Make America Teal — Authentic Networks, Organizations, and Leaders That Bring us Towards Systemic Change
The Shifting Landscape:
As recent political events have shown, nothing is certain, and as the development of the human mind evolves and as we become more enlightened, traditional organizations and man-made systems start to lag behind our needs more and more to the point where those systems become obtrusive to progress. Today, as the millennial generation in the United States’ is its largest workforce; entering the marketplace as consumers and the workforce as workers, we are dramatically shifting the landscape. How can the political, economic and social markets possibly meet our demands? What changes are needed to accommodate new values? What tools do we have to create systemic change? Looking at evolutionary organizational structures and how they were derived from previous models developed within past mind-frames will give us insight as to how to navigate the dynamic forces at play within the modern ecosystem for leaders, managers, and network creatives who want to create positive change.
Changing Forces:
Millennials aren’t the only ones who want change — they are merely one of the main catalysts. In every single one of us, there lies a yearning for a deeper meaning. It isn’t till now, that we see more organizations, leaders, and managers bring authenticity into popular discussion encouraging us to speak our truths. What’s revolutionary about ’teal organizations,’ as described in Reinventing Organizations, by Frederic LaLoux, is the idea of bringing your whole self to the table — personal interests, creative pursuits and values included — without discrimination and judgement. Having teal organizations that not only allow, but also foster authenticity, embedding higher purpose into the very business model of the organization, is shifting us away from the need to escape in order to find or relive our true selves. In authentic, teal networks, the ego is tamed within the traditional hierarchical organizations allowing for drastic organizational political, economic, and social restructure. In Teal networks, everyone becomes an empowered citizen. In todays troubling times, we may be faced with fierce negative opposition, but positive forces for change that come within networks will out sustain others.
Who Leads, Who Manages, and Who Networks?
When positive authenticity is the goal and everyone is empowered, who leads? In the paradigm shift towards teal networks, we see a more sustainable, more adaptive, and dynamic force that is level in hierarchy and equal in power. Leadership shifts to individuals based on their personal strengths, and teams self-direct when the need arises. In this paradigm shift towards Teal networks, potential is realized and nurtured in everyone and everyone brings value to the table. The strength behind this organizational shift lies not in a single leader, but in all the citizen groups within the network — this network that will be more resilient to increasing change and pressure. In each of us is a well of power when we embrace our intuition, the act of self-reflection, and the wisdom gained. “Intuition honors the complex, ambiguous, paradoxical, non-linear nature of reality; we unconsciously connect patterns in a way that our rational mind cannot” (Reinventing Organizations, P.47, Frederic LaLoux). In today’s ambiguous world, we live in paradoxes, and it is up to us to not accept rules and principles handed to us blindly. It is up to us to question, observe, and assess — to create the shift to a teal network within our own lives and our own political, economic, and social spheres.
Final Words
Authenticity matters — Teal networks, organizations and leaders listen and respond to us, the market. As long as we, the consumer, do our part, Teal networks, organizations and leaders will respond — politicians and policy makers will therefore act, and in effect, entire systems will finally put people first. As consumers, we are either conscious, enlightened consumers, or mindless, non-pragmatic drones — whichever one we are, we vote everyday with our actions — let your vote be heard - make it a good one.
