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By Giles Hutchins
We are in the midst of a metamorphic period of change unlike anything the world has seen since the late Middle Ages. With “meta” (meaning “form”) and “morph” (meaning “change”), the word suggests the transformative change in form of human institutions now emerging as we awaken to the realities of climate change and the destruction of ecosystems we have long relied upon for our survival. As the organization specialist Peter Drucker insightfully said, "In times of turmoil, the danger lies not in the turmoil but in facing it with yesterday’s logic."
Nowhere is this metamorphic change more evident than in the way business organizations are being managed and led. The ideal of ‘organization-as-machine,' which was dominant throughout the 20th century, is now giving way to an ideal of ‘organization-as-living-system.’
Increasingly, as our organizational context requires us to become ever more emergent, innovative and adaptive, so leadership must become more about empowering, empathizing, encouraging interconnections, innovation, learning, local attunement, reciprocating partnerships and an active network of feedback. As such, the aim of leaders becomes more focused on nurturing conditions in which the organizational living system can learn, unlock its creative potential, and flourish in a purposeful and coherent way, so that it can create and deliver value while being mindful of the wellbeing of all the people it serves and the wider fabric of life to which it relates. This is not some utopian dream; it’s happening now as you read this article.
Enter a myriad of organizations thriving amid uncertainty by applying living-systems logic: the healthcare provider Buurtzorg, the bank Triodos, the employment agency Vaga, the high-tech manufacturer W.L Gore & Associates, the global network of social-enterprise community centers Impact Hub, the multimedia provider Sounds True, and the Brazilian manufacturer Semco, to name a few.
To aid this transformation, here are five important areas for leaders and change agents to focus on in these transformational times:
Image courtesy of the author
Speaker, author, adviser Giles Hutchins’ latest book is Future Fit:
‘Essential and timely’ Dr. Scilla Elworthy, Author and Founder of the Oxford Research Group
‘A must-read’ Bob Willard, Author and Speaker, Sustainability Advantage
‘Brilliant’ Richard Barrett, Chairman and Founder of The Barrett Values Centre
‘A masterpiece’ Mark Drewell, Founder of The Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative
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