Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Dear Participant
Welcome to the first of four programs in the Linkage Leadership and Strategy
Series. The seminar series, produced in tandem with The National Technological
University Corporation, is designed to bring four inspiring and influential business
thinkers to your organization in a live and interactive manner.
Gary Hamel has “redefined the world of corporate strategy” according to Business
Week. Along with colleague C. K. Prahalad, Professor Hamel has published “The
Core Competence of the Corporation,” the most requested article in Harvard
Business Review history, and the best seller, Competing for the Future. A visiting
professor at the London School of Business, he is founder and chairman of
Strategos.
During today’s program, Gary will define “strategic innovation” and how to build
and nurture it within your organization. These materials have been designed to
complement Gary’s presentation. Follow along and take notes. At specified points
during the program you will be directed to respond to questions or compose your
own to ask Gary during the question and answer segment scheduled toward the end
of the program.
Learning is a mental activity that requires more than passively watching a speaker.
Simply watching today’s program will neither instill strategic leadership skills and
knowledge nor result in an immediate change in your organization’s culture and
strategic positioning.
Table of contents
Leading the
Revolution
Making Strategic Section 1: Satellite Program Materials 2
Innovation and Growth What you will learn 3
a Core Competency in How to get the most from this seminar 3
Your Organization Pre-presentation activities 3
During this program 5
Post-presentation activities 5
Introduction 7
The Age of Progress is dead 8
Your business strategy may be dead 9
Reinvent your business concept 11
Gary's Tuna Can Model 12
Design elements of a business model 13
Build a culture that nurtures innovation 15
Question & answer session 20
Wrap up 20
Post-presentation self-check 21
Self-check answer key 23
Section 4: Forms 43
Question sheet 44
Participant evaluation form 45
Leading the Revolution 2
SECTION 1
By participating in this satellite presentation with Gary Hamel, you will be able to:
Ø become acquainted with the steps for promoting innovation and recognizing
competencies and growth opportunities, and
Pre-presentation activities
Ø Read books authored or edited by Gary Hamel:
• Alliance Advantage: The Art of Creating Value Through Partnering by Yves
L. Doz and Gary Hamel, Harvard Business School Press, 1998.
• Competence-Based Competition (The Strategic Management) edited by Gary
Hamel, John Wiley and Sons, 1994.
• Competing For the Future by Gary Hamel and C. K. Prahalad, Harvard
Business School Press, 1996.
• Strategic Flexibility: Managing in a Turbulent Environment (Strategic
Management Series) by Gary Hamel, John Wiley and Sons, 1998.
Leading the Revolution 4
Innovation
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Strategic Thinking
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Business Concept
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Core Competencies
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Ø Participate! Actively follow along by using these Participant Materials for your
notes.
Ø When prompted by Gary Hamel, jot down his challenging questions and take a
moment to reply.
Ø Submit questions to be addressed by Gary Hamel during the question and answer
session. Gary will respond to questions in the latter third of the program. To submit
questions, complete either the fax form found on page 44, or call in when prompted
during the program.
Post-presentation activities
Ø Complete and submit the participant evaluation form found at the back of these
Participant Materials.
Ø Reread these Participant Materials and review your notes. Respond to any
questions posed by Gary Hamel that you did not complete previously. Discuss your
responses with colleagues who also participated in the program.
Ø If you haven’t already done so, read books authored or edited by Gary Hamel.
They include:
• Alliance Advantage: The Art of Creating Value Through Partnering by Yves
L. Doz and Gary Hamel, Harvard Business School Press, 1998.
• Competence-Based Competition (The Strategic Management) edited by Gary
Hamel, John Wiley and Sons, 1994.
• Competing For the Future by Gary Hamel and C. K. Prahalad, Harvard
Business School Press, 1996.
• Strategic Flexibility: Managing in a Turbulent Environment (Strategic
Management Series) by Gary Hamel, John Wiley and Sons, 1998.
1. What behaviors do “seers” exhibit? How can you nurture these tendencies in
your workplace?
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2. What behaviors do “heretics” exhibit? How can you nurture these tendencies in
your workplace? The term “heretic” often has a negative stigma associated with
it. Are you comfortable with acquiring the “heretic” label? Now that you have
heard Gary place it in a favorable context, how might you make yourself more
comfortable in becoming one?
