This Briefing Note is about asking questions, questioning what we take for granted. I’m sharing three pieces I wrote this month about (1) who burns out and why, (2) reversed leadership and (3) the dubious nature of thought leaders.
I have also included three articles I found relevant for the workplace and society: (1) the loss of corporate profit-sharing, (2) the rise of deep platforms and what they do, and (3) a new essential job opportunity arising in the pandemic crisis.
By the way, I’m preparing to launch an international, online group of practitioners –people working inside organizations –who want to share experiences, ask questions, and get into direct contact with peers around the world.
Drop me a note if you are potentially interested. I’ll have more information very soon on the New Era Workplace Shift.
Do gig mindsetters, going up against the hierarchy and traditional ways of work, risk burning out?
To the surprise of many, it is NOT the rebels nor gig mindsetters inside organizations who burn out. It’s the others. Read more here: “Resilient people, resilient organizations” published this month in the Rebels at Work blog.
Management often perceives gig mindsetters as deviants. In reality they are positive deviants, bringing new benefits and value to the organization through new behaviors.
Rebels at Work, by Lois Kelly and Carmen Medina has inspiring stories and solid advice. Published in 2014 and still meaningful. https://www.rebelsatwork.com/how-we-can-help/about
Reversed leadership
The Peter Drucker Forum’s theme this year is Leadership Everywhere. I turned it around in my post on Reversed.
Leaders need to live attitudes of wise ignorance, learning to say, “I don’t know”, inviting questions and debate. They need to embrace uncertainty and ambiguity, knowing that no one has all the answers.
Leaders need to listen to the edges and act with today’s logic. Too often they rely on benchmarking or best practices, both of which reflect the past. Today they need to focus on scanning the horizon, listening to diverse voices, and encourage people who question the status quo.
The dubious notion of a thought leader
I wrote a post on LinkedIn saying: “One problem today in our current echo chamber is that many ‘thought leaders’ want to be seen as the original source of an idea rather than building on and crediting the past, and then taking things further.”
In under 5 days, there were 2,000 views and good conversation, including how TikTok relates to creators sharing creations and giving credit. Take look and join the conversation or drop me a note about your views.
When Bosses Shared Their Profits
Since the 1980s, profit-sharing has declined. It deserves to make a comeback.
After the bruising crises we’re now going through, it would be wonderful if we could somehow emerge a fairer nation. One possibility is to revive an old idea: sharing the profits….By Robert B. Reich, June 25, 2020
‘Deep’ Job Platforms and How to Build Them
Job platforms have gone from light to layered; from simply matching potential candidates with open roles to adding additional value to the employers, the job seekers, or in some cases, both. Just as the gig economy and product marketplaces evolved from listings to managed marketplaces, jobs marketplaces are entering a new phase: the deep platform era.
By D’Arcy Coolican and Jeff Jordan
See what the value is, who’s doing it and how. If you want to go into this business, see the 4 tactics from Andreessen Horowitz, founded in 2009 by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, (known as “a16z”) is a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley, California, that backs bold entrepreneurs building the future through technology.
by Soo Youn October 22, 2020
More people eating at home, being at home all day, breakdowns in global supply chains and a new opportunity for entrepreneurs. See how some people are now creating new jobs and companies to fill the gap.