The hour has come. Radical is the word. From the Latin, radix, it means root.
We need to get to the root of things, to the root of practice, to the root of managing organizations.
Radical is a fantastic word, unfortunately contaminated by its cousin radicalization, which has a connotation of extremism, which, in turn has a connotation of violence. Both, extremism and radicalization have been taken hostage. Neither of them is intrinsically negative.
So, back to radical management. From the dozens of synonymous or conceptual triggers of this word, imagine these as applied to management:
uncompromising, profound, rigorous, essential, affecting the fundamental nature of something, far-reaching or thorough, departing from tradition, innovative or progressive.
Radical management, radical people, radical leadership. Do we need these?
Interesting, the Chemistry version of a radical, also applies: ‘group of atoms behaving as a unit in a number of compounds’. So radical management seems to induce alignment, one team, union of hearts and minds.
Radical management thinking would mean a rigorous clean up of false assumptions and pseudo-scientific management pontificating. Radical Leadership would be uncompromising leadership rooted in integrity, authenticity and the ability to create (chemistry type) ‘radicals’ of commitment.
The radicals as employees would also be uncompromising travellers in search of the truth, with high levels of antibodies to bullshit, and determined to make a difference.
The hour of Radical Management and the management of radicals has come. Since we can’t simply carry on applying 20th Century exhausted management to 21st Century vibrant enterprises.
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