Weekly Quote: Inflection Points

"There is at least one point in the history of any company when you have to change dramatically to rise to the next level of performance. Miss that moment, and you start to decline."

-- Andy Grove, Intel CEO

As he says, there is at least one point, but usually there are many points along the way where we either go backward or forward depending on whether we recognize that point in time, what actions we take and how well we lead.

Another fact:
To respond properly we have to change some parts of our culture, the beliefs we share, to implement the dramatic changes necessary to ensure we continue to grow. At these critical points in the life of a business we need to rekindle a Culture of Accountability that, I would bet, has been lost along the way somewhere.

Remember the "owner" vs "victim" distinction? As a leader you must communicate, educate and follow up in systematic ways to get everyone thinking like an owner, being accountable for their thoughts, actions and results.

Look at Kodak. They were a highly successful company living off analog (film) photography, but a few people at Kodak were busy inventing digital products and applying for a whole ream of patents around the technology. Way ahead of everyone.

Recently they have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and sold off mega $millions of those
patents. Why?

One could say it was because they made bad decisions or implemented bad strategy. But it was really deeper that. It goes back to their culture. They thought like victims, not assuming accountability and thus let someone or something else make the decisions for them.

They had developed a "victim" culture, they watched "while the world was changing around hem". They hung on to the cash cow and feared launching digital products because it would eat away at their own analog film products. All the while "blaming" their decline, like a victim, on
circumstances outside their control - on new technology.

So this was their "inflection point". Their leadership had a chance to think like an owner, but their culture and the beliefs that reinforced it, had deteriorated so far that they could not focus their thoughts, actions and results on winning in the digital age.

"Only when you assume full accountability for your thoughts, feelings, actions and results can you direct your own destiny: otherwise someone or something will do it for you."."

- OZ Principle