Internalized Principles and Transformation

Any fool can know. The point is to understand. - Albert Einstein

If effective transformational leadership could be captured in a tightly defined formula, it's likely that somebody would have figured it out over the past few thousand years. "Formula" as a basis for human behavior and organizational dynamics has never yet been established in a way that works consistently. Just a quick review of some attempts at formulaic organizational and process improvement over the past few decades illustrates this pretty vividly. Remember TQM (total quality management)? Quality Work Circles? The One Minute Manager. BPR, Business Reengineering, like Nolan Norton? Hammer and Champy ("don't pave the cow-paths", "don't automate - obliterate", etc.)? More popular today we have the likes of Six Sigma, Kaizen, Lean, MBO, Theory Z, Delayering, Empowerment, CMMi, Agile, DevOps, Prosci ADKAR, EASIER, Nudge Theory, etc.

The methodologies above aren't necessarily aimed at "transformational leadership" in particular, but they DO make an attempt at developing consistent frameworks and, to at least some extent, formulas for establishing "best practices" in organizations. If anything, these are representative of some of the kinds of approaches that "transformational leaders" must consider and selectively employ as they seek to transform their organizations.

As valuable as many of these techniques may be in various scenarios, not a single one has surfaced that is universally applicable -- or even effective in ANY situation without guidance by skilled and experienced practitioners, organizational and management support, and a culture that allows for such practices -- and none of this has been reduced to a formula to date. If the tools used in the transformation of organizations can't be reduced to consistently applicable and effective formulas, it's even less likely that the personality, behavior and practices of a prospective "transformational leader" can be established or defined by formula.

When executives and organizations act in accordance with a belief that any kind of major transformation can be reduced to a formula, you typically wind up with a disaster, and at best, a sub-optimal outcome.

Formula and pre-defined structures are great ways to start. But, as the most advanced martial artists, musicians, athletes and Zen masters will tell you (no doubt using differing descriptions) - "the ultimate technique is no technique". This does not mean that rules and process are ignored; instead, the key here is that formal rules and rote process are only the beginning.

Martial artists practice rote exercises (forms / katas) in order to perfect sequences of movement, and through extensive practice true masters will have internalized the underlying principles that make the techniques effective. A real fight won't look like kata practice, as the master responds reflexively, drawing on the internalized principles and "muscle memory" to improvise as the situation demands. Rules and rote practice are the path to no longer needing to rely on inflexible rules.

Budding musicians may begin with rote exercises and adhering closely to sheet music, but if faithfully playing from a written score were the only requirement for a great performance, humans musicians would already be obsolete. Much like martial artists, great musicians typically start with formal education and rote practice, and the best of them evolve to being able to improvise the nuances of their performance, going beyond the written score when they perform.

Rote process and rules may be key to early learning. But relying solely on them can limit your ability to pivot as needed in challenging and novel situations. Thus the idea that "the ultimate technique is no technique".

Framework, method, formula and rote practice are valuable to communicate concepts and approximations of ideal behavior, and to guide early practice -- but in the end, the most effective practitioners are those who have internalized the underlying fundamental principles that lead to successful outcomes. Principles are a slippery concept, but the idea is that once learned and internalized, they help a practitioner respond correctly to a wide variety of novel situations -- situations and responses that most likely could NOT be reduced to a set of formulas. This is also key to the added value that a highly experienced practitioner or leader brings to the table in a complex endeavor: broad experience over time across many varied situations makes it possible to internalize the relevant principles, which in turn prepare you to tackle novel situations more effectively.

Large scale changes are typically challenging and complex, with the best outcomes being led by highly experienced practitioners who have internalized the principles of successful transformation.