about creation is not the raw materials ; it ’ s how the materials are assembled . I ’ m 95 % hydrogen , oxygen , and carbon . The only difference between me and three buckets of water and a bucket of coal is how those materials are arranged . Likewise . leadership is assembling a group of people around a common purpose and developing a way to bond them together . When it comes to people working together , we quickly realize that we are NOT governed by the laws of physics . We are all different and we also change from day to day .
The first thing any organization that plans to grow needs to do is build a system that defines the way it will be managed . It must create a framework that facilitates leadership best practices and turns them into habits . We have progressed at an amazing pace in those areas where the rules of physics apply . might be individuals doing research that is not subject to detailed planning . Start-ups can fall in this mode as well . You have a small group of people driving and innovating rapidly , and learning is the primary focus , not coordinated action . The fruit of this work should eventually result in products or services that must be implemented using more coordination .
The Agility Model : ( Football Team ) Some work requires higher adaptability to everyday situations , which in turn requires close coordination among the team to stay aligned . There is a mutual interdependency to make this work . The American football team model is a good analogy . A team plan is required for the season since it affects player personnel . Then , a game plan is required for the next game . That plan considers the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent relative to the team ’ s capability .
To cope with our differences and with the different types of work we do , I have observed three basic models for building cooperation with people around a shared purpose . I call these three models : the Natural Garden , the Orchestra and the Football Models . These models describe different types of work for different stages of development within an organization .
The Freedom Model : ( Natural Garden ) This model is for people who don ’ t need a lot of day-to-day coordination with their leader and team to be effective . The natural garden represents the “ you bloom where you are planted ” type of culture . One example of this
The team huddles , and a play is called . At the line of scrimmage , the quarterback may change the play if the situation requires it . Everyone must listen and know what to do . After the play starts , individual players must “ read ” their opponent ’ s behavior and adjust immediately . This requires skill from the individual player . Some plays work , and some don ’ t . You go back to the huddle and call the next play , sharing what you learned . Sometimes coaches make adjustments from the sidelines or the press box . Bigger adjustments occur at the quarter breaks and half-time . Individuals with specific skills must play their role . But on a broken play , anyone may be called to do something outside their
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