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Introduction
I believe that the future is In the new economy, the companies that create new wealth are truly revolutionaries: they
created not by prophets, upend long-held industry conventions, they fearlessly challenge the old guard, and they
amaze their customers with products and services that could scarcely have been imagined a
but by heretics. few years earlier. Today Gary Hamel presents a clear action plan for individuals intent on
Gary Hamel, making their organizations industry revolutionaries.
excerpted from an interview
with Amazon.com During today’s program, Leading the Revolution: Making Strategic Innovation and Growth
a Core Competency in Your Organization, you will:
Ø become acquainted with the steps for promoting innovation and recognizing
competencies and growth opportunities, and
As the show begins, turn to the next page, entitled “The Age of Progress is dead.”
Leading the Revolution 8
Organizations have relied on numerous means for ensuring growth. Until now, the tactics of
budget cuts, streamlining, quality control, re-engineering, and mergers and acquisitions have
enabled organizations to grow and prosper. However, rapid technological advancements,
global competition, and other factors have forced a change in the business mindset.
No longer can organizations rely on size, expansive product and service offerings, or even
stock price to ensure long term market presence. Take, for example, Bill Gates of Microsoft.
He recently stated, “At Microsoft we’re always two years away from failure.” His statement
acknowledges that despite Microsoft’s success and its prevalent position in the software
industry, the business environment is so fast-paced that Microsoft cannot risk becoming
complacent. It must strive to retain its industry revolutionary mindset.
Indeed, organizations must adopt a revolutionary mindset. However, Gary Hamel points
out that while organizations have a culture, it is the people within those organizations that
enable it to become an industry revolutionary. And the leaders within the organization must
resist the temptation of being “maintenance engineers” who focus on maintaining the status
quo. Instead, they must adopt the industry revolutionary mindset, be leery of complacency
and ineffective strategic business concepts, and establish and nurture innovation.
Establish a truly stretching strategic intent and mobilize the entire organization in
its pursuit, discover ways of leveraging resources that will enable the company to
attain heroic goals despite resource constraints.
Now that many organizations have re-engineered, worked through an acquisition or merger,
or streamlined, some organizations’ leaders are pleased to report their strategic plans are on-
target. But is that really the case? One of the first steps of becoming and sustaining an
industry revolutionary is to be brutally honest about strategy decay; not only within your
own organization but within industry giants.
Consider these facts:
Ø Re-engineering has done its job so there is little fat left to cut from many organizations.
Ø We are in merger and acquisition frenzy, yet there is no significant correlation between
an organization’s size and its profitability.
Ø Many corporations are using cash surpluses to buy-back their stock, but does that bring
about growth and stability?
Ø Many organizations report their business strategies are similar to those embraced by
their competitors. Therefore, few are taking the lead in becoming industry
revolutionaries. Instead, they are content in “keeping up with the Joneses.”
Ø In the last seven years, there has been a decline in this number of S&P500 companies
that have out performed the index. In other words, there is a smaller pool of “wealth
creators.”
Leading the Revolution 10
Ø Incumbency and size in the marketplace does not ensure an organization’s growth and
profitability.
Ø Re-engineering, mergers and acquisitions, and other traditional means of cutting costs
and increasing profitability no longer offer a strategic advantage. Instead, organizations
and their leaders must adopt a revolutionary mindset.
Gary Hamel uses an analogy of five cans stacked on one another to describe how an
organization and its leaders must be aligned to promote innovation and strategic vision.
Most often, the truly revolutionary product is not the brainchild of a CEO or other corporate
officer. Instead, it is the result of employees’:
With this in mind, it is critical for organizations to promote innovation by creating a culture
that welcomes ideas and suggestions without creating stifling political protocols.
Turn the page and take notes while Gary describes the model in greater detail.
Leading the Revolution 12
______________ Model
______________ Model
______________ Model
______________ Model
______________ Model
Notes:
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Leading the Revolution 13
Boundaries Benefits
Value Network Customer Interface
Notes:
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Leading the Revolution 14
Ø The ideas for many revolutionary products and services have come from front-line
employees. Fortunately, their organizations’ leaders nurture environments in which
ideas flourish and are taken seriously.
Ø To reinvent your organization’s business concept, you must consider the design
elements of a business model. This entails examining your resource base and core
strategy and their relationships with your value network and customer interface.
Extend the boundaries of corporate imagination and revitalize the process of new
business creation
So just how does one support his or her organization’s efforts to build and nurture strategic
innovation? Gary suggests becoming:
Ø a seer,
Ø a heretic,
Ø an activist, and
Ø a builder of capability.
