Staying true to his unconventional yet breakthrough philosophies, corporate organization keynote speaker Jeremy Gutsche advises companies today to fight as if they're right, and to listen as if they're wrong. Too often, he believes, is seniority prioritized within a company, leading to lost opportunities and closed doors. He sees conflict and debate between all levels in a company as beneficial and crucial to its well-being.
He uses the story of Ray Dalio to demonstrate his point:
"In 1975 finance maven Ray Dalio was fired from his job at a stock brokerage. From his point of view, he couldn't fit into a corporate culture where hierarchy was more important than logic. So he started his own firms Bridgewater Associates, where conflict and reasoning are more important than seniority:
'Conflict in the pursuit of excellence is a terrific thing and is strongly encouraged, in fact demanded. There should be no (or as little as possible) hierarchy. Certainly there are organizational 'superior-subordinate' relationships; however, every 'subordinate' is encouraged to argue with his or her 'superior' if he or she thinks they know the better way, and every 'superior' is required to encourage this...I want power ti life in the reasoning, not in the position, of the individual.'"
You can access more fascinating anecdotes and breakthrough tips from this innovation keynote speaker in his FREE online book which is available here.
Fight As If You're Right
Jeremy Gutsche's Corporate Organization Keynote Breaks Down Hierarchy
Trend Themes
1. Embracing Conflict - Recognize conflict and debate as beneficial and crucial for company growth and innovation.
2. Prioritizing Reasoning Over Hierarchy - Promote an organizational culture that values logic and encourages employees to argue with superiors for the better way.
3. Challenging Seniority - Question the traditional emphasis on seniority within companies and explore the potential for lost opportunities when it takes precedence over other factors.
Industry Implications
1. Corporate Training - Provide training programs that teach employees the value of conflict, reasoning, and challenging hierarchy within a company.
2. Consulting Services - Offer consulting services to help companies create a culture that fosters and encourages healthy conflict and debate.
3. Leadership Development - Develop leadership programs that focus on promoting reasoning and challenging the status quo, rather than relying solely on seniority-based decision-making.