The world of work is increasingly choppy, uncertain and frustrating – and managing it becomes very hard, not least when either we, or others around us, fail to stand up for real change and progress.
Recent insights have surfaced from my work at Henley Business School, including from an event where I was a panel guest alongside the influential management thinker Margaret Heffernan. It was an honour, not least to have illuminated the often-overlooked role of fear in shaping organisational behaviour. The experience and insights I gained from Heffernan further accentuates how the work of Working the Future is so aligned with modern leadership and change practice.
Helping leaders adapt to change and stand for what they believe in, becoming activists for good work, is what we need to focus on. Heffernan argues that courage lies in confronting uncomfortable truths and actively seeking out information that challenges our assumptions.
Here are some of the deeper insights I gained…
Fearless leadership: challenging the status quo
Margaret Heffernan, for those that don’t know, is a prominent entrepreneur, CEO, writer and keynote speaker. She essentially advocates for challenging the status quo corporate culture. Her motto, “Let’s not play the game, let’s change it” embodies her belief that risk aversion, while seemingly sensible, often leads to inaction and echo-chamber thinking.
Instead, she encourages bold action, innovation, and addressing business and societal wrongs head-on.
In her thought-provoking TED Talk, Dare to Disagree, Heffernan highlights the importance of actively seeking out conflict as a path to better collective thinking. Tolerating challenges isn’t enough she argues; we should actively encourage disagreement and diverse perspectives.
Rather than avoiding conflict, we should embrace it as a catalyst for innovation. Fearlessness lies in our ability to engage in constructive disagreements. I feel that cultivating a “fearless mindset” is crucial, but it does require confronting the fears that hold us back. This is a big ask.
Leadership transformation: from reactive to proactive
During her session at Henley, Heffernan emphasised that inviting conflict is a skill that needs practice. I can see if we choose to do this, we must transition from reactive problem-solving to proactive opportunity-seeking. Traditional hierarchical structures hinder creativity and agility Heffernan says. I can see evidence of this, and my observation is that HR and DEI teams are all too often working in problem-solving mode rather than opportunity-seeking mode. This is often because of pressure and workloads – not lack of will.
As such, I feel that if we want to move towards a more proactive change model (that will reap rewards), leaders will need more support in how they can overcome their associated fears, especially in the face of relentless tasks and SMART goals.
In addition, the psychological toll of constant change cannot be underestimated. Building resilience and fostering mental well-being are paramount for individuals and organisations to thrive. The approach Heffernan advocates for requires courage – and I feel being courageous always works better if we are supported.
Heffernan shines a torch on how organisations must change. Developing leaders at all levels, fostering a purpose-driven culture and creating structures that support experimentation are essential. Within our organisations we need to challenge assumptions, question the status quo, and embrace the unknown with curiosity and courage.
I also feel that if we are to be proactive, we need a system, culture and structure that supports change. Addressing systemic barriers to fear-based decision-making is therefore vital. This involves challenging outdated organisational structures, promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), fostering open dialogue, and equipping employees with risk-taking tools and approaches.
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To operate fearlessly in an increasingly complex and uncertain world, we must translate Heffernan’s insights into tangible actions. It might be useful to incorporate a real-world example from her work to illustrate this. I feel that the principles of courage and change are exemplified in her exploration of the “wilful blindness” phenomenon in organisations.
In her book Wilful Blindness: Why We Ignore the Obvious at Our Peril, Heffernan delves into how individuals and organisations often turn a blind eye to critical issues, whether due to fear, groupthink or complacency. There are many examples around us now, but if we consider the Enron scandal from the recent past —this is a classic case of wilful blindness. Despite mounting evidence of financial misconduct and unethical practices, many Enron employees and leaders chose to ignore the warning signs. The fear of rocking the boat, coupled with a culture that rewarded short-term gains, led to catastrophic consequences.
Overcoming wilful blindness is essential for fostering a more accountable and courageous organisational culture. Here are some strategies to help address this phenomenon:
1. Promote psychological safety (and other more positive whistle-blowing methods): Create an environment where employees feel safe to speak up without fear of retaliation. When people know their opinions won’t be dismissed or punished, they’re more likely to raise concerns.
2. Diverse perspectives: Actively seek out diverse viewpoints. Homogeneous groups are more prone to wilful blindness because they reinforce each other’s biases. Embrace DEI – just do it – to challenge assumptions and blind spots.
3. Encourage dissent: Leaders should actively encourage dissenting opinions. Rather than suppressing disagreement, view it as an opportunity for growth. Margaret Heffernan emphasises that conflict can lead to better collective thinking.
4. Training and education: Provide training on cognitive and socialised biases, ethical decision-making, and critical thinking. Equip employees with tools to recognise and address wilful blindness.
5. Accountability: Hold individuals accountable for their actions. When someone ignores warning signs or fails to address critical issues, there should be consequences. Leaders must model accountability.
Where are your areas of wilful blindness? How have you addressed them? How can you keep a vigil on wilful blindness? How do you audit wilful blindness and are you skilled and equipped to do it? These are all questions to consider.
I strongly feel Heffernan’s insights remind us that cultivating courage involves not only embracing conflict but also being willing to see what others might avoid. By learning from her work, we can create a more resilient and accountable organisational culture.
We can create a future characterised by resilience, innovation and human flourishing – core values here at Working the Future.
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Business transformation isn’t the latest software or project tool. Lasting organisational change happens conversation by conversation...
So, if you’d like to explore anything we've touched on in this blog or discuss any other aspects of the future of work, please do get in touch.
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