For Brent Council Senior Managers Conference: How to live through, embrace and thrive in change, leading and innovating at the edge of chaos.

1. @NICKWECREATE
SWITCH ON
THRIVING IN CHANGE
NICK JANKEL, WECREATE & GLOBAL LEADERS
ACADEMY
BRENT COUNCIL
SEP 2012

2. wecreate worldwide
is a consultancy focused
on social & sustainable
innovation, enterprise &
service design
GLOBAL LEADERS ACADEMY
is an ethical leadership
development and coaching
network

3. INTENTION
SERVE YOU AS BEST I CAN WITH INSIGHTS I HAVE
COLLECTED IN THE SPIRIT OF MUTUAL RESPECT &
LEARNING

4. biomimicry evolutionary jurisprudence
org biology creativity
behaviour measurement networks
neuroscience improvisation
strategy
business model cybernetics
innovation motivation
futurology science
social theory
literature peer-to-peer
philosophy narrative design models
theory of science thinking innovation
co-operation storytelling
user anthropology
complexity experience
science game theory
history empowerment conflict
psychology coaching mediation

5. WHO WE WORK WITH

6. WHO WE WORK WITH

7. WHERE WE HAVE DONE IT
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8. IN
THE LAST
24
HOURS

9. 1
BILLION
CONTENT PIECES ADDED TO FACEBOOK

10. 70,000
HOURS
YOUTUBE VIDEOS UPLOADED

11. 400
MILLION
SKYPE CALLS

12. 86,000
NEW LINKEDIN MEMBERS

13. 16
BILLION
SMS MESSAGES SENT

14. AS WE
SPEAK

15. 6
BILLION
MOBILE SUBS

16. 1
BILLION
BROADBAND MOBILE SUBS

17. 1
BILLION
FACEBOOK USERS

18. 200
MILLION
FACEBOOK USERS IN 2011

19. 600
BILLION
MINUTES PER MONTH SPENT ON FACEBOOK

20. 600
MILLION
MINUTES IN ALL THE MOVIES THAT HAVE
EVER BEEN MADE

21. 500+
MILLION
TWITTER USERS

22. 600
MILLION
TWEETS PER DAY

23. 18
MILLION 30 MILLION FOLLOWERS
FOLLOWERS OF LADY GAGA

24. NO.1
#TAG...
OF 2011

25. #EGYPT

26. 5 YEARS
AGO

27. NO
DEMOCRACY IN EGYPT (OR TUNISIA)

28. NOBODY
HAD HEARD OF QUANTITATIVE EASING (OR
LEHMAN BROTHERS)

29. HOUSE
PRICES AT THEIR GLOBAL ZENITH

30. KODAK
WAS A BYWORD FOR PHOTOGRAPHY

31. INSTAGRAM
WAS NOT EVEN A DREAM

32. NEVER
BEEN A BLACK PRESIDENT (AND MANY THOUGHT
THERE WOULD NEVER BE ONE)

33. NOBODY
HAD EVER USED AN IPAD (AND VERY FEW
TWITTER)

34. CHANGE
IS THE ONLY CONSTANT

36. THRIVE
IN CHANGE?
BECAUSE OF CHANGE?

37. LEAD
OUR SELF, OUR PEERS, OUR ORGS, THE
SYSTEM
INTO, THROUGH AND OUT OF CHANGE?

38. DISTINCT
MANAGE: CONTROL, HANDLE, TOLERATE
LEAD: ENGAGE, EMPOWER, ENABLE

39. “We were all born leaders;
that is, until we were sent to
school and taught to be
managed and to manage.”
DEE HOCK, FOUNDER & CEO, VISA

40. CHANGE
WHAT IS IT?
HOW DOES IT EFFECT US?
CAN WE USE IT FOR GOOD?
WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE ROLE FOR LEADERS
WITHIN IT?

41. HOW DOES THIS TOPIC CONNECT WITH
YOUR PURPOSE & AMBITIONS?

42. CHANGE
IS CHANGING
FAST, DISCONTINUOUS, PUNCTUATED,
ACCELERATING, PATCHY

43. NETWORKS
DECENTRALISED POWER, PEER-TO-PEER
COMMUNICATION, RAPID FLOWS OF
INFORMATION, GLOBAL CONNECTIONS
THE WORLD WILL NEVER GO BACK TO HOW
IT WAS

