Positive Disruption for People Leaders

​I've lived that corporate life. I was all about that life. And early on in my career, I was just trying to assimilate, to clip my wings so that I fit in. I was successful at mimicking the people who were in power. But at a certain point, I realized I was just an actor on stage, as opposed to being authentically myself. And I feel like that's a systemic issue. We hire these bright, talented, enthusiastic people, and then we just neuter them, and try to force them into a mold that probably isn't helping us be successful in the first place.

The whole concept of self-managing structures and working on purpose as opposed to a job is fascinating. Everyone listening to this can probably think of a situation where they've seen an employee working that way, but they've got a leader that is not accepting of that manner. So, as we think about this future state of work and management structures, what are those specific aspects of leadership that we need to cultivate and screen for, so that we're set up for success in the future of organization?

We started seeing these warning signs four or five years ago when we would have, at that point, considered them idealists who would quit because they just don't feel like they're working on their own personal mission. They feel like the organization's mission is incongruent with what their personal mission is. And they want to work for a company that's helping fulfill their personal intrinsic value set, which is just something I didn't hear 10, 15, or 20 years ago. It's a very different landscape than it used to be.

Many HR practitioners are looking for a new way to do the work they're passionate about. Many of them are disenfranchised with the work they've been asked to do over the last many years of their careers. So, as we take a look at HR specifically, what are some specific areas that are just ripe for disruption? Where do we need to start to push back?

Sometimes it's just about that incrementalism, where it's just a little bit better yourself every day. Whether that's an interaction with an employee, helping coach a manager, taking a course, reading an article, or just having a conversation with someone about a new idea.

At the end of the day, it's all about positive disruption fostering innovation. It's about creating an environment where people can bring their full selves to work and where they can feel like they're making a difference. We need to cultivate leaders who are willing to listen and learn from their employees, who are willing to take risks and try new things, and who are willing to push the envelope to make their organizations better. Only then can we truly create a workplace that fosters innovation and drives success.