Leadership in a Transistion from Machine to Movement
A shift in thinking from “what” your company produces to “why” it produces
Changing the way you think about your organisation and company to one that is more in tune with a Biblical principle could be very beneficial on all parameters. One of the relatively recent developments within organisational theory is the shift in thinking from providing value for the customer to creating value with the customer. It is a shift from “What” your company produces to “Why” it produces. Although this have emerged as a dominant narrative in the last ten years, one can see in the Bible, how Jesus invokes the same principles with great effect two thousand years ago.
First, let us try to come to terms with the shift from “What” to “Why” The World Scout Foundation is an excellent case of an organisation that has changed how they think of themselves. The World Scout Foundation has 10.000 employees and more than 4 million volunteers world wide, so we are talking about a big organisation. The rethinking of their organisation from “What” to “Why” looked like this:
From
Scouting is the world’s biggest children and youth organisation. We provide good and meaningful activities for children and youth from which they can learn.
To
Scouting is the greatest leadership development program on earth. Every year we graduate more young people into leadership than any other organisation, more than the 1000 largest business schools combined.
Do you see the difference in thinking? The organisation is not just a machine providing customers with a product, but more of an organism, or with an Internet term something that has “viral” properties. The organisation becomes a movement. A movement invites people to be followers as either employees or customers, both on an exciting mission of training the coming leaders of the world. It ceases to be about numbers e.g. 10.000 employees and becomes about the difference you make in the world.
Let us take a few more examples of the dichotomy “What” and “Why”, so we become familiar with this shift and can apply it to different contexts.
An example of a traditional company focussed on “What” is TDC. It is the largest Scandinavian phone company with impressive +10.000 employees and 3.000.000 million customers. But think of Skype with 700 employees and +300.000.000 users. Skype thinks of itself as a movement. Customers are involved, customers are the product, customers are the R&D department, etc. TDC creates value for the customers. Skype creates value with the customers.
Another example is Grundfos, which is the largest pump manufacturer in the world. They have changed their way of thinking from “pump manufacturer” to “we provide the world with clean water”. You can sense the tangible difference. Do you want to be an employee at a pump manufacturer, all be it the largest one in the world, or do you want to provide clean water to the whole world?
Let us take one last example, this time the company KeepFocus. One way to describe this company is that it is a smallish surveillance company which monitors water and electricity. Instead this company phrase their “Why” like this: “We prevent tremendous waste of electricity and water in our societies. So would you rather be part of building a sustainable future or part of a surveillance company?
Now that we are familiar with this change in mindset, I would like to add another layer to the transition. One of the most important changes that happen in the move from “What” to “Why” is that it transforms the organisation from a machine to a movement. Richard Rohr observes that most organisations will go through four Ms in their lifespan.
Most companies and organisations by default operate as machines, but the goal is in fact to find the sweet spot between movement and machine. I would argue not to look at it as tightrope walker finding the balance, but by trying to do both; Machine elements so you have something that holds together, but Movement elements for maximum impact and the ability to change our societies for the better. This is where the focus on “Why” is helpful. Your Cause is the difference between being a movement and a company.
The good news is that the potential of a movement company is unlimited. If you manage the transition, you will gain unprecedented legitimacy, incredible social capital, unrivalled customer loyalty and thereby a more sustainable, faster growing and increasing profitable company. The bad news is that although it sounds simple, it is a difficult transition. However, I believe there is a key to the transition to be found in the Bible.
When I encountered the thoughts on movement companies and the vocabulary being applied to it such as “follower”, “mission” and “movement” I couldn’t help thinking about the Bible and the principles Jesus applied. Two of the buzz words I highlighted here are “followers” and “mission”. Jesus announces his mission in Luke 4:18-19 at the outset of his ministry: “He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” The implied understanding is that you can be part of it. You can help me make it happen. You can help make the world a better place. Jesus certainly is not in doubt about his “Why”. He has a clear cause and the first thing he does is to say: Come follow me. Hurray, we have two buzz words accounted for. There is plenty more to dig into here, but the key I would like to zoom in on in these next few lines is that of the transition from monument to movement.
Jesus faces a monument in the legalism of the Pharisees, who are guardians of an institution that no longer has anything to do with why God created the world, but instead is all about maintaining the institution. We can see this expressed in the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18.9-14, where the Pharisee’s prayer is his way of keeping up appearances and maintaining his role of prominence in Judaic society. In Richard Rohr’s terminology, he is giving his attention to the institution itself. On the other hand the tax collector’s prayer expresses his relationship with God and dependence upon him.
The Gospels are brimming with these kind of examples. Another great example is the fundamentally different approaches to the Sabbath expressed in Matthew 12:1-14. The Pharisees accuse Jesus of “doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath” and Jesus replies: “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Again it is evident how the Pharisees talk about maintaining the institution at all cost, even to the degree of refraining from feeding the hungry, or healing the sick. Jesus on the other hand is preoccupied with the “Why”. He has come, as we know from his Mission announcement, to give sight for the blind.”
The discussion of the Sabbath between Jesus and the Pharisees ends, when the Pharisees “went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus”. Ultimately, Jesus’ proclamation and actions becomes such a threat to the monument, the inherent hierarchical structure that he is crucified by that institution.
The point I would like to take and apply to the above thoughts on Movement companies is the fact that Jesus changes the hierarchical structures to create a movement. We are familiar with two hierarchical constructions.
Classic pyramid
We know this power structure from the army, traditional companies and many other places. The person on top has the power and tells the rest what to do.
Upside down pyramid
Well known for many pastors and people involved in associations. We hire a person, tell him/her what to do and how to provide for our needs.
You might argue that the democratic model is a combination of the two and you are probably right. However, it is not the model Jesus applies. He doesn’t ask people to elect him and he doesn’t try to take power and tell people what to do. Instead he gives direction and asks people to follow him. Jesus doesn’t manipulate people or force them with him. He invites them into a relationship and on to a mission. He rotates the classic pyramid structures to the side like a play button.
Play button
Movement structure indicating direction and purpose, which you can join.
Therefore my point is that if you want to transition to a movement company, you might want to take note of this biblical principle and not only zero in on a “Why” statement, but actually live it out. This means you will have to change the company structure, you will have to place your cause above profit.
You will have to find answers to questions such as:
▶ What is your cause?
▶ What is your “Why”?
▶ How do we change our focus to that “Why” from our current “What”?
▶ How do I invite my current customers to become part of the Cause?
▶ How do we place Cause above profit?
▶ How do I put that into action?
My final note is one of encouragement. I believe publishing companies will have an easy time of finding their “Why”. You probably already know it. If you are a christian publishing company you are publishers of the word of life, of insight into our existence; you bring hope and meaning to the world; you give thought to the whole of human existence.