7
Antipattern #7 · clarity · p. 61
Declaring Superficial Principles
Values that are useful, lived, and living foster trust and engagement, and independent action.
The Tin Man Behavior
Creating or adopting a list of aspirational leadership principles superficially, missing the hard work of embedding them in behaviors, decisions, and systems.
The Results
- ·Cynicism spreads as the values are ignored, especially when there is a dissonance between what's said and what's done.
- ·Missed opportunity to guide key activities like accelerating and bar-raising consistent decision-making or hiring
How Octopus Organizations Behave Instead
- ↳They craft concise and actionable principles to create a shared language of values.
- ↳They focus principles on guiding behaviors rather than abstract ideals.
- ↳They make principles real by ensuring they are the basis for how people are hired, promoted, and celebrated.