Just what does each of these labels entail? Let’s examine them in more detail.
Be a seer
Directions: As Gary describes the attributes of a seer, use the space provided for notes.
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Leading the Revolution 16
Be a heretic
Directions: As Gary describes the attributes of a heretic, use the space provided for
notes.
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4. Go to extremes. _______________________________
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Leading the Revolution 17
Be an activist
Directions: As Gary describes the attributes of an activist, use the space provided for
notes.
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Leading the Revolution 18
Be a builder of capability
Directions: As Gary describes the attributes of a builder of capability, use the space
provided for notes.
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Leading the Revolution 19
Ø Heretics dare to challenge the status quo by continually questioning why and why not,
taking on complacency and mediocrity, and daring to be wrong.
Ø Activists build on an ideology to create a community, secure resources and support, and
make a vision or dream real. They are prone to taking advantage of every platform as an
opportunity to move their ideas forward.
Ø Builders of capability are visionary leaders because they reset aspirations, work toward
worthy causes that outlive a business, reach out and listen to new voices, and create an
internal market that flourishes on ideas, capital, and talent. They have a knack for trying
new ideas while minimizing their associated risks.
Leading the Revolution 20
If participating in the live presentation of this program, call in, fax, or e-mail your question
to Gary Hamel using the question sheet on page 44.
If you are taking part in an encore presentation of this program, share your questions with
the seminar coordinator and your colleagues.
Wrap up
Ø Turn to the end of these materials. Complete the participant evaluation form and
give it to your Site Coordinator.
Your feedback is valuable in ensuring the integrity of this and future programs. We
take pride in providing relevant, thought-provoking, and enlightening programs.
But we rely on you to help us make it happen!
Ø Turn to page 21 and test your comprehension of the key points covered by Gary
Hamel. An answer key follows the quiz.
Post-presentation self-check
Curious how well you’ve mastered the content from today’s program? Take a few minutes
to complete this self-check. An answer key follows (page 23), but don’t cop out and peek
before making an earnest attempt to complete the self-check on your own!
Part 1
Directions: Complete the following true/false items.
1. ___ As the merger and acquisition trends wind down, the newly emerging trend
for maximizing profitability is streamlining.
2. ___ The correlation between organization size and profitability is statistically
significant.
3. ___ Within industry groups, the business strategies of its leaders are remarkably
similar.
4. ___ Front-line employees, particularly those with customer service roles, are an
excellent resource for identifying changes in customers’ needs, expectations,
and wants.
5. ___ An organization’s leadership often becomes a barrier to recognizing and
acting upon ideas generated within the organization.
6. ___ When considering a new business model, an organization must have an
understanding of its core competencies, strategic assets, and core processes.
(Hint: Refer to the “Design elements of a business model” graphic found on
page 13.)
7. ___ Elements of a core strategy are the organization’s business mission,
product/market scope, and its processes for ensuring customer satisfaction.
(Hint: Refer to the “Design elements of a business model” graphic found on
page 13.)
8. ___ Sometimes overlooked when considering a new business model is an
organization’s value network comprised of suppliers, partners, and
coalitions. (Hint: Refer to the “Design elements of a business model”
graphic found on page 13.)
9. ___ An organization’s political and mental models can either promote or
squelch innovation.
10. ___ Revolutionary products, services, and packaging are a fluke. Organizations
cannot create and maintain an industry revolutionary environment.
Leading the Revolution 22
Part 2
Directions: For each attribute suggested by Gary Hamel during the program, identify a
minimum of two specific actions associated with that attribute. Hint: Refer to your
notes on pages 15-18.
Part 3
Directions: Considering the four qualities (seer, heretic, activist, builder of capability)
Gary Hamel challenges us to develop, which are you most comfortable in acquiring
and nurturing? What about that quality appeals to you? What definitive steps will you
take to incorporate those attributes in your daily routine?
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Leading the Revolution 23
Part 1
Directions: Complete the following true/false items.
1. F As the merger and acquisition trends wind down, the newly emerging trend
for maximizing profitability is streamlining.
2. F The correlation between organization size and profitability is statistically
significant.
3. T Within industry groups, the business strategies of its leaders are remarkably
similar.
4. T Front-line employees, particularly those with customer service roles, are an
excellent resource for identifying changes in customers’ needs, expectations,
and wants.
