The New Nimble

CHAPTER 8Get It Done

September 18, 1787 – Philadelphia

Question from Ms. Powel: Sir, what have we, a republic or a monarchy?

Benjamin Franklin: A republic, if you can keep it.¹

We've looked at being nimble in the face of unexpected challenges at work. Let's take that discussion one step further and assess what being nimble looks like in the face of a true, immediate crisis or national emergency.

Being nimble is about getting comfortable with uncertainty and responding effectively to change when it happens. When change occurs in one area of our lives, we try to maintain the greatest amount of consistency in the other areas. In times of upheaval, if we are nimble at handling the immediate threat to normalcy, we can hang on to whatever consistency we can, which gives us comfort.

Democratic governments exist to provide the stability that allows individuals and organizations to function. The U.S. government has been a symbol of stability for the world for more than 100 years. The democratic process can be clunky and often messy, with arguments, hidden motives, and compromises. But we count on the process itself to work. Sometimes we get lulled into believing that the process exists on its own and is self-enforcing. On January 6, 2021, we learned that the process only exists and functions to the extent we make it do so. It works because we make it work.

On January 6, during the attempt to undermine the certification of the 2020 presidential election, thousands of people worked to ...