44. TRIBES MARKETS
HUNTER-
HIERARCHIES /
GATHERER NETWORKS
BUREAUCRACIES

45. CHANGE
IS BUILT INTO EVERY LEVEL OF THE UNIVERSE

46. FROM
ELECTRONS IN EVERY ATOM...
TO EVOLUTION OF SPECIES & GALAXIES

47. CHANGE
IS THE PREREQUISITE FOR ALL LIFE & ALL
CREATIVITY

49. DEATH
IS STASIS (EQUILIBRIUM)
HEALTHY COMPLEX SYSTEMS ARE
ADAPTIVE, IN ‘DYNAMIC NON-EQUILIBRIUM’

50. ORDER
EDGE OF
CHAOS
DISORDER

51. EDGE
AMBIGUITY
UNCERTAINTY
UNPREDICTABILITY

52. EDGE
OF CHAOS IS WHERE NEW IDEAS IN NATURE &
CULTURE ARE BORN

53. INNOVATION
HAPPENS FASTEST IN LOCATIONS WHERE CHANGE IS
THE NORM

54. FERTILE
MEDICI FLORENCE vs. PAPAL ROME
DEMOCRATIC ENGLAND VS. TSARIST RUSSIA
SILICON VALLEY vs. SAUDI ARABIA
INNOCENTIVE vs. OXFORD UNIVERSITY CLASSICS
DEPT.

55. SWITCHED ON LEADERSHIPINNOVATION
BREAKTHROUGH
PREFERRED ORDER
CURRENT ORDER
BREAKTHROUGH
BREAKTHROUGH
© Wecreate 201
CHAOS

56. SWITCHED ON LEADERSHIPINNOVATION
BREAKTHROUGH
THE EXTENT OF
THE BREAKTHROUGH
DEPENDS ON HOW
DEEP WE ARE WILLING
TO GO INTO WHAT IS
POSSIBLE
BREAKTHROUGH
BREAKTHROUGH
© Wecreate 201

57. SWITCHED ON LEADERSHIPINNOVATION
BREAKTHROUGH
BREAKTHROUGH
BREAKTHROUGH
© Wecreate 201

58. 58
THE BREAKTHROUGH SWITCH
Breakthrough Opportunity
What kind of headline ideas could
Problem seize this opportunity?
What is the problem, in human terms?
Breakthrough Proposition
What proposition emerges from this
Proposition
insight?
What is the current proposition that results in
the current proposition that results
in this problem?
this probelm?
Breakthrough Insight
What is a more insightful, future-positive
Assumptions
belief?
What do we have to believe to generate
and validate this proposition?
BREAKTHROUGH
© wecreate 2012

59. IN 1983, ONLY
THOSE WHO
COULD USE A
COMMAND LINE
COULD USE A
COMPUTER

60. PERSONAL COMPUTING
Breakthrough Opportunity
What kind of headline ideas could seize this opportunity?
Problem
What is the problem, in human terms? Think different with a Mac... (and its
ecosystem)
Everyday people are not benefiting from
the power of computers.
Breakthrough Proposition
What proposition maximises accessibility, usability and enjoyability?
Proposition
We design and sell ‘computers’ as creativity
What is the current proposition [product offer, business model, maximisers - they help people thrive.
org process] that leads to this problem?
We design and sell computers as productivity
maximers - they help businesses win. Breakthrough Insight
What is a more powerful, liberating and abundant view of
human nature /life?
Assumptions
What do we have to believe to generate and validate this proposition?
Creativity is the goal of life. Technology can help
liberate us, empower us and inspire us to
Productivity is the goal of life. Technology design, innovate and collaborate
helps create more productivity by increasing
our efficiency as cogs in the business BREAKTHROUGH
machine (growing profits, GDP etc.)
© wecreate 2012

61. THE WORLD’S
LARGEST
COMPANY 28
YEARS LATER

62. WHY
DO MOST OF US FIND CHANGE, CHAOS &
INNOVATION SO CHALLENGING?

63. NATURE
ABHORS A VACUUM

64. HUMANS
ABHOR A VACUUM OF MEANING

65. PATTERNS
BRAIN DRIVEN BY DOPAMINE TO FIND
THEM EVERYWHERE

66. FORAGE,
FEED,
FORNICATE

67. FIGHT,
FLIGHT,
FREEZE

69. WIRED
TO SURVIVE AT ALL COSTS

70. SURVIVAL LEADERSHIP
Closed hand
Fist / palm off
OFF
REACT
=
Closed mind = RETREAT
OFF Assume solutions REPEAT
Closed heart
Fearful / judgmental
OFF

71. WIRED
TO SURVIVE AT ALL COSTS
TO THRIVE TOO

72. OPEN
STAY OPEN IN FACE OF FEAR, UNCERTAINTY,
CRITICISM, BEING SIDE-TRACKED

73. SWITCHED ON LEADERSHIP
ON Open handed
Create, build, hold
space, soothe
Open minded
ON Challenge = CREATE
=
assumptions, seek
COLLABORATE
CONTRIBUTE
possibility, learn at
edges
ON Open hearted
Intuitive, trusting, © wecreate 2012
connected

