Hi 👋, welcome back to our 25th edition 🙌.

“Only those who will risk going too far, can possibly find out how far one can go”.

T. S. Elliot

Culture: comfort trap.

A thought for leaders: As the Swiss alchemist Paracelsus wrote, everything is poison, everything is not, it’s the dose that makes it so (see toxic positivity). The best environment is about a healthy high-performance culture, that embraces disagreement. Where excellence and care coexists. It’s not one or the other, it’s both. At the right dose. Where we can feel psychologically safe enough to be uncomfortable together. The true opposition isn’t between winning and inclusion, toxic and comfort – it’s between healthy and unhealthy approaches to excellence. Do you have the right approach to excellence?

Change: change violence.

This week, Elon Musk and the DOGE forced US federal workers to send a note describing what they do, or resign. A repeat of his Twitter tactic. Thousands have already been fired. Meanwhile John Amaechi highlighted leaked audio from JP Morgan’s CEO, in which he calls remote work (etc) semi diseased (full audio here). Amaechi describes a quote he once heard from a colleague about change, they said “Many people hate change because they see change as violence against the status quo, and they react to change as if it is violence against them”. It feels like both JP Morgan and Musk are declaring violent war on change. As if evolving work practices, undermines productivity. Will they raise productivity? Or create busy fools? While tearing to pieces what little culture might be left in either organisation. Time will tell.

A thought for leaders: Great leaders ruthlessly focus on end goals. What does productive mean for us? For our business? With our goals? Is it more hours? More effort? Or more impact (correct answer)? Before we become violent change aggressors, are we sure that the change we oppose, effects our end goals. Or are we tinkering with things that might at best have a short term lift, but at worst tear the organisation apart? Einstein once wrote that “perfection of means and confusion of ends seem to characterise our age”. Are you focussed on nitpicking means, or glorious ends?

Leadership: the passionate few.

On Monday the 5th of June 1989, an unidentified Chinese man, carrying shopping bags, faced down a column of Chinese Communist Party tanks on Chang’an Ave in Beijing. It was the day after they’d killed hundreds of protestors in Tiananmen Square. “Tank Man” became an enduring symbol of defiance in the face of violent authoritarianism. He didn’t reverse the polarity, but he inspired generations across the globe to stand up to authority (never forget). Margaret Mead, as this piece outlined, once said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” In fact Malcolm Gladwell found The Tipping Point for a group to adopt an idea was 25%. Once it hits that point, it eventually spreads to the majority. Other research found it’s as little as 10%. Sometimes it only takes one person, to change everything.

A thought for leaders: As leaders we need to think of everyone. But in doing so, we need to remember two things. Firstly, never underestimate the power of the passionate few. A small committed group in your organisation can massively influence the majority. Do you empower and encourage them? Secondly, sometimes YOU need to be the brave one standing in front of the tanks, bags in hand. What can you do, to inspire and guide? What sparks are you lighting, to ignite change?

Podcast: EP 3: Communicating In Chaos – Shape the Story

Enjoy revisiting or newly discovering it 😊

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P.S. This month’s featured artist is Michel Lamoller. In his photographic reliefs, various prints are layered on top of one another, to mimic our increasingly stacked and urbanised behaviour. Through the acts of cutting and pasting – and further exaggerating the labyrinthine qualities of megacities – he explores what it means to exist in radically mechanised landscapes.