Head, Heart and Guts: How the World's Best Companies Develop Complete Leaders

4

REFRAMING THE BOUNDARIES

 

 

 

 

Companies are defined by boundaries. Despite a growing organizational recognition that hard-and-fast boundaries are things of the past, individuals within most organizations still fail to think about existing boundaries in new ways. Managers cling to the lines that separate one function from another or that divide customers from suppliers, in part because of cultural traditions and in part because of pressure for immediate results. If a redrawn boundary doesn’t produce results now, it’s not worth their time and effort.

Boundaries also provide the illusion of order in a world that is becoming increasingly chaotic. In complex, volatile times, people cling to the established order. Unconsciously, perhaps, they want ...