74. SWITCHED ON INNOVATION
Breakthrough Opportunity
What kind of headline ideas could seize this opportunity?
Problem
What is the problem, in human terms?
Breakthrough Proposition
What proposition maximises accessibility, usability and enjoyability?
Proposition
What is the current proposition [product offer, business model,
org process] that leads to this problem?
Breakthrough Insight
What is a more powerful, liberating and abundant view of
human nature /life?
Assumptions
What do we have to believe to generate and validate this proposition?
BREAKTHROUGH
© wecreate 2012

75. LEADERSHIP
OF HAND, HEAD & HEART

76. RESILIENCE
IN THE FACE OF INEVITABLE CHAOS

77. EMBRACE
INEVITABLE CHAOS TO FIND & SEIZE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPACT

78. THRIVE
NOT DESPITE OUR CHALLENGES, BUT BECAUSE
OF THEM

79. ORGS
DESIGNED FOR CONTROL IN STABLE &
PREDICTABLE ENVIRONMENTS
WIRED TO RESIST CREATIVITY IN FAVOUR OF
EFFICIENCY

80. WORLD
CHANGES
WE HAVE TO CHANGE WITH IT

81. SWITCH ON
PURPOSEFULLY REWIRE OURSELVES & OUR
ORGS TO STAY OPEN TO POSSIBILITIES WITHIN
THE CHALLENGES OF CHANGE

82. “Chaos’ is a frightening word, but you will have
to get used to it if you desire or hold leadership
positions in today’s organizations... stability is
no longer the prevalent condition of our age. All
that seems simple and comforting is certain to
give way to complex and nerve-wracking
substitutes... It won’t be easy. Decades of
deeply ingrained procedures, traditions,
attitudes, and cultural biases about managing
change must be jettisoned. In their place, new
perspectives and frameworks must be
embraced.”
DARYL R. CONNOR, LEADING AT THE EDGE OF
CHAOS

83. LEARNING TO LOVE
THE LIMBO
METABOLISING
CHALLENGES INTO
CREATIVITY
SEEING CLARITY IN
CHAOS
LETTING GO OF OLD
PATTERNS

84. GREAT MYTH
INNOVATION IS ABOUT “GETTING” NEW
IDEAS / CONCEPTS

85. “It turns out that the ability to
stop oneself from thinking
something is central to creativity.”
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN

86. GREAT TRUTH
INNOVATION IS ABOUT LETTING GO OF THE
OLD WAYS (IDEAS, ASSUMPTIONS,
BEHAVIOURS) THAT BLOCK INNATE
CREATIVITY & COLLABORATION

87. ALLLOWING
NEW IDEAS INHERENTLY BORN FROM
CHANGE TO FLOW

88. ALREADY
IN YOUR OWN MIND, YOUR TEAMS & IN THE
NETWORK

89. “Let go of all your assumptions
and the world will make perfect
sense.”
CHUANG TZU

90. SURFING
THE EDGE OF CHAOS

91. “Creativity is at the edge of
chaos.”
ROBERT BILDER, TENNENBAUM CENTER FOR THE
BIOLOGY OF CREATIVITY

92. CHOICE IS TO RIDE
THE WAVE OR BE
SUNK BY IT

93. “The key to success is figuring
out where is the edge? And how
do I stay the right distance from
the edge?”
RAY DALIO, FOUNDER, BRIDGEWATER (LARGEST
AND MOST SUCCESSFUL HEDGE FUND IN THE
WORLD)

94. FALLING
IS INEVITABLE ON THE EDGE
OFTEN IT HURTS SO MUCH WE DON’T WANT TO
GET UP AND TRY AGAIN

95. COACHING
IS KEY TO LEARNING (FROM EACH FALL) AND
AVOIDING FALLS OTHERS HAVE LEARNT FROM
STAYING OPEN / COACHABLE

96. “Come to the edge, he said. They
said: We are afraid. Come to the
edge, he said. They came. He
pushed them and they flew. “
GUILLAUME APOLLINAIRE

97. The pioneering
creative leadership
& collaboration
coaching
programme

98. Change is the fuel for all
creativity.
The edge of chaos is the
best (only?) place we
can truly thrive.
Together, everything is
possible.

99. FORWARD
TOGETHER

100. “The important thing is
this: to be able at any
moment to sacrifice
what we are for what we
could become.”
CHARLES DUBOIS

101. SIGN UP
INSIGHTS, IDEAS, OPEN COURSES ETC
STORYTELLING FOR LEADERS (NOV)

102. CONNECT
WECREATEWORLDWIDE.COM: innovation
consulting & training
GLOBAL LEADERS ACADEMY.COM: leadership
development, peer coaching programmes, coaching
circles, org design
NICKJANKEL.COM: life coaching; workshops; books