In order to change, I’m stripping away the skin, the masks, the disguises and reaching in to the essence of who I am

The world has been a little weird, lately. Some would say it’s polarized. Others would say it’s leaning towards the extreme. Radicalized… in the opinion of the more jittery. A pile of shit, declare the disillusioned. Changing… say the hopeful.

Those who know me, know where I lie.

If the answer didn’t immediately spring to mind, let me help you: the world is changing.

It’s no coincidence, nor unwittingly, that I find myself changing with the world.

Nor is it by chance that my latest project is called The Change WorkFrame.

But first, a little context

Before laying out the new details about my process and what I’m hoping to bring to life with The Change, I think it’s worth taking a brief look at what’s going on in the world.

Or at least, it’s worth getting on the same page. After all, this isn’t about me, it’s about you!

Change, the word of the day, is, in fact, a word for the world. And it always has been.

All we know for fact is that the world always changes, species evolve, die out, stars too. Technologies appear, simplify and transform everything, etc., etc., etc.

So, why all the fuss about this nowadays? Why do things feel upside down because of today’s changes?

In my opinion, it’s a subtle, through exceptionally relevant difference: the SPEED of change!

Things have never changed so much and at such a rate. This is the only difference in the modern world. Exponential? Yes, it’s about exponential change.

But, if this is an adjectival change – because, subjectively, the world is constantly mutating – why so much impact now?

It’s simple. Cycles no longer make any sense. They don’t close.

The list of examples is infinite and just keeps getting longer. Education. Information. Ah, before you say: But, Bob, are you saying everything will end and change?

No. But also yes. Few things will remain as they are, but many things will continue, though in new formats! Complex?

Yes, completely complex and accelerated.

And the world of companies?

100% inserted. 200%, 1000%.

Within this context, startups surf their massive waves. Scarcity is right up their alley. Doing things quickly, their reason for existing. Breaking paradigms, the reason they came into this world. It’s not easy, because startups compete among themselves. But that’s their environment.

And the corporations, the legacy businesses, currently responsible for an enormous part of the world economy? Bad news. Accelerated destruction.

We all know the fate of Kodak, Nokia and BlockBuster. But this is set to accelerate exponentially. There will be many. And they’ll be big. Close to us. It’ll be intense. And involve companies with competent managers. And it’ll all happen quickly. Very quickly.

 

People, people, people

For years, we’ve accepted that it all comes down to people. Which doesn’t mean that friends follow this logic.

In the book Sapiens, Yuval Harari reminds us that laws, money and myriad other things like... companies... are human inventions that don’t actually exist, but if a large enough group of people come together and believe, well then they can exist.

So, companies are people. Simple. Though so complex.

You agree. But do you practice, exercise, experiment?

Or do you still feel these companies have a life of their own, their own rules, an independent existence from the people who manage or found them?

Companies are people. That’s it.

The complexity that surrounds all of this is created by these same people. Us, in fact.

 

Change, Change, Change

So, when we combine the two things – a world changing at an incredibly accelerated pace and people tying it all together – we reach our current point.

#Intense is probably the best hash tag to describe this moment.

If everyone agrees that it’s about people, acting on this, on culture, on the subtler things –– after all, people are subtle creatures – in organizations this is new, unrecognized and, as such, complex.

It’s not about quality of life (which is important, don’t get me wrong), or about hugging trees. It’s all about changing people. Real, effective change.

There’s a saying I love (I’m not sure who said it): “To change people one has to change people”.

If we sum the speed of change and the fact that, in an accelerated world, no one has exactly the “right” pathto anything, and you learn by doing, very often there is no straight answer to: “change where, in which direction?”.

And? TILT.

If we don’t have a clue where we want to go, any pathis fine, though normally it’s the one with the most emphatic argument, whether that emphasis is data, with a thousand consultants involved, or intuitive (very often even stronger), that’s the one that takes the cake.

And incredible companies ramble back and forth, and back again. And after a while, a new leader come in, and everything shifts back and forth once more, and then back again. You’ve heard something or been through something like this, I’m sure.

And so? Are you only going to point out the downside, Bob?

The truth is, I’m pretty certain that if you’ve read this far, it’s because you know what I’m talking about. You certainly keep an eye on this corporate and business world, you hear me talking about this in the initiatives I steer, and you know the challenges that lie ahead.

But, you’re right, it makes no sense to point out the obvious, without proposing something new, without provoking, as many of you know I love to do.

 

The process

Due to the professional changes I decided to make and also something a lot deeper, on a quest to find my truth, I changed everything.

I initiated a more personal search, more essential, where I have expanded by self-knowledge and studied an array of topics. Hours and hours have been spent on reading papers, articles, watching videos, debates, conversations, TED talks, more texts and reflections.

Endless reflections. Steering things, the way I love to. Walking, which is what I’ve been doing to release any pent up energy in recent months.

The other day, a true friend (because the true friends aren't necessarily those you share a beer and a laugh with, but rather those who tell you the truths you need to hear – Thanks, Mau!) said to me:

“This is a beautiful process of curing. Your own cure, in fact.”

I looked at Mau, thought about it, internalized it and responded: “Exactly!”

