Refocusing on What we Value Most in the 21st Century

Introduction

This week’s blog is about the thoughts of Matthew Taylor concerning why he believes in there is a need to start a 21st Century Enlightenment era similar to that of the first Enlightenment era generated in the 17^th and 18^th centuries. (Taylor, 2010). Taylor (2010) is a very thought provoking video that touches at the core of why leadership of the 21^st Century must also evolve and is only one idea of many on RSAs website. RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) is a community of thought leaders who challenge norms with new ideas and actions we can take to implement these ideas. Quite a thought provoking website and I am very fortunate that the MSLD program at Embry-Riddle introduced me to RSA.

Below is a personal perspective to the some thought provoking questions that I believe are relevant to this video and how leadership evolution should evolve and how it is related to Taylor (2010).

Why do you think the talk is titled 21st Century Enlightenment?

The video is titled this way because the movement that Taylor (2010) is advocating for is similar in many ways as the first Enlightenment era of the 17^th and 18^th centuries where new ideals were born that shaped modern values, norms and lifestyles (Taylor, 2010). The movement he believes is a logical next step in human societal development is the strengthening of ethical human qualities that specifically involves growing our empathic desire to help those who need help. Furthermore Taylor (2010) asserts that the knowledge gained from the 1^st Enlightenment period, while important to where we are today, must be develop a new wrinkle in order for society to move forward to take the next step.

The type of changes Taylor (2010) is advocating has, in part, been occurring in the discipline of modern leadership theory and practice. Modern leadership theory has introduced new and invigorating concepts to the leadership community, Complex Adaptive Leadership (CAL), participative leadership, transformational to name a few. To meet the complexity of today’s global economy many businesses have adopted new ways of practicing leadership with very positive results.

What does Matthew Taylor Mean when He Says to Live Differently, You have to Think Differently?

 In order to bring about change to how we currently conduct ourselves we must see the world from a different perspective “as the architects of the Enlightenment understood.” (Taylor, 2010). The same holds true when thinking about leadership. To break the mold of a hierarchal and oligarchic system, one must possess the ability to be adaptive. To be adaptive requires being able to consider multiple perspectives and having the wits and humility to know when your personal perspective needs to be adjusted.

What does Matthew Taylor Mean when He Says to Resist Our Tendencies to Make Right or True that which is Merely Familiar and Wrong or False that which is Only Strange?

 Clearly this statement is tied back to thinking the requirement to think differently. If we make right or true those things that are familiar, then we are not challenging our norms. Similarly if we judge things wrong or false those things that are strange to us we are not challenging our norms. To think differently we must challenge what we think is right or true, wrong or false and often this involves considering other people’s perspective. Brown (2011) suggests that in healthy organizations, peripheral norms (supportive to organizational goals) should be challenged whereas pivotal norms (essential to organizational goals) are not challenged. (p. 13) I do not agree. I believe that even pivotal norms should be challenged to some degree, to ensure the organization is striving for the right objectives.

A personal example of how pivotal norms should be challenged can be illustrated by our effort to develop an interactive fault isolation tool for a developmental aircraft. One of our norms is to use an authoring specification called S1000D to author the procedures and then import them into the interactive tool’s database. Today, it is true that this method is the most efficient to produce fault isolation procedures. In about 4-6 months the opposite will be true. Had we not challenge our current method and way of thinking we would have continued down the same path of using S1000D to create the fault isolation procedures.

Is Developing More Empathetic Citizens Possible?

 Absolutely. There is an innate feeling of empathy in all well and semi-well-adjusted people. Taylor (2010) points out that today, more than ever, we need to increase the process of widening human empathy. “Levels of inequality have risen in the rich world, tensions between different ethnic groups have risen, and anti-immigrant sentiment has grown”. The key assertion Taylor (2010) makes is “The stock of Global empathy has to grow if we are to reach agreements which put the long-term needs of the whole planet and its people ahead of short-term national concerns.” One such agreement that the world needs to come to grips with is the environment and how we are treating the planet we live on. Not all peoples of the earth are being good stewards and protectors of the environment and Taylor (2010) provides a broad vision of needing more empathy, to not only protect the environment, but to provide a broad foundation for global collaboration on global issues. “Fostering empathic capacity is just as important to achieving a world of citizens at peace with each other & with themselves” as education (Taylor, 2010).

What is the Implications of Atomizing People from Collaborative Environments as it pertains to Organizational Change Efforts and upon Their Personal Growth?

 Not allowing people to gather to produce collaborative efforts would be a blow to many organizational change efforts. Change efforts in an organization dominated and directed by predominately oligarchic top down traditional leadership would be less effected than would be an organization that follows a more modern approach such as a CAS (Complex Adaptive System) where teams dominate and leaders take on a role of team facilitators. So while breaking up collaborative efforts would have less effect on the dynamics in an organization with traditional leadership, an organization that benefits from collaborative organizational change is much better off to getting those changes to stick than the organization dominated by traditional leadership practices “A high level of cooperation and mutual trust is more likely when members identify with the team or work unit…” (Yukl, 2013, p. 251).

               The effect atomizing people from collaborative environments would not only stunt growth on a personal professional level, but would carry over into stunting the organizational growth and development as well.

Summary

Taylor (2010) has made me more aware that the change in the way we think about leadership, and what is right and wrong about leadership, also needs to occur on a much broader scale in how we think about the world we live in. 21st Century Enlightenment is a profound video that has compelled me to share it with anyone that will listen to its message. I hope you will watch the video and support the message of creating a world that has more empathetic citizens than it has today. Are you up for the challenge?

References:

Brown, R. D, (2011). An experiential approach to organization development (Eighth edition.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Taylor, M. (2010). 21st Century enlightenment [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC7ANGMy0yo.

Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in organizations. Boston MA: Pearson.