Our environment is in constant flux. With the advent of social media, the concept of “real time” takes on a whole new meaning. Change is instant, and it’s viral. Consultants like me, whose business is to help organizations plan effectively, are thinking and talking about new models of planning that incorporate this focus on rapid change and adaptivity. Some say the old strategic planning models are dying because they assume the external environment will be static for 3 years. That has become a preposterous assumption. Instead, there is an emerging focus on what it means to be adaptive leader – one who drives change and also seizes opportunities for change. It describes a person who is both flexible and strategic.
We scramble to stay ahead of this viral trend, but I had to laugh the other day as I came across this quote about Buddhism. I guess our ideas aren’t new after all.
“Buddhism holds that everything is in constant flux. Thus the question is whether we are to accept change passively and be swept away by it or whether we are to take the lead and create positive changes on our own initiative. While conservatism and self-protection might be likened to winter, night, and death, the spirit of pioneering and attempting to realize ideals evokes images of spring, morning, and birth.”
- Daisaku Ikeda, Japanese Buddhist and Peace Activist
