Still Not Getting To The Tipping Point To Agility

In a previous blog, the Diffusion of Innovation was used to discuss the legitimacy of agility. The theory was that the percentage of organizations considered to exhibit skill was approximately 5%, well below the 13.5% needed to become true early adopters. To that point would help legitimize agility.

What's stopping the floodgates?

What could be causing the slow movement to get to that threshold to open the floodgates? There are numerous variables that drive value and leave it on the table for organizations. It is not a new concept; we know that it uses methods and behaviours to improve an organization's agility. Have plenty of books, research, blogs and training to help people understand what is needed to get there. In today's age, access to information is just a click away. The four dimensions of leadership agility, as outlined by Dimitrius Spyridonidis, indicate that only 10% of leaders exhibit the right behaviours for organizational agility. Well below the tipping point. Why am I saying well below? Consider the length of time "agile" has been the term senior leaders have used. Since 2001, with the creation of the manifesto, the adjective "agile" became a noun, much to Dave Thomas' disappointment. The book "Leadership Agility" by Joiner and Josephs can offer some insight into why we have not yet reached that tipping point. They provide the five levels of leadership agility.

• Expert
• Achiever
• Catalyst
• Co-Creator
• Synergist

There's research

According to research, approximately 80% fall within the first two levels, which they refer to as "heroic." These are the leaders who starred in the field and got promotions. What happens then depends on the leadership. Will they train them to move to the next levels, or are they already in Expert and Achiever levels and unwilling to progress further? We need more leaders willing to make that evolutionary change in management behaviours and thinking. Does having a big team under you in an organization chart matter if there is unachieved value due to traditional management behaviours blocking them? We are at an evolutionary inflection point where opportunities are presenting themselves for everyone (employees, customers, leadership, and shareholders). It is time to take the traditional blinders off and see what is possible. How do we do that? How do we make that change? Small steps.

Ready to move beyond the “heroic” status quo?