5. T An organization’s leadership often becomes a barrier to recognizing and
acting upon ideas generated within the organization.
6. T When considering a new business model, an organization must have an
understanding of its core competencies, strategic assets, and core processes.
(Hint: Refer to the “Design elements of a business model” graphic found on
page 13.)
7. F Elements of a core strategy are the organization’s business mission,
product/market scope, and its processes for ensuring customer satisfaction.
(Hint: Refer to the “Design elements of a business model” graphic found on
page 13.)
8. T Sometimes overlooked when considering a new business model is an
organization’s value network comprised of suppliers, partners, and
coalitions. (Hint: Refer to the “Design elements of a business model”
graphic found on page 13.)
9. T An organization’s political and mental models can either promote or
squelch innovation.
10. F Revolutionary products, services, and packaging are a fluke. Organizations
cannot create and maintain an industry revolutionary environment.
Leading the Revolution 24
Part 2
Directions: For each attribute suggested by Gary Hamel during the program, identify a
minimum of two specific actions associated with that attribute. Hint: Refer to your
notes on pages 15-18.
Answers will vary, but should include at least two from each list.
11. Be a seer. Ø Become a novelty addict.
Ø Search for under-appreciated trends.
Ø Find transcendent themes.
Ø Reason through a chain of consequences.
Ø Consider the interaction of trends.
Ø Dig deeper.
Ø Look for history’s recurring patterns
Part 3
Directions: Considering the four qualities (seer, heretic, activist, builder of capability)
Gary Hamel challenges us to develop, which are you most comfortable in acquiring
and nurturing? What about that quality appeals to you? What definitive steps will you
take to incorporate those attributes in your daily routine?
Answers will vary.
Leading the Revolution 26
SECTION 2
Excerpted from Leadership Assessment Instrument and Development Guide, ©1999 Linkage,
Inc. Used with permission. Call 781-862-3157 for further information.
Leading the Revolution 27
The Leadership Assessment Instrument™ (LAI) was researched and developed by Linkage,
Inc., in partnership with Dr. Warren Bennis. It focuses on the five personal characteristics,
or competencies, essential to effective leadership and on the five skills with which leaders
put these competencies into practice. Knowing your strengths and opportunities for
development may help make today’s presentation particularly relevant.
Each competency and each skill has a definition and an associated set of behaviors that
demonstrate that competency or skill. Additionally, each competency is described by ten of
these behaviors and each skill by five. Furthermore, the ten behaviors for each competency
are organized into two groups of five, each corresponding to a component of that
competency.
Let’s take a closer look at the five competency categories in greater detail.
Focused Drive
The competency of focusing on a goal and harnessing your energy in order to meet that
goal—a balance between the components of:
Ø Focus: The ability to identify an important goal or vision and to channel efforts
at specific targets that support that goal or vision.
Ø Drive: The ability to persevere, sacrifice (when necessary), and expend high
degrees of energy to reach high levels of performance.
Emotional Intelligence
The competency of understanding and mastering your emotions (and those of others)
in a way that instills confidence, motivates, inspires, and enhances group
effectiveness—a balance between the components of:
Ø Perception: The ability to read the emotions and thoughts of others through the
use of insight and analytical skills.
Ø Emotional Maturity: The ability to master emotions and cope with stress in a
way that instills confidence, motivates, and enhances group effectiveness.
Leading the Revolution 28
Trusted Influence
The competency of evoking trust from others and placing trust in others enabling them
to succeed—a balance between the components of:
Conceptual Thinking
The competency of conceiving and selecting innovative strategies and ideas for your
organization—a balance of the components of:
Ø Big-Picture Thinking: The ability to see all of the forces, events, entities, and
people that are affecting (or are being affected by) the situation at hand.
Systems Thinking
The competency of rigorously and systematically connecting processes, events and
systems—a balance between the components of:
While today’s program is most relevant to conceptual thinking, having an awareness of your
rating in each area provides insight and may make today’s program more meaningful.
Instructions for completing and scoring the assessment are provided on the following pages.
Leading the Revolution 29
Leadership Self-Assessment
Please complete the instrument by assessing your own behaviors and skills according to the
directions below. Be honest—the more rigorous you are, the better you can target your
developmental needs. Remember, the instrument is meant to assess how you believe that
you actually are; not how you think that you should be.
