Seven Lessons for Radical Innovation

You must read Obama’s Seven Lessons for Radical Innovators. Written by Umair Haque, it is truly astute look at the organizational excellence of the Obama team. Haque identifies seven areas of performance where the Obama organization excelled:

• The Obama organization was self-organizing: Though disciplined and structured they had an extended organization that created opportunities for growth and wealth generation without the need for direction.
• The organization was highly elastic and resilient: I would say it was, at times, downright aiki. When attacked by the McCain camp, it used the attack to generate positive value and wealth generation.
• They minimized “strategy”: Rather than the cunningness or cleverness that often comes with strategy (especially political strategy) they let principles, meaning and hope lead the way.
• They maximized purpose: (I love this quote) “yesterday, we built huge corporations to do tiny, incremental things – tomorrow, we must build small organizations that can do tremendously massive things.”
• The Obama team unified markets: Forget demographic segmentation. Embrace demographic unification. Simply, stand for hope.
• Obama wields thick power: The Bush administration wielded the coercive power of fear. Thick power leverages the capacity to create inspire, lead and empower
• Obama understands the asymmetrical power of ideals: Competitive advantage assumes you’re playing by the same 20th century rules. (Here comes another great quote!) “In the 21st century, there is nothing more asymmetrical – more disruptive, more revolutionary, or more innovative — than the world-changing power of an ideal.” 

Tags: asymmetrical power, obama, organizational resilience, self-organizing, strategy

The Real Work Begins

The election of Obama is an opportunity for those of us with the courage, vision, accountability and commitment to start the Real Work. That is the work of changing the way we think about our selves, each other and the way we see and act in “the world”–A world that lies not outside of us but within and around us.

We permeate each other; life is inextricably connected and dependent on all other life. We must know this deeply and live it authentically.

And as we do…

We will create new economic models that profit from leveraging eco-logical principles. Why? Because these principles are the bottom line principles of exchange, growth, development and change. You want sustainable economy? Go learn from the mountains.

We will emerge new organizational models that do not rely on boxes & arrows, gears and oil.

The new models are organic, self-organizing, fluid & flexible, dispersed yet deeply connected by faith. Faith in our selves, faith in the need to do well by helping others be well, faith that we are co-creating a meaningful future in which our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will flourish, faith in simple acts of kindness and compassion, faith in that which connects and binds us, draws us together.

We will transform from consumers to creators of value, community and wellth.

We will innovate new technologies that actually do no harm, or do as little harm as possible–a six sigma of ahimsa will be born. 

We will live with the awesome power of wind & sun, rain & revel in the joy of compost. Waste will dwindle and, in many places, disappear. C’mon, how many kinds of toothbrush do we really need?

We will do all of this. We’ve already started. We’ve missed you and we need your help.

Please come join us. We are not waiting anymore.

Tags: innovation, obama, self-organizing, six sigma, sustainability