» Nothing fails like success…  » , concluded Arnold J. Toynbee, the eminent British historian, whose twelve volumes work, a study of History (1934-1961) examines the rise and fall of 26 civilizations in the course of human history.

In other words, this conclusion points out that the success of yesterday can be one which will lead to the failure of tomorrow … Why is that so ? What makes the difference between success and failure? The difference lies in the inadequacy of response taken in facing a new challenge which requires a different answer… This could, in reality, very well apply to the business world of the twenty first century and on what we call the « leadership ».

Yesterday as today there are two ways of viewing leadership and management in business.

There are on one hand, the companies that operates on the old paradigm of » the industrial worker » (Stephen Covey), where human resources are perceived as something which is necessary to gain results and achieve profits. According to this approach, management is the art of getting results by influencing the behavior and attitude of individuals and teams. To motivate people it would be necessary to have a very good control and check system – to reward when the attitude is good and to punish when it is not it … But now this approach can only brings frustration and mediocre results.

On the other hand, there are companies which have already adopted the new paradigm, « the knowledge worker », what I would call the responsible pilot employee based on taking into consideration the total individual with a mind, a heart, a body and spirit which also need to be fed if we aim for excellence whatever the state of the road is ! This approach and paradigm recognizes and listen to the total needs of the employee, namely :

– his desire to learn and grow,
– his need for direction, meaning and his need to contribute,
– his need to survive and live
– And finally this need to feel worthy and have is identity visibly recognized

To move from a model of leadership to another, is an issue of paradigm shift (form the Greek word “paradeigma »), that is to say moving the frame of reference or the spectacles through which your perceive the world.

This is what the school at the Mental Research Institute of Palo Alto and in particular Paul Watzlawick called Type 2 kind of change. While Type 1 change aims at the adaptation and preservation of a balance or to preserve an identity, Type 2, aims at the emergence of a new identity, that is to say a transformation. It is no longer a question of modifying habits or behaviors but to change our state of mind itself.

Now, it is no longer enough to be effective or even completely effective. The new era in which we are all embarked, calls for excellence and to achieve this is to put another plan, another level, of adopting a new mindset, a new way of thinking and seeing things … but also to be sure to have the right road map or the right » inner GPS »® to check that you are on the right track !

Would you like to have employees who are « industrial workers » category based on the carrot and the stick or are you ready to lead the pilot employee’s who are co-responsible and who dare to show themselves as innovative ?

Are you ready to transform yourselves, to confront what are your strengths and talents and what can be used in a  » unique world that is still under construction  » ?

Isabelle Bouvier-Chappaz