David Brooks scores again. In today’s New York Times he connects Clayton Christensen’s commencement speech at Harvard to living the “measured” [and meaningful life]. Brooks describes the “well-planned life” and the “summoned self”. If Drucker’s educated person is to master the world’s realities, learning’s outcomes should drive the learning environment, rather than the other way around.
Educating for the measured life
August 3, 2010 By 5 Comments
Managing [change] agent provocateurs and young turks
July 30, 2010 By 5 Comments
“Agent provocateur” is traditionally linked to entrapment and luring others into incriminating actions. Sadly, this is how many senior leaders eventually view change agents within their organizations. “Eventually” because often the leader hired the individual for his competence in handling change and innovation, only to reconsider when change actually kicked in and gained momentum. Search committees, search firms, leaders making a hire decision, and boards all want innovation, change, fresh ideas, and excitement…until the cost is counted. The slide from change agent to agent provocateur for the hapless leader is more predictable than not.
A friend of mine says that when “change meets culture, culture wins”.
