The Purposeful Leadership Challenge. Part 5: Butterflies, not bulls in china shops

It’s now commonplace for businesses to talk fondly of failing, as if getting things wrong is admirable.

‘Mucking it up’ (or similar) is part of the corporate vocabulary and the focus of books and even networking groups.

But the point about failing is more about having tried something new than not having succeeded. This is where the ‘failure narrative’ misses the point. We all make mistakes but, surely, we shouldn’t actively try to.

Making a huge change — such as unearthing your business’ purpose and reformatting your organisation to operate in a whole new way — is not something that anyone should charge at like a bull.

Much better is to start with small steps, moving steadily away from the tried and tested, when stakes are low and risks aren’t so high to begin with.

Over time, the little things you do will contribute to a larger initiative. A kind of butterfly effect.

These could be small leadership changes, such as being the last person to speak in a meeting where you are the team leader. Or more substantial business innovations where you create and test prototypes for new and different ways of running your business.

By creating an environment where doing things like this is safe, you can safely say that your dream of leading a more purposeful business stands a far better chance of flying.

This was the final instalment of this series of short articles. Do you feel ready to move towards a more purpose-driven business? Our Readiness Indicator might help.