago when I worked at a large company. (By the by, bonus points if you noticed that I used the phrase “happened to me” in an article about agency!)
I had run into a senior leader from my company in the men’s room. Well, not literally run into. That could have been, shall we say, inelegant. We had one of those quick urinal conversations. He asked me how I was enjoying my new role in a line-marketing position. I told him what I liked about it. He then said something like “those standalone innovation groups never work in big companies” — referring to my previous role on just such a group.
We then had one of those quick washing-the-hands conversations and parted company.
Oh, I did zip up in case you’re wondering, but that is not an important part of the story. I’m only telling you because I don’t want you to think I’m one of those guys who talks about innovation at urinals and then doesn’t zip. You know the type…
Anyway, it occurred to me later what an interesting thing had transpired. This senior leader had told me about what doesn’t work in the company as if he was not part of the very machinery that makes things work or not work. As if what works or doesn’t work is a matter of destiny and cannot be determined — or even influenced — by the will of a senior leader such as himself. How astounding!
On one hand, I would point out that this fatalistic attitude is precisely what dooms us to mediocrity. I would argue that we all need to charge forward as leaders. To take risks in line with our passions. To constantly seek out excellence in ourselves and inspire it in others. I would argue that such an approach to our careers — and, more importantly, to life — is what should determine what does and does not work. I love James Baldwin’s quote on the matter: “Those who say it can’t be done are usually interrupted by others doing it.” We too easily acquiesce to the apparent impossibility of an objective.
On the other hand, there is a certain truth to what this leader was saying. Should passion require us to entirely ignore experience? Does success require this? I don’t think it does.
The fact is that people and institutions learn habits. And habits are very hard to undo. Institutional habits, in particular, are notoriously difficult to disrupt. And people who try usually end up headless.
So what to do? Well, at this moment I feel duty-bound to tell you that this is not one of those articles that gives you the answer. But maybe it will help you think it through a bit and impress on you the urgency of answering this for yourself.
It seems to me that institutions that cannot or will not change their fundamental operating model are headed for extinction. For some reason, people at big companies find that hard to believe in a way that folks at scrappy startups do not. Even though the business landscape is littered with very big failed companies, people always think it cannot possibly happen to their company. But happen it can. (Mmmmmm. Very powerful is the dark side.)
In my darker moments, I think most institutions will eventually destroy themselves because they cannot change. Really change. They have too many things that just “never work”. We should cheer the passing of these institutions because when they pass, they clear the way for progress.
But that progress comes at a great cost to the many individuals whose work and lives are painfully disrupted by the death of the institution from whence their livelihood comes. It would be far better if we all could learn to adapt better — as individuals and as members of institutions. I certainly would love to see much more jumping into the breach, much more heroism, much more refusal to accept the status quo. I am inspired by such people and I hope to similarly inspire others. I feel sad for people who have accepted in their hearts that they are merely spectators. And I feel especially sad when those people are influential and condemn not only themselves, but many more to lives of mediocrity. Don’t be one of those people.
