Some Ideas And People Need to Go

Wednesdays are for Bits and Pieces. This post was prepared 5/29/15 for publication 6/17/15.

Osborne, Larry. Innovation’s Dirty Little Secret: Why Serial Innovators Succeed Where Others Fail. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013. Kindle Electronic Edition.
Chapter 17, “Changing the Rules: Removing Unrealistic Expectations” (Loc. 1758-1864)

Osborne observes that when we bring new advisors into our projects they are likely to suggest change in relationships and structures (Loc. 1759). Here he looks at relational expectations. Changes in these expectations is difficult but, Osborne thinks, necessary. As growth occurs, the leaders necessarily become less available to all. Leadership style must change (Loc. 1784). This leads to some level of frustration on the part of those who are not in leadership. “A major part of successful leadership is seeing what needs to be done, finding a way to get it done, and nudging mildly resistant to strongly resistant people to go places they need to go, but don’t want to go” (Loc. 1784). Osborne compares this to a seating arrangement on a bus. The leader in an organization, including a church, makes people do what he wants. The most challenging changes are when the leader needs to remove other leaders (Loc. 1813). Some will no longer have access to the top leader, will not know how decisions are made, and will not have input. Osborne sees this as normal and healthy (Loc. 1840). Leaders who remain must be willing to lay down their own preference or ultimately leave.