Adapting to changes in the environment can be a very important thing to do. In fact, after having recently spent a week in The Galapagos Islands – where Charles Darwin did extensive research – the importance of a species adapting to their environment was stressed by the nature guides there.
The same is true for organizations. Organizations which are unable to adapt to changes in the environment – including how competitors are operating – are subject to possible extinction.
However – if all we do is drift along adapting to the environment, another fate may await us – we can lose sight of our passion. We run the risk a muddling along with – at best – incremental improvement.
Rather than adapting to the environment, we can take a “Revolution” approach to charting our future which can produce Breakthrough Results.
A Revolutionist approach begins with dreaming what you want with no constraints whatsoever. Don’t let yourself get bogged down by the “real life” challenges of the day – that can wait. Tap into your true passions and what you care about. Dream and Dream Big!
Once you are crystal clear on your dreams for the future, then look upon the realities of the current day through this new lens. Look upon the environment in which you are operating, consider your current assets, and then work to create new ways to forge a path toward your dreams.
Certainly, you cannot “wish away” challenges or ignore changes in the environment – like new competitors – but you can address them with your passion for the future clearly in mind.
If you want Breakthrough Improvements in your organization’s performance, your best path is to dream a vision of the future and build a path toward it.
In the Adaptation mindset we are usually so worried about the various constraints in the environment that we lose site of what inspired us to do the work in the first place.
George Bernard Shaw, in his work, Maxims for Revolutionists, stated:
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”
Tap into your inner revolutionist, get unreasonable, and Dream Big!
