Happy Thursday,
It’s become cool and sexy for leaders to challenge the status quo. The words “We’ve always done it that way” have become almost the worst thing you can say. There’s some merit to that thinking. In an age of constant change, standing still can mean going backwards. But have we made this idea a little too one-dimensional? What if there is sometimes merit in sticking with “we’ve always done it that way”? What if challenging the status quo isn’t always the smart thing to do? This may feel contrarian, so let’s dig in.
🧠 LEARN something.
We have made this bed, and we are lying in it. We celebrate leaders who challenge the status quo. We’ve created an expectation that good leaders simplify things, remove unnecessary barriers and inefficiencies, and cut through bureaucracy. Not surprisingly, people tend to pay attention to what they’re rewarded for. So leaders end up changing things simply for the sake of changing them. They break the status quo without taking the time to understand why it became the status quo in the first place. That’s not innovation; that’s poorly informed change, and when risks are ignored, it can become reckless. There’s a difference between challenging something because you understand it and challenging something because you don’t understand it and therefore underestimate its value.
There’s an old idea called Chesterton’s Fence that captures this beautifully. In his 1929 book The Thing, the English writer G. K. Chesterton described someone coming across a fence and saying, essentially, “I can’t see any use for this. Let’s remove it.” His response was “If you can’t see the fence’s purpose, that’s precisely when you shouldn’t remove it.” Organisations today are full of these fences: strange policies, clunky processes, unnecessary approvals and meetings that have been happening every Tuesday since approximately the dawn of time. Some absolutely should be ripped down. But sometimes, they are useful, even if no one knows why. Sometimes organisations remember the solution and forget the problem that led to the solution being created. Innovation is not the same as indiscriminate change. Good leaders understand the purpose and consequences of an existing practice before deciding whether to remove, redesign or keep the status quo.
🤔 REFLECT on an idea.
Not understanding or knowing the purpose of something isn’t evidence that it’s stupid. Sometimes it’s evidence that there’s something you don’t understand yet. That’s an important distinction.
😊 SMILE a little.
PROCESS_FINAL_v12_DO_NOT_DELETE_JOHN_2004.xlsx (…IYKYK 😂)
✅ DO IT to get results.
Next time you or your team come across a “fence” that seems to be getting in the way, resist the urge to ask, “Why are we doing this?” Instead, ask, “What led to this (fence) being built here in the first place?” If, after understanding its purpose, you’re convinced it’s no longer needed, rip it down. Until then, not understanding its value is a good enough reason not to remove it.
📣 Decide what I write next.
In case you missed it, here’s a quick reminder. For those who have given me feedback, thank you so much; I really appreciate it.
Instead of sitting here guessing what 6,000+ subscribers want to read about, I thought I’d do something radical and actually ask you! Help me make Leadership Unplugged the best and least clichéd leadership newsletter in the industry. Give me your thoughts. It takes 2 minutes, and if you complete it before 10 September, you’ll go in the draw to win a $100 Prezzy Card.
🌱 How can we support you?
We provide strategic leadership solutions tailored to align with your business strategy, size, and budget. We can support you with:
-
Individual Coaching (for leaders and doers)
-
Team Coaching (for group and leadership teams)
-
Workshops, off-sites, and team building
-
In-house Leadership Programs to suit your scale.
Kia pai tō wiki
Kenny Bhosale
CEO & Founder, The Bridge Leaders
