Originally published on April 17, 2020
Although each of us are affected differently, it can help to find commonality by taking a look at the bigger picture during this time of immense change. I spoke with Dr. John P. Kotter, an internationally known expert on leadership and change, to better understand how we can adjust to this disruption.
Dr. John P. Kotter studied Physics at MIT before going on to be named the Konosuke Matsushita Professor of Leadership, Emeritus at the Harvard Business School. A lifelong educator, Dr. Kotter is committed to encouraging opportunities for growth.
In Dr. Kotter's 8-step process for leading change, the first step is to create a sense of urgency. That sense of urgency is already rising in many organizations. In the education sector, schools are hurrying to keep up with the sudden demands of remote instruction. This is a very difficult time. However, given the new level of flexibility in many organizations, leaders can use this time to experiment with unconventional approaches. The traditional layers of bureaucracy in formalized educational institutions have a peculiar element of permeability.
“If there was ever a time where you could get away with not following every single policy, it’s now. Well, that leads to a kind of random variation in a Darwinian sense, and with a little bit of luck, some good stuff coming out of it,” says Dr. Kotter. With the relaxation of rules, a sense of experimentation can be fostered by encouraging people to look for opportunities in innovation.
“It is a known truth that throughout history whenever there have been tumultuous times, sadly there have always been bad things that have happened. But it always opens up opportunity because it shakes up the existing order. One of the problems with things being “good” is that an existing order kind of settles in with its rules and its policy.”
The easy, defined paths that have been available and expected for years are being disrupted. We’re in the middle of a healthcare and economic crisis that is rippling through our society. The problems are real and need to be addressed seriously. But how do we understand this disruption at a larger scale?
"the world has been moving faster for centuries. It took a jump up at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. It took another jump up 30 years ago with computers and the internet"
Dr. Kotter understands this as “a super fast change problem." He said "the world has been moving faster for centuries. It took a jump up at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. It took another jump up 30 years ago with computers and the internet." The exponential curves of change are consistently increasing and will continue to do so in the future. Advancements in technology are moving at an accelerating pace. We see the implications of this trend playing out in political polarization, cultural stratification, and a widening income gap.
On a smaller scale, we can recognize the spread of COVID-19 as another exponential trend to which we are struggling to adjust. The people who have been left behind by the effects of accelerating technologies are also the ones most vulnerable to the virus: low-income families, socioeconomically disadvantaged communities, the elderly or disabled.
In this time of uncertainty, we can all make an extra effort to be engaged, curious, and empathetic. We can cope with the change by taking care of ourselves and the people we care about most. Additionally, we can act as leaders by empowering others to find opportunity in the disarray. With a departure from our normal lives and the existing order, what can we start doing differently?
Article for NYU Entrepreneurial Institute as Startup of the Week. At edgi we think education should be so compelling and fun that people would rather spend their time learning than swiping through a social feed or playing video games.
