Last week in a call to transform we differentiated between the old model and the new model of transformational culture.

To move to this new state of nirvana there will be 3 major accelerators for us all to enhance as the 21^st Century takes shape:

In a free market economy there will always be excesses. But in recent years, CEO’s have been hell-bent in setting new records for egocentric irresponsibility. The result, not unsurprisingly is that once lauded institutions have now become the least trusted bastions in our society. And on the back of that has come wave after wave of regulation. The only way to reverse this is to have a moral renaissance in capitalism. If there is one thing that all stakeholders agree upon is that we need to rethink the fundamental values that underpin societies most important institutions. We can all play a role in this moral renaissance.

The choice is stark: we can resign ourselves to the fact that our organisations will never be adaptable, innovative, or inspiring than they are right now, or we can search for an alternative to the creed of control. Better business processes and better business models are not enough – we need better business principles. That is why purpose matters more than ever.

Creativity is the spark that differentiates our performance from our competitors. It is these gifts that employees can choose, day by day and moment to give or withhold. And hence it is cyclical. If we tap into these gifts, performance can become the differentiator. If we continually perform we have a platform to engage those willing to dare.

We live in a world of hyper competition where products and services and even knowledge itself is almost instantly commoditized. To survive in this world, to grow your margins, to grow your top line you need innovation from everybody, everyday. And yet in spite of decades of CEO’s talking about innovation, the rhetoric is still way in front of the reality. I don’t know one company out of a hundred that has made innovation the work of every employee, everyday.

Transformation and the will to change are born from the sparks of passion. A yearning married with a righteous discontent with the status quo. Problem is that the average workplace is a buzz kill. Petty rules, pedestrian goals, pyramidal structures; these are the things that drain the vitality out of the work force. In the creative economy what we need from every employee is their initiative, their creativity and their passion. These things are gifts that employees can either choose to bring to work everyday or not. With all the evidence it appears that employees choose not to bring them to work.

So we need to change management at its’ core. We need leaders to think of their job not to get people to serve the organizational goal but creating organisations that deserve and merit the gifts of those extraordinary capabilities.

There are progressive companies that have radically changed their management models around values that celebrate freedom, openness and contribution in addition to discipline, focus and control. Together we need to bind behind purpose, creativity & passion. A personal revolution is at stake.