Leadership, Learning and Agility: The Way of the Dolphin

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October 7, 2020

by John O. Burdett

Organisation agility isn’t something that is “nice to have.” It’s about survival. Agility has to be integral to the organisation’s design. More than anything else, however, agility is a way to think. It’s a mindset.

Agility is a Way to Think

The problem? Culture is a system and like any system only as strong as its weakest part. You can’t sprinkle agility on the organisation. You can’t add agility piecemeal.

Agility has to be embedded into every aspect of the organisation’s culture. Be it – scenario planning or systems; the brand or the behavioural interview; shared values or structure; problem solving or process; diversity or dialogue; compensation or competencies; mindset or measurement; talent management or trust; learning or leadership – “agility” must be a fundamental building block in the organisation’s DNA.

Agility has to be integral to the organisation’s design. It has to be evident in the organisation’s value proposition. It has to be built into the value chain and be apparent in every sales and/or service interface with the customer. It’s a process. It’s a way to act.

More than anything else, however, agility is a way to think. It’s a mindset. As such, without “leadership” you still ain’t got much. Not the leadership that got us here – but a way to be that exudes, encompasses, encourages, and expresses agility in everything the leader does. The Way of the Dolphin.

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Contents:

• Agility is a Way to Think
• Bass and the Shark
• Agility and Speed of Learning
• The Way of the Dolphin
• Conclusion
• Assessment: How Good a Coach Are You?

This article is an extract of content © Orxestra® Inc. The download is available from the TRANSEARCH International website.

John O. Burdett is founder of Orxestra® Inc. He has extensive international experience as a senior executive. As a consultant he has worked in more than 40 countries for organisations that are household names. John has worked on organisation culture for some of the world's largest organisations. His ongoing partnership with TRANSEARCH International means that his thought leading intellectual property, in any one year, supports talent management in many hundreds of organisations around the world. Get in touch with John O. Burdett »