TLP216: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them with Gary Hamel

Gary Hamel is on the faculty of the London Business School and is a cofounder of the Management Lab, an organization that builds technology and tools to support breakthrough management innovation. Professor Hamel has been hailed by the Wall Street Journal as the world's most influential business thinker, and his landmark books have been translated into more than twenty-five languages. They include The Future of Management, What Matters Now, and Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them. Gary makes a passionate, data-driven argument for excising bureaucracy and replacing it with something better. Drawing on more than a decade of research and packed with practical examples, Gary lays out a detailed blueprint for creating organizations that are as inspired and ingenious as the human beings inside them. Key Takeaways [3:40] Employees feel powerless because they’re not the CEO or in a leadership position. Truth is, employees hold a lot of power. [6:15] You don’t need to take down the whole system to fix it. Experiment and see what works. [7:50] Most communication in organizations is horizontal, not vertical. [9:10] Gary shares an example of how employees can get the funding they need within their department without going through the lengthy budget planning and permission process. [12:20] In a recent poll, more than 56% of people thought that capitalism was doing more harm than good. [13:45] No matter your political side, people are frustrated by the broken system. [20:45] Being in a physical location does not impact whether an employee feels more connected to the company mission. [22:40] We live in an increasingly complex world, where changes happen rapidly and often. At the same time, bureaucracy is growing. Gary shares his thoughts on why that might be. [30:30] Breakthroughs often come from people who are very young or from outside the system. If you want to succeed, you need an outsider mindset. [33:35] We see human beings as instruments. We need to shift our focus and see them as agents instead. [35:45] Leaders think their people are resistant to change. This is a false narrative. [37:35] There is a reason why employees are so cynical. [42:00] Gary shares his proudest achievements and what he looks forward to in the future. [45:25] If you’re a leader, ask yourself how do you increase the power of those around you? Quotable Quotes “If you’re really fed up with all of this and you think we need to change, don’t wait for the bureaucrats to uninstall bureaucracy.” “Every human being wants dignity and opportunity and equity. You want to believe you matter as a human being.” “Only one in five employees believe their opinions matter and only one in 10 say they have the freedom to experiment and try new things.” “You gotta empower people to make decisions on the frontline, give them the tools, knowledge, and incentives to do the right thing.” “We are eager to change, but our organizations give people very few opportunities to be masters of their own destiny and lead change.” Resources Mentioned Gary on & on Twitter Gary’s books: , , The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Investing in yourself isn’t selfish. Click to get gritty! Free downloads of on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.