- Reshaping the corporate culture so that creativity, auton-
omy, and continuous learning replace conformity, obedi-
ence, and rote; and long-term growth, not short-term
profit, is the goal. - Transforming the organization from a rigid pyramid to a
fluid circle, or an ever-evolving network of autonomous
units. - Encouraging innovation, experimentation, and risk taking.
- Anticipating the future by reading the present.
- Making new connections within the organizations, and
new relationships within the work force. - Making new alliances outside the organization.
- Constantly studying the organization from the outside as
well as the inside. - Identifying weak links in the chain and repairing them.
- Thinking globally, rather than nationally or locally.
- Identifying and responding to new and unprecedented
needs in the work force. - Being proactive rather than reactive, comfortable with
ambiguity and uncertainty.
In sum, Peters describes a world of people who are lead-
ing—not merely managing.
To succeed in this volatile environment, leaders must be cre-
ative and concerned, yet neither creativity nor concern is high
on the agenda of many corporations, or not as high as, say,
cost-consciousness would be. True leaders must be global
strategists, innovators, masters of technology—all of which re-
quire new knowledge and understanding, which far too few
companies supply, or even encourage. Albert Einstein said,
“The world that we have made, as a result of the level of think-
ing we have done thus far, creates problems that we cannot
Organizations Can Help—or Hinder