CHAPTER 22
The Tail Wagging the Dog
We have heard all kinds of phrases to describe corporations, but the game is changing! Some may depict the shift as the leadership pyramid being flipped, especially with the millennial generations becoming such a key component to our team. But the change happening in our hyperconnected world seems much more dramatic. Like many changes in business this is just the pendulum swinging. Over the years I have seen the momentum shift for many aspects of business, but rarely, if ever, does the pendulum land right in the middle. Typically I find it going to extremes, and this feels like it will be one of those times too. The challenge is that this new power held by our Customers and employees seems far greater of a change then a simple flipping of the pyramid. I think a better analogy might be that the tail is wagging the dog.
Leadership of your organization is at the head, attempting to guide the organization, but the workforce behind is propelling the organization forward and hopefully guiding the leaders down the right path. Customers, which you hoped were the tail wagging happily away, now have the greatest amount of control. This shift will be empowering for some leaders, but I am sure there will be other leaders who will feel that the situation is downright hopeless.
Before we get into the changes to your overall organization, let’s review what we have already discussed. Consumers in general are being bombarded with more content than ever. This ...