I’ve been scrutinizing my professional life (my personal life, too, because it’s silly to think there are little boxes separated in our minds) on the quest to find my deeper self.

What makes me unique? What do I do well? What is my greatest talent? What have I left behind as a legacy? Have I left my mark on the professional world?

It’s been an intense process – with generous doses of discomfort, as it should be – of self-awareness, speaking with myself, searching within myself, learning about myself and accepting myself.

If it were simple, it wouldn’t be worthwhile. It would simply be self-praise. And I wouldn’t bother writing all this down for that, and I certainly wouldn’t expect you to digest this all for nothing!

Obviously, I take pride in much of what I’ve done with my professional and corporate life. I’m proud of the books I’ve released into the market. I’m proud of the thousands of lectures where I’m sure I’ve helped people. I’m proud of the deals I’ve made, the mergers, sales and acquisitions. And, of course, I’m proud of the many services I’ve provided to hundreds of clients throughout my professional career.

But, obviously, there are things I would change. Many things. A lack of pragmatism, too much procrastination, advancing with things I was sure would end up nowhere, not saying “no” more often, no longer reading spreadsheets and contracts and, in certain cases, not following my intuition and my creative, free and light-hearted nature.

A tough, intense process, which has called for a lot of conversation with myself and some with Bia Granja, my partner and accomplice in the crazy and delightful mission of having Nico (a subject for another time) and, of course, miles and miles traveling by Kombi! (if you don’t know this other side and want to find out, enjoy the trip here).

But tough.

I’m writing in a way that makes it seem light. You read on and take it all in almost like entertainment, but it’s not.

Like Mau says: A cure, a purge, a release!

To change, we need to “leave” one place to reach another. So, we need to purge, we need to process a profound change that calls for us to review a series of things.

From my side, I realize I’m delving into myself intrinsically, removing different layers of skin, the masks, the disguises, the personas and reaching deep down inside, to the essence, the core of who I am.

And, deep down, deep, deep down, it’s because I’m doing something with myself that I want to offer leaders, whether businesspeople or executives that need to change their enterprises, need to review their pasts, their beliefs, practices and align themselves with change.

I’m calling this Alignment for Change.

And it’s going to be tough as hell! But in a good way.

Good and intense!

It’s the misalignment, stupid!

If you were to ask me why this Digital Transformation doesn’t work out in most companies (see some data here), today, after having participated in several of these processes, whether for me personally, for my companies, or as a consultant or executive (that’s right, I’ve held these positions at the same time), I feel securing in answering: It’s the misalignment of people!

It’s not about things, technology, apps, squads, organizational frameworks, methodologies, strategic plans, course, etc., etc.

No, no and no!

It’s about the capacity to ALIGN PEOPLE in a single direction, according to a belief, on route to the unknown, the uncertain, the new and the unforeseen.

We are able to live a misaligned life in the present, in the known, in that which we know how to do. You can manage in conflict. You can sell in conflict. You can prepare a spreadsheet in conflict. You can operate in conflict. You can market in conflict.

But. And this is a big but! You cannot go into the future (whatever it may be) in conflict!

You don’t progress. You get bogged down.

If you don’t know which way to go, “any route is fine” actually means that you’re not going anywhere! Or, worse still, you’re going around in circles.

I’ve seen this happen up close, with highly competent people and some really great companies. Seriously. Amazing people. Successful people.

It happened to me. That’s right.

It’s about people, but it’s really about aligning people.

Or, in most cases, it’s about MISALIGNMENT!

If, as Harari says, companies are inventions by people, the reinvention of companies necessarily involves DISINVENTION in order to allow for a new INVENTION.

And how do we go about this? With loads of pain, lots of trust, lots of conviction and a generous dose of ALIGNMENT!

And, interestingly, when I delved into my deepest self, I discovered an aligner. Those who know me can call me out in the comments below if you disagree, or forever hold your peace!

I’ve studied things like consensus creation, mediation, empathy, the power of silence, the third margin, love, vulnerability, feelings... and with every paper, every article and every conversation, I’ve gained more and more insight and slowly unveiled my essence.

It’s a beautiful, though obviously painful process, because the fear of there being not much left in this search touches us all, and I’m certainly not immune!

My self-alignment process certainly wasn’t “fun” and simple. But it was (is) great.

After all, as Mau says, it seems like I’m living through a personal cure (aho!), precisely with the purpose of finding the cure to so much frustration, so many failings, loss and lives consumed in the world of business!

My newest endeavor is The Change WorkFrame, in a joint effort with Ariel Dahan, and the idea is to be a ‘Safe Container’ for change, beginning with a preparation/readiness for change map for people in organizations, in other word, Alignment for Change.

The most incredible thing about all this is what’s happening with me along this journey. Self-knowledge, cleansing, a search for essence and a wondrous discovery of the self, myself.

I believe wholeheartedly in the strength of “sharing” in order to contribute, so here are a few provocations I’d like to share.

– Alignment builds bridges that seem impossible;

– Misalignment destroys people, who destroy companies, and LIVES;

– Knowing how to listen is magical. Transformative;

– Empathy, the capacity for human connection, is key to everything. The connection between people is what creates incredible things, it’s what makes things happen;

– The third margin – someone from the outside, exempt, with no stake – allows impossible things to be