Slow Leadership

I just read a ChangeThis manifesto called Slow Leadership: Creating Civilized Organizations by Adrian Savage.

Adrian describes how organizations have manufactured an unsustainable sense of urgency and level of stress in the work place as a result of a fixation on next quarter’s results. 

He describes the “brute force approach to productivity” where “leadership” chooses to “Cut staff, ration resources, and force those who are left to work longer hours, with higher output, for the same amount of pay… Create an atmosphere of constant fear…Create a continual state of competition…Focus on the shortest of short-term objectives to keep up the pressure…” 

“Business in a civilized country cannot be based on making money regardless of anything else; that is the attitude of gangsters and mob bosses.”

“Stressed and fearful people will sacrifice much to survive…Creativity is an early casualty, since any kind of creative thinking takes time and is ruined by anxiety and stress. Next goes patience…to be patient becomes an unattainable luxury… 

There’s no time to learn or reflect, so people rely on rules of thumb and quick fixes to get them through, endlessly repeating the same mistakes until some catastrophe forces them to take notice.

There’s no time to be open-minded or appreciate the first signs of new opportunity. Nor is there enough space for appreciation, respect, or support of colleagues.” 

His prescription for bringing civility back to the work place is slow leadership. He’s not proposing taking it easy. He’s proposing that leaders take the time needed to make rational decisions.

I’d be interested in your impressions of Adrian's manifesto.

While I agree with much of his description of the situation and its causes, I’m not sure slow leadership is enough to fix the problem.

PS: One of my favorite consultants/bloggers/authors, David Maister, has a new manifesto out as well. It’s called Accountability: Effective Managers Go First. I can’t wait to read it.