Make sparks fly via collaboration, not competition
Jeffrey Beeson MBA/MA
Network Leadership Pioneer | Strategy and Leadership Enabler | Transition of Organizations into Network Organizations | Author of ?Network Leadership“ (Cambridge University Press) | Keynote Speaker
Competition has been viewed as the primary motor of evolution since Darwin’s 1859 book The Origin of Species. Herbert Spencer coined “the survival of the fittest” in 1864. This interpretation has endured in people’s minds until today.
Undoubtedly competition plays an important role in evolution. But importance has been overestimated. Both biologists and ecologists in the last decades have concluded that symbiosis (i.e. collaboration) is the predominant and most decisive force in evolution.
EVEN TREES IN THE FOREST COLLABORATE
Living organisms cooperate with each other in all facets of the natural world. An illustrative example is the symbiotic relationship between a forest's fungi and its tree roots. These fungi break down nitrogen from the soil and distribute it to the forest’s trees. The trees reciprocate by providing the fungi with any surplus sugars produced from photosynthesis.
COOPERATION IS OUR SUPERPOWER
Human beings have evolved into an ultra-social species. Our superpower of as a species emerged - cooperation. The human species would not have survived without cooperation - never mind build pyramids and send people to the moon. Our brains are wired to reward us with doses of dopamine when we cooperate. It feels good to carry out tasks with others.
Yet despite all these scientific insights, the myth that competition is the main driver of innovation prevails. This eye-opening misunderstanding is becoming increasingly evident in the current digital era.
COOPERATION IS INTRINSIC FOR EMERGING BUSINESS ECOSYSTEMS
The increasing significance of cooperation - both now and in the future - is revealed by the emerging importance of ecosystems in business strategy. Those organizations which advantageously cooperate by forging relationships with external stakeholders such as suppliers, customers (and even competitors) will become the business winners of tomorrow.
Even traditional manufacturing such as motor vehicle manufacturers have begun to realize that designing and building an automobile is not sufficient. The Volkswagen Group has recognized the need to develop a capacity to provide a complete IT infrastructure as part of the operating system of their motor vehicles. Other forward-thinking automobile manufacturers like Tesla are investigating their development of advanced fueling solutions for their electric cars as part of their overall service package.
INSPIRED COOPERATION IS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Cooperation lies at the heart of all healthy organizations. These companies mobilize our natural predisposition to cooperate with one another. As a consequence, fostering psychological safety, championing inclusion and promoting robust connections between people, departments and external stakeholders are all fundamental aspects of their organizational culture.
True change come from within.
Unlock your organization’s hidden potential by adopting Ensemble Enabler’s 5 Cs of leadership:
Change ??Communication ??Culture ?? Collaboration ?? Coaching
This project-driven initiative is designed to realize results in a compact 6-month period.
Are you leaders ready to advance unlock ?? their potential and engage positively with change?
#collaboration #collaborationotcompetition #businessecosystems #leadership #organizationlaculture
Co-creating ways to cultivate connections between people to foster optimal collaboration and well-being
2 年?? When you consider the resilience of nature -even in our era of climate change - there is much to learn from nature about the quality of successful cooperation for organizations.??