Directions
For each of the 50 items listed on the following pages, consider how much the stated
behavior characterizes your own behaviors, thoughts, intentions, or skills in on-the-job
situations, and then rate yourself in the space provided according to the following scale:
3 = I often demonstrate this behavior
2 = I sometimes demonstrate this behavior
1 = I hardly ever demonstrate this behavior
Use the enclosed answer sheet (page 33) to record your answers. After recording your
answers, add up the totals for each competency on page 33 and then transfer the overall
competency scores to the competency profile sheet on page 34.
Leading the Revolution 30
Leadership Self-Assessment
1. I balance multiple tasks and prioritize when faced with limited time and/or resources.
3. I keep a mental record of every commitment that I make and follow through on my
promises.
9. I adhere to a disciplined process for sorting out alternatives and arriving at the best
option when approaching a problem or project.
10. I make connections between and among information, events, etc. that reveal key issues,
problems, or opportunities.
12. I persuasively and effectively reassure teams and/or individuals in the face of setbacks
or seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
13. I identify and find ways to meet the needs, expectations, and wants of others up, down,
and across the organization.
14. I test ideas and assumptions by carefully reviewing ideas with thought leaders and
critical thinkers within my organization.
15. I do not accept a problem at face value, but search for the less obvious underlying
factors driving the problem.
16. I find a way to "get it done" and will sacrifice personally to reach the goal line.
17. I have a thorough understanding of my own emotions and feelings and how they impact
the situation at hand.
19. I consult outside resources (e.g., magazines, and databases) in order to identify where
my company, my industry, and the market are moving and to size up new business
opportunities.
20. I take into account the potential implications of a decision on other people/departments
within the organization before moving forward.
21. I stay the course mentally despite potential distractions and disruptions to my primary
focus.
22. I control and selectively display my emotions and feelings in a beneficial way (e.g., I
successfully channel my anger).
23. I help build shared goals and values to reinforce individual commitment to the
organization.
24. I create viable new business ideas by thinking "out of the box," as well as in a sound
business fashion.
25. I build and connect processes within my organization to assure that implementation
remains constant and reliable.
26. I display stamina, energy, and intensity in achieving high standards of performance.
27. I express myself in consistent moods that invite participation and further
communication with others.
28. I provide honest, clear feedback by focusing on the issue (and not the person) so that the
person will accept and consider the feedback.
29. I ask "What if?" questions and play out scenarios to test new business ideas that
challenge the status quo.
30. I assure that new ideas are integrated with established procedures/processes so that the
organization can digest the new ideas.
32. I recognize and consider the emotions and feelings of others before taking action.
33. I articulate a goal or vision and motivate others to help me reach that goal/vision.
34. I have the ability to create unorthodox or revolutionary concepts that have growth or
profit potential.
35. I create synergy by involving the "right people" in all phases of work design and
operational implementation.
Leading the Revolution 32
36. I demonstrate boldness in striving for ambitious goals rather than settling for the safety
of achievable results.
37. I treat different people differently, with appropriate amounts of candor and sensitivity
depending on each individual's own unique makeup.
38. I create shared responsibility among team members by building participation in decision
making and delegating key tasks/functions.
39. I take the time to check whether a new idea is feasible before proceeding.
40. I pull together disparate ideas to create clear themes and pathways that may alleviate
the confusion and anxiety of others.
41. I seekand findcreative solutions to obstacles blocking the path to the goal line.
42. I accept rejection with grace and renewed determination, modeling to others how to
handle failure.
43. I display trust in others by giving them additional responsibilitiesand providing them
with the appropriate tools and resources necessary to carry those responsibilities out.
44. I seek better solutions to problems instead of falling back on established protocol.
46. I effectively communicate the critical nature of the goal in a way that allows others to
focus on that goal, as well.
47. I offer solutions, suggestions, and constructive criticism to others while also remaining
open to additional possibilities.
48. I successfully help individuals and teams reach higher levels of performance, e.g., by
displaying confidence in them at critical junctures.
49. I act receptive to the new ideas of others and try to improve or enhance them in a non-
threatening manner.
50. I see an entity (e.g., my organization) not merely as a collection of isolated processes
and parts, but as a unitary whole of interconnected processes.
Leading the Revolution 33
11. __________ 12. __________ 13. __________ 14. __________ 15. __________
16. __________ 17. __________ 18. __________ 19. __________ 20. __________
21. __________ 22. __________ 23. __________ 24. __________ 25. __________
26. __________ 27. __________ 28. __________ 29. __________ 30. __________
31. __________ 32. __________ 33. __________ 34. __________ 35. __________
36. __________ 37. __________ 38. __________ 39. __________ 40. __________
41. __________ 42. __________ 43. __________ 44. __________ 45. __________
46. __________ 47. __________ 48. __________ 49. __________ 50. __________
TOTALS:
Absolute
30
Strength
Relative
25
Strength
Possible
Development 20
Area
Development
15
Area
Possible
10
Block
Competency
Scores:
Conceptual Thinking
Systems Thinking
Building Trust/
Focused Drive
Emotional Intelligence
Enabling Others
Leading the Revolution 35
SECTION 3
The following activities are excepts from the Leadership Development Guide, a guide
researched and developed by Linkage, Inc. in partnership with Dr. Warren Bennis. These
activities were selected because of their relevance to today’s program.
Excerpted from Leadership Assessment Instrument and Development Guide, ©1999 Linkage,
Inc. Used with permission. Call 781-862-3157 for further information.
Leading the Revolution 36
Definition
The ability to create/enhance ideas, products, and services that lead to bottom-line
success.
Behaviors
Ø Asks “What if?” questions to test assumptions and challenge the status quo
Ø Seeks better solutions to problems instead of falling back on obvious ones
Ø Demonstrates an ability to create new business ideas by thinking “out of the box”
Ø Demonstrates creativity in making ideas and concepts better
Ø Creates innovative concepts that have growth or profit potential
2. Identify which of these uses could yield a product that would complement your
organization’s products or services.
Example: Let’s say your company owns and manages a chain of bookstores. You
might print the name and logo of the company on bricks and sell them as hip
“urban bookends.”
Leading the Revolution 37
In this brief exercise, you’ll try to identify what these conditions are.
3. Try to identify patterns—that is, are there conditions that were common to most or
all of the times when you were able to think creatively?
4. Repeat steps 1 to 3, this time for situations in which you were unable to think
creatively.
5. In the future, when you need to think creatively, try to recreate the conditions that
seemed to foster creativity in the past, while avoiding conditions that hindered
creativity.
Leading the Revolution 38
Daily Practices
Ø When you’re seeking new ideas or innovative solutions, or when you’re faced with
a problem for which there is no easy solution, do something different. Often, change
is all it takes to send your thinking in new directions.
• Change the conditions in which you work. For example, if you’re working in
an office, try taking a walk. If you’re working alone, find someone to talk with.
If you’re working late in the day, try working first thing in the morning.
• Change your methods. You might consider “thinking aloud” by talking things
out with a colleague. Or, create interesting and unusual metaphors for the topic
or issue you face and think through all the characteristics and implications of
seeing it in these different ways.
• Change your medium. For example, rather than thinking it through alone, try
using a computer or paper and pen, writing non-stop for five minutes. Record
your thoughts unedited, then read your thoughts with an eye toward emerging
insights, connections, and possibilities. Or, draw a picture that symbolically
represents either the issue you face or your relationship to the issue.
Ø Practice asking “What if?” questions. Do this by first identifying something you
take for granted (such as gravity, your organization’s core product line or lines, or
the fact that people only have two arms!). Then try to imagine what all the
implications would be if that fact you take for granted were no longer the case:
What would life be like if there was no gravity? If your organization had to totally
reconfigure its product lines? If people regularly had a different number of arms?
As with the new products exercise, above, this is a great practice to use with a
group. For example, it’s helpful as a way of “limbering up” people’s minds at the
start of a meeting.
Ø Make it a regular practice to read articles or books in areas about which you know
very little. These should offer new perspectives on your areas of expertise and help
enrich your approach to strategic thinking and problem solving.
Leading the Revolution 39
Ø Lead or participate on a team charged with solving a difficult problem faced by the
organization.
Ø Creativity and innovation are enhanced when we work differently with the material
before us and/or when we represent that material in a fresh way. When you
encounter a difficult issue or problem for which there is no easy solution, consider
inventive activities as alternatives to simply thinking through something alone or
“talking it out” as a team.
• Write nonstop for five minutes, recording your unedited thoughts on paper.
• Create an interesting and unusual metaphor for the topic or issue and think
through all the characteristics and implications of seeing it this way.
• Draw a picture that symbolically represents either the issue you face or your
relationship to the issue.
