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InterviewsThis interview originally appeared
in Chamber Executive magazine
published by American Chamber
of Commerce Executives. It is the
first of a two-part interview. The
second part focuses on Professor
Moss Kanters most recently
published book, Confidence: How
Winning Streaks and LosingStreaks Begin and End.
Rosabeth Moss Kanter
Rosabeth Moss Kanter is the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professor of Business Administration
at Harvard Business School, specializing in strategy, innovation, and leadership for
change. She advises major corporations and governments worldwide, and is the
author or co-author of 15 books, including her latest book, Evolve!: Succeeding in the
Digital Culture of Tomorrow. Other award-winning best-sellers include Men & Women
of the Corporation, The Change Masters, When Giants Learn to Dance, and World
Class: Thriving Locally in the Global Economy, and Rosabeth Moss Kanter on the
Frontiers of Management.
She has received 21 honorary doctoral degrees from distinguished universities
nation-wide and over a dozen leadership awards, and has been named to lists of the
50 most influential business thinkers in the world (ranked #11), the 18 business
gurus to watch, the 100 most important women in America and the 50 most
powerful women in the world. She co-founded Goodmeasure Inc., a consulting
group, and serves as chairman of its board as well as serving as a director or adviser
for other companies. Her consulting clients include some of the most prominent
companies, and she has delivered keynote addresses for major events in every U.S.
state and dozens of other countries, sharing the platform with Prime Ministers and
Presidents. Goodmeasure is currently developing Web-based versions of her lead-
ership and change tools (www.changetoolkit.com), to help embed them in
organizations everywhere.
Who have had the greatest impact on your own development as a businessthinker? How so?There have been many influences over the years, Peter Drucker being one of the
most important because he has helped so many of us to think differently about
organizational leadership and management. Frankly, I learn something of value from
everyone I meet -- my Harvard colleagues, my students and the executives I work
with. For an eager student (which is what I am), there is so much to be learned from
everyday experiences. Im a sponge. Always will be.
Of all the books you have written thus far, which seem to have had the greatestimpact on senior-level executives? Why?
Time is a function of impact. The longer a book of mine has been in print, the greater
its impact seems to be as people absorb and digest my ideas. I am especially proud
KnowledgeLeadershipA Conversation With
Rosabeth Moss Kanter Part I
8/6/2019 ElizabethMossKanterInnovation
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of The Change Masters; Innovation and
Entrepreneurship in the American Cor-
poration[first published in 1983]
because it raised questions and
addressed issues at a time when so
many great changes were occurring in
our society, indeed throughout the
world. Change masters are my heroes
and heroines because they are
mavericks, they challenge the status
quo, they see what others dont see.
They are dreamers who make theirdreams come true. They have vision
and courage. They really care about
making a difference. They are
revolutionaries. And they are very hard
workers.
I am also pleased by the reception to
When Giants Learn to Dance: Mastering
the Challenges of Strategy,
Management, and Careers in the 1990s
[first published in 1989]. In it, I insist that
even the largest organizations really cantransform themselves and I explained
how. By the way, John Akers once said
that changing IBMs culture was more
difficult than getting elephants to dance.
Of course its really difficult, as Lou
Gerstner also found out years later. The
title of his own book is Who Says
Elephants Cant Dance?He and his top
executives were change masters at
IBM. All organizations, especially the
larger ones, will always need change
masters. Dissatisfaction with the status
quo and efforts to improve it should be
encouraged rather than discouraged.
Regrettably, that is often not the case.
What do the most effectiveorganizations share in common?They demonstrate the Five Fs: They are
focused, flexible, fast, friendly, and fun.
They are constantly improving on what
they do and how they do it. They are
resilient and can rapidly respond to
problems as well as to opportunities. By
friendly I mean partnership-oriented,
understanding the value of collaboration
across organizations as a way to get
more for everyone, appreciating the
value of each and every person involved
in the enterprise. Friendly people are
caring people, eager to provideencouragement and support when
needed most. Not just associates in the
workplace but also customers,
vendors...literallyanyone with whom
there is contact.
