Great leaders understand that historical success tends to produce stable and inwardly focused organizations, and these outfits, in turn, reinforce a feeling of contentment with the status quo.
John P. KotterRead
We are always creating new tools and techniques to help people, but the fundamental framework is remarkably resilient, which means it must have something to do with the nature of organizations or human nature.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The essence of organizations remains stable even as we develop new methods to assist people.
In this quote, John P. Kotter emphasizes that while innovation in tools and techniques is crucial for aiding individuals, the underlying principles governing organizations and human nature exhibit a surprising consistency. This resilience suggests that effective structures within organizations are deeply rooted in the fundamental aspects of human interaction and behavior, which do not change as rapidly as the technologies we develop.
Themes
InnovationOrganizationsHuman NatureToolsTechniques
In practice
Example use cases
In a business presentation discussing future strategies, this quote can be used to illustrate the balance between innovation and organizational stability.
More from John P. Kotter
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Because management deals mostly with the status quo and leadership deals mostly with change, in the next century we are going to have to try to become much more skilled at creating leaders.
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Those in leadership positions who fail to grasp or use the power of stories risk failure for their companies and for themselves.
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Many years ago, I think I got my first insight on how an incredibly diverse team can work together and do astonishing things, and not just misunderstand each other and fight.
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