![]() ![]() While all modern species have followed different evolutionary paths, humans share a common ancestor with some primates, such as the African ape. "The number of extinct side-branches is much larger than the number of true genealogical connections in the fossil record, and so when we find a fossil, we don't assume it's an ancestor of anything we interpret it as a sister group of some things." However, like back in the 1800’s, if we want or need to see that one “thing”, then it will be there for the seeing."Probably the most important thing is that most of the fossils we find aren't actually links," Hawks said. More likely, this happens through a gradual proactive “adaptation” by these high performing individuals. Similarly, I believe that the search for one career event (or epiphany) within the lifetime of a successful leader will lead to the same conclusion - it didn’t happen that way. The search for one such generation of our species was an acquiescence of the science community to religious and political pressure to keep Divinity in the picture. They contend that at no time did one of our ancestors look vastly different than its parents or offspring. Evolution is by definition “gradual” (“the gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form.”) The above noted scientists, in fact, dissuade the proliferation of a “missing link” theory. Ironically, I expect that White Oak will discover what Darwin began, and current luminaries such as evolutionary biologist, Richard Dawkins, have reinforced. Interesting metaphoric comparison between leadership development and human evolution - that I've personally considered in the past. Please consider joining us on this journey through our new monthly blog found at # We will be sharing these interviews, analysis, and insight and would like to learn from yours. Our research will be aimed at finding the evidence of what academics and others have theorized about this topic. That, we believe, is the missing link that results in purposeful work, productive outcomes and a happy life.ĭuring the next several months, we will be interviewing successful leaders across various industries with a variety of world views who believe they have discovered their call and are striving to live it. Our solution: discovering and living one’s call only found through time spent in reflection, openness and receptivity. We, like Lencioni, argue for more organization health amidst the “smart” things: a “Sustainable Balance.”Īt White Oak Consulting, we believe we have found more than a set of secrets, laws or steps. ![]() The remaining 10% on they spend on “healthy” things such as minimal politics, good relationships, and time for reflection. Pat Lencioni in his book, The Advantage, argues that organizations spend 90% of their energies on what he calls, “smart” things such as, strategy, technology, and finance. We believe in a different organizing principle that will lead to meaningful, productive and joyful work. Now that we have framed the challenge, here is our hypothesis regarding the solution: Their findings were that 70% of people in the workforce are disengaged, and only 8% feel an overall sense of well-being. If this culture of action were working, the results of the 2013 Gallup poll would be quite different. Leaders of today are exceedingly active: very busy people doing more and more with less and less. A life that is based on action as an organizing principle, however, leads to the opposite. We believe we can, through the force of a disciplined will, produce work that will flourish and happiness will naturally follow. Here is our take on the challenge:Ī deeply held, often unconscious, belief is that action is what matters. It’s essential to understand one of or perhaps the biggest illusion for leaders today. Some of these propositions are quite insightful, some profound, others just a tall guy in a monkey suit. ![]() It might be the five secrets of a great leader or the ten laws of leadership or the five steps to awakening the leader within. Just as elusive as the missing link has been, leadership luminaries have promised the thing that makes all the difference with leadership and they too have fallen short. Well, of course, it just ended up being a tall guy in a monkey suit. I remember feeling a sense of awe during the movie thinking we had finally found the missing link. When I was a 13-old boy, my mother took my friends and me to see the feature film about Big Foot called The Legend of Boggy Creek (1972). Since Charles Darwin published his theory of evolution in 1859, we have been searching for the missing link. ![]()
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