Leading the Revolution 40
Definition
The ability to see all of the forces, events, entities, and people that are affecting (or are
being affected by) the situation at hand.
Behaviors
Ø Searches for and conceptualizes the underlying, systemic causes driving a problem
Ø Intuitively forms ideas that clarify the many possibilities in a complex situation
Ø Makes connections between and among information, events, etc. that reveal key
issues or opportunities
Ø Comes up with new concepts or distinctions that better organize the interpretation
of ambiguous data, information, or events
Ø Asks questions to try to form a complete picture of “unrelated” information, events,
etc.
2. Identify how each of the following may have hindered (or is currently hindering) its
success:
• The shared values of the organization
• The structure of the organization
• The strategy of the organization
• The systems of the organization (e.g., information systems, HR systems)
• The style (culture) of the organization
• The staff of the organization (i.e., how jobs are designed and filled)
• The skill of the organization (i.e., how the organization identifies, measures,
and develops the skills of its people)
3. If you have analyzed a past project or initiative, apply your learning to future
undertakings. If you have analyzed a current project or initiative, make adjustments
as necessary.
Leading the Revolution 41
Daily Practices
Ø Regularly read a high-quality newspaper or business journal. Each time you do so,
try to identify at least one trend that will affect your organization—or provide it
with an opportunity—within the next five years. Develop one or more
recommendations for responding to each trend. Share your analysis and
recommendations with your colleagues.
Ø Pose context questions as frequently as you pose content questions when making
decisions or coaching others. Content questions ask about the data used to solve a
problem, make a decision, or proceed in a situation. Such questions focus attention
on the details and specifics of a situation in order to justify choices contemplated or
made.
Ø Create an idea for a new product or service and outline the business plan for its
launch. Share the proposal with a friend or colleague for input on how you
anticipate the market’s needs.
SECTION 4
Forms
Leading the Revolution 44
Question sheet
Leading the Use this form to write your question for Gary Hamel or for discussion among your
colleagues. Please write clearly.
Revolution
Making Strategic
Name (optional)
Innovation and Growth a
Core Competency in Your Organization
Organization
Location
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E VALUATION
If you are applying for Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
(CEUs) you must:
1. Have signed in at the beginning of the satellite transmission on the log provided by the Site
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2. Complete this form in its entirety and return it to the Site Coordinator, who will send it to The
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Leading the
Your name Title
Revolution
Organization
Making Strategic
Innovation and Phone E-mail
Growth a Core
Social Security # (CEU participants only)
Competency in
Your Organization Date of participation in satellite program
1. Circle the score that indicates the overall usefulness of this program to you:
not at all useful 1 2 3 4 5 extremely useful
2. Listed below are the learning objectives for Leading the Revolution.
Revolution Now that you have
completed the satellite-delivered portion of the program as well as the accompanying participant
materials, please circle the number that best reflects your level of comprehension of the subject
matter using the following scale.
I understand the material presented
not at all 1 2 3 4 5 completely
4. Identify how you will use this knowledge on the job. Please check all that apply.
q1 To improve my contributions to my q1 To nurture seer, heretic, activist, and
organization's strategic planning process. capacity building characteristics in myself.
q1 To better ensure my workgroup's goals q1 To create and support a climate which
and initiatives are supportive of the encourages individuals to be seers,
organization's strategy. heretics, activists, and capacity builders.
q1 Other _______________________________________________________________________
5. Below is a list of phrases that could be used to describe this program. Please read each
phrase and check the box that best indicates the extent to which you agree or disagree.
Strongly Somewhat Somewhat Strongly
disagree disagree agree agree
a. If yes, to whom?
Page 46
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7. Please give a general overall comment about the program.
9. What other programs would be of interest to you? Please check all that apply.
q1 Time management q1 Interviewing
q1 Mentoring q1 Employment law
q1 Managing and initiating change q1 Health and safety
q1 Risk analysis q1 Negotiation
q1 Knowledge management q1 Listening skills
q1 Decision making q1 Project leadership
q1 Innovation and creativity q1 Understanding and managing technology
q1 Presentation skills q1 Workplace values
q1 Sexual harassment prevention q1 Diversity
q1 Problem solving q1 Customer service
q1 Computer skills q1 Strategic selling
q1 Conflict resolution q1 Communication skills
q1 Performance appraisal q1 Other______________________________
Page 47
Thank you for your comments!
1999 The Business Channel, L.L.C. Permission is granted to duplicate this form only if all copies include this line.