106 Diagnose the System
are in over their heads. Adaptive challenges cannot be solved by taking a
course, hiring a consulting firm, or copying other companies’ best prac-
tices. Instead, people throughout the organization must open them-
selves to experimentation, giving up some old truths that have become
irrelevant with changes in the business, social, or political landscape.
What does a continuous-learning mind-set look like in action within
an organization? Here are some signs:
• People who make mistakes or experiment with new ways of doing
things are not marginalized. Instead, they are treated as founts of
wisdom because they have had experiences that the organization
needs to capture. For example, at one global bank, the CEO
regularly identifies ...