Following my post on the future of employment, it seems logical that we talk about the future of control. Starting with the early days of the industrial revolution, the information revolution and the now emerging 2.0 revolution one system that is being seriously torn apart is the system of control.
In a world full of Facebook, YouTube, Google, iPhones and multiple presence (read jobs, callings, causes) it is futile to control – at least in a managerial sense. What was weak in the 1.0 era is now getting amplified in the form of individualism, peer-power, crowd power and an amazing array of co-authorship of ideas, products and more.
Leadership is begging buy in. Whatever is left of it is trying to prop itself up on the broken chair of authority. Sure there’s authority but only when powered by people who “choose” to vote for and support that authority. Teams are silently and constantly electing their new leaders.
Position is passe, Passion is in. The exodus of talent from even so called “best-place-to-work-in” organizations is a grim testimony of the mediocrity of leadership in charge. You can control when people report for work but you cannot control their minds and hearts. For that you need a new genre of captains who can excite and enable, who can coach and show how in the uneven playing field of performance.
So is the current organization as we knew it under threat? The answer is “yes” in a lot of ways. Because control is colonial, control is claustrophobic; control is calamity (of epic proportions).
What then are the new verbs that’ll rule?
1. Align : Yes sounds cliché, but unless people are aligned to their roles based on their natural aspirations and abilities you will get what you always got – suboptimal performance. How are you aligning your teams to the big picture?
2. Inspire: It’s amazing how many leaders I have met and worked with think they are inspiration personified; many make the big mistake of mixing up charisma with inspiration. Inspiration is inspiration – an inspiring leader is someone who lifts the whole team up – read Lou Gerstner, Saurabh Ganguly – help me name the next one please
3. Engage : Funny to use it in an organizational or institutional context, but never before has engagement been so critical. What are the platforms and causes that will revitalize conversations within the enterprise and create new energy?
4. Co-create : If associates are going to bring their hearts and minds into the workplace, then you have to provide opportunities for co-creation not only within the enterprise but outside it. Their ideas need to be respected and nurtured, because that is what will provide you your new funnel for jumping your next innovation curve. Has your institution embraced co-creation?
Control is not what it used to be. As for the future of control – there is none!
What are you controlling now?
