Courage and Autonomy
By Peter LloydNothing sells like success. Creativity consultants, innovation proponents, and the Cowardly Lion have pitched the idea of bottom-up management forever. But here it is again from one of the architects of a success story that shook the world.
"Let people make their own decisions and they'll work twice as hard."
That was Howard Dean, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, shortly after his party's 2008 victory. Every manager who wants better results should print, frame, and hang those words where they will always see it.
I heard Dean speak as part of a Smithsonian Associates "Presidential Campaign Analysis" panel. Describing how he managed his successful 50-state strategy, he attributed success to allowing the state campaign people to run their own show. "Some will screw up," he admitted, "but most will do a great job."When you're autonomous, when you're making the decisions, you know that your name, reputation, and credibility are on the line. And when all that is on the line, you find what it takes to do what needs to be done. You find the courage. And when the job is done, the rewards of success are magnified.
Why do some employees drag themselves through their day jobs, then throw themselves into their hobbies?
Why do people who work 50 and 60 hours a week work even harder for their churches, communities, and other volunteer organizations?
What makes a king out of a slave? What makes the flag on the mast to wave?
What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk?
What makes the muskrat guard his musk?
What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder?
What makes the dawn come up like thunder?
What makes the Hottentot so hot?
What puts the "ape" in apricot?
What have they got that I ain't got?
Sure, Courage is part of it but Courage gets its gusto from the present and future rewards of Autonomy.
Peter Lloyd is co-creator with Stephen Grossman of Animal Crackers, the breakthrough problem-solving tool designed to crack your toughest problems.