INSIGHTS

I have started to wonder whether many organizations are prepared for a world where employees can improve the way work gets done faster than the organization can evaluate, approve, or scale those improvements. If anything, that increases the importance of leadership. The opportunity is no longer simply creating improvement. It is building organizations that can recognize it, learn from it, and respond quickly enough to keep pace with the people doing the work.

Work plays a much broader role in people’s lives than we sometimes acknowledge in organizational discussions. It provides identity. Not in a superficial sense, but in a way that helps people understand who they are and how they fit into the world. It provides structure. It creates rhythm, expectations, and a sense of forward movement. It provides contribution. It gives people a way to apply their skills and effort toward something that produces value. And it provides dignity

Whether you are a startup or a private/public company needing innovation from within, growth often is hampered by needing to hire the...