The Living Organization
The Living Organization™
Norman Wolfe
There is a change rippling through the ranks of corporate leadership, a generational shift in the ranks of CEOs and other corporate executives. It is a shift from those who were raised during World War II and moved into leadership roles during the 70s and 80s, to those who were raised in the post-Vietnam era and assumed their leadership roles in the 90s and turn of the century. Where previous generations relied on the traditional military, hierarchical, command and control form of leadership, the new generation focuses on the power of teams, global collaboration and empowerment of employees. These new leaders are experiencing the limitations of existing business models and are sense the need for something more. It is not that the old models are wrong, in fact many of the elements of those models are still necessary today, but are proving insufficient to meet the needs of today’s leaders, navigating the business environment of the 21st century. If the current economic crisis has taught us anything, it is that the future will not look like the past. In fact this economic crisis partially resulted from decision making that relies on a business model that does not provide our leaders with enough detail and insight into the impacts of their decisions. This paper is for those new leaders who are seeking to better understand and navigate the complex dynamics impacting their organizations. It presents the foundation of a new business model, keeping what is valid from its predecessor models, adding new concepts to create a consolidated framework that brings it all together. This whitepaper provides today’s leaders a new, more detailed map to navigate the complex business world of this century. It is the precursor to the book of the same title that will more fully describe the application of The Living Organization™ model to leading organizations in the 21st century.
The Need for a New Map
A detailed map helps us understand where
Norman Wolfe
There is a change rippling through the ranks of corporate leadership, a generational shift in the ranks of CEOs and other corporate executives. It is a shift from those who were raised during World War II and moved into leadership roles during the 70s and 80s, to those who were raised in the post-Vietnam era and assumed their leadership roles in the 90s and turn of the century. Where previous generations relied on the traditional military, hierarchical, command and control form of leadership, the new generation focuses on the power of teams, global collaboration and empowerment of employees. These new leaders are experiencing the limitations of existing business models and are sense the need for something more. It is not that the old models are wrong, in fact many of the elements of those models are still necessary today, but are proving insufficient to meet the needs of today’s leaders, navigating the business environment of the 21st century. If the current economic crisis has taught us anything, it is that the future will not look like the past. In fact this economic crisis partially resulted from decision making that relies on a business model that does not provide our leaders with enough detail and insight into the impacts of their decisions. This paper is for those new leaders who are seeking to better understand and navigate the complex dynamics impacting their organizations. It presents the foundation of a new business model, keeping what is valid from its predecessor models, adding new concepts to create a consolidated framework that brings it all together. This whitepaper provides today’s leaders a new, more detailed map to navigate the complex business world of this century. It is the precursor to the book of the same title that will more fully describe the application of The Living Organization™ model to leading organizations in the 21st century.
The Need for a New Map
A detailed map helps us understand where