A strange feature of Organisations is that they cast a massive shadow onto their own future.
The things that we do, the ways that we do them and the successes that we have are all held in the footprint that we land upon the earth. For Organisations, this footprint lies in assets, buildings, Reputation, Hierarchy, products and wealth. It is in the nature of Organisations to accrete both things and ways of doing things.
Some of these legacies are huge; hence, the shadows that they cast are long.
But the thing about a shadow is that it should fall away from us. It should fall back into the past, whilst our future lies ahead where we are often blinded by the light.
Our challenge is to create a type of Organisation that respects this legacy but aims firmly towards the future, grounded in the brilliance of its people today.
For a new type of world, we will need a new type of Organisation: one that is lightweight and rapidly adaptable, that thrives in times of constant change, that respects the old but embraces the new.