Many organizations have deeply ingrained systems and structures that discourage change and reinforce the status quo. While initially established to maintain stability and order, over time these systems can become obstacles that hold back progress and limit opportunities for both individuals and the company as a whole.
Today we will explore how leaders can thoughtfully disrupt outdated systems through intentional transformational change efforts. The goal is not simple disruption for disruption's sake, but rather disruption with a guiding vision and purpose of building an organizational culture defined by innovation, empowerment, and equitable access to opportunities.
Controls: Assessing Existing Systems
Before taking action to disrupt systems, leaders must first understand the existing organizational structures and cultures in depth. Only with a thorough assessment can one identify concrete barriers and outdated policies versus adaptive practices still serving their purpose. Some questions to consider include:
What written and unwritten rules govern operations and decision making?
How does power and authority circulate? Who has influence and who does not?
How are resources like funding, roles, and opportunities allocated?
What behaviors and mindsets are implicitly or explicitly rewarded versus discouraged?
How much flexibility or room for creativity exists at different levels?
What policies may unintentionally disadvantage some groups over others?
When were these systems originally established and have organizational needs changed since?
Gathering perspectives from managers, frontline staff, recent hires, and those who exited can reveal much about real-world impacts of policies versus stated intentions. Anonymous surveys, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews allow identifying disconnects between leadership assumptions and employee realities. Document reviews and data analyses may also shine light on inequitable outcomes or processes ripe for streamlining. A holistic assessment establishes the path forward toward meaningful change.
Participation: Engaging Stakeholders in the Process
For disruption to succeed, it is crucial to bring people along on the journey. Those affected by systems deserve a voice in redesigning them and building buy-in smoothes implementation. Some ways to promote active participation include:
Hosting open town halls to listen without judgment and invite ideas
Forming cross-functional working groups charged with assessing specific issue areas
Surveying anonymously to flag concerns staff may feel unsafe voicing openly
Intentionally including frontline and junior staff alongside senior leaders early on
Using change management consulting to facilitate transparent discussion
Piloting new approaches on a small scale first to allow course correcting
Communicating regularly in multiple formats as the change evolves over time
Highlighting early successes and wins as momentum and motivation growers
Keeping participation voluntary respects people's bandwidth while normalizing involvement. Focusing on mutual understanding over debate and criticism fosters creativity. Leaders modeling receptive listening builds trust that stakeholder input will shape, not just inform, the path disruptions take.
Strategic Execution: Implementing Changes
With assessment complete and buy-in growing, it is time for tactical execution. However, disruption implies replacing the status quo, which unsettles even when improvements are obvious. Leaders must therefore disrupt with care, clarity and compassion. Some strategies include:
Start by changing yourself as an exemplar others feel safe following
Address root causes, not just symptoms, through multi-faceted solutions tailored to context
Pilot small, pilot often to build momentum through iterative learning cycles
Lead with positivity, focusing on the growth ahead rather than problems of the past
Communicate the vision compellingly and involve staff at every implementation stage
Provide training, resources and support for navigating transitions successfully
Check implicit biases, share power widely and lift up diverse voices and perspectives
Celebrate milestones publicly to motivate and build confidence in the journey
Expect setbacks and address them transparently, turning challenges into lessons
Engage stakeholders regularly and democratically assess what is working well
Adapt disruption strategies based on real-time feedback throughout the process
With compassionate yet decisive leadership, even radical changes feel like natural progress when everyone plays a role in charting the course.
Examples of Disruption in Action
The following real-world examples illustrate disruption strategies successfully navigating systems initially resistant to change:
Zappos - Shift to Holacracy: When online shoe retailer Zappos switched from a traditional hierarchy to a flat, self-organizing structure called Holacracy in 2013, many doubted such a radical shift could sustain business operations at scale. However, CEO Tony Hsieh led the transformation by rolling it out incrementally and focusing on culture over structure. Regular town halls addressed concerns transparently. New policies gave staff autonomy while fostering collaboration. Today Holacracy thrives at Zappos as a disruptive force fostering continuous learning and innovation.
Anonymous Company - Dismantling a Toxic 'Boys Club' Culture: A Midwestern manufacturing company historically operated as an old boys club, where a small in-group dominated decision making while others felt voiceless. New leadership launched an anonymous culture audit, then piloted new mentorship and recruiting programs to diversify leadership. Cross-department integration sessions addressed perceptions fueling insular mindsets. Clear anti-harassment policies with consistent enforcement reinforced the shift. Staff now report feeling empowered and that the company values all contributions equally.
Tech Startup - Flattening a Growing Hierarchy: As a small startup scaled rapidly, siloes formed and procedures grew rigid, threatening the nimble culture fueling early success. The founder-CEO took a sabbatical to shadow frontline workers, gaining understanding of frustrations. Returned equipped to disrupt strategically. Formed self-managing interdisciplinary teams, freed funding for grassroots innovation, and opened semi-annual 'innovation sprints' for staff solutions. Dynamic structures now support agility as the explosive growth continues.
These examples illustrate that with trust-building leadership and an iterative approach, even entrenched systems can evolve through disruption into cultures where all people thrive.
Conclusion
Disrupting outdated policies and mindsets constraining an organization requires vision, strategic execution and persistence in building a culture rooted in equitable access, empowerment and continuous learning. For permanent transformation, leaders must institutionalize these philosophies by establishing new systems fostering ongoing disruption and improvement from within.
Disrupting an oppressive status quo takes compassion, wisdom and long-term commitment. With open-minded, empowering and community-focused leadership however, even the most rigid systems can evolve into cultures where all people feel motivated to achieve their full potential and continuously pave the way for future disruptions. Ultimately the goal is for an organization's structures, policies and practices to reflect its shared principles of growth through inclusion, learning and equitable opportunity for all.
Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.
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