Throughout human history, people have
developed strong loyalties to traditions,
rituals, and symbols. In the most
effective organizations, they are not only
respected but celebrated. It is no
coincidence that the most highlyadmired corporations are also among
the most profitable. Why? Because
everyone involved is committed to
certain non-negotiable core values.
Traditions keep them alive. Rituals such
as special occasions reaffirm them.
Symbols serve as constant reminders of
their enduring importance.
What about innovation?
It is absolutely essential and everything
begins with curiosity. A great thinker
once described innovative thinkers this
way: "Some men see things as they are
and say, 'Why?' I dream of things that
never were and say, 'Why not?'"
Innovative thinkers are constantly
asking questions such as these. How
can we improve recruiting, hiring and
training? How can we add greater value
to our products and services by
making them even better? How can
we do more to nourish the personal
as well as professional development
of our people? What more can we do
as a good citizen where we do
business? Without constant
innovative thinking, an organization
will have few (if any) of the Five Fs.
Please explain the role of leadership
when overcoming what JimOToole characterizes as theideology of comfort and the tyrannyof custom.That is a major obstacle because
successful organizations become
complacent and thus are vulnerable t
competitors which have mastered the
Five Fs. Competition has never been
more threatening than it is now.
Innovative thinkers challenge the
status quo in their organizations. The
are often viewed as troublemakers.
They threaten the defenders of the
status quo. So competition within an
organization can also be brutal. The
most effective leaders overcome the
ideology of comfort and the tyranny o
custom by being change agents
themselves. They encourage and
reward innovative thinking. I have
observed that people only resist
changes imposed on them by other
people. I like to say that Change is
always a threat if its done tomebut
an opportunity when done by me.
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Is that one of Kanters
Rules?
In my new book Confidence, I explain
how both winning streaks and losing
streaks begin and end. Organizations
(especially start-ups) get on a roll and
thrive for a while. They enjoy success
and assume it will continue. Then their
neglect of the Five Fs causes serious
problems, ending the winning streak.Now theyre on a losing streak. Efforts to
solve the problems do not produce
immediate results. So heres another of
Kanters Rules": Everything looks like
a failure in the middle. So often, people
become impatient and then
discouraged, especially when they
encounter delays, obstacles, problems,
etc. They give up too soon.
ack Dempsey once said thatchampions get up when they cant.Exactly and the same is true of or-
ganizations.
In recent years, there has been greatinterest in the relevance of theFounding Fathers (especiallyBenjamin Franklin and John
dams) to the contemporary businesworld. Why?
During the Boom Years, it was so easy
to lose sight of basic values. For
example, there was lots of nonsense
said and written about the so-called
New Economy. Some people said all
economic laws have been overturned!
Then all the dot.com problems
developed. Corporations were heavily
fined for illegalities. Many of their senior-
level executives were indicted,
convicted, and sent to prison. The
economy suffered. Meanwhile, global
terrorism -- both before and following
the tragic events on September 11th --
made us realize how vulnerable we all
are. During times such as these, we
rediscover or reconnect with the core
values of our heritage. Thats why we
feel a greater appreciation of our
Founding Fathers. Talk about change
masters! Washington, Jefferson, the two
Adamses, Franklin, and others (literally)
built an entirely new nation after
defeating England, a country
which was then the most powerful in the
world.
Finally, to those about to begin a career inbusiness, what advice do you have?
Fully understand the importance of the
Five Fs, not only to your organization
and career but also to your personal life.
Embrace change as an opportunity to
learn, to improve, to make a difference
in others lives as well as in your own.
Have the courage to challenge the
status quo. Remember that preparation
and ambition in combination with
opportunity equals success. And have
fun!
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Leadership@ThomasGroup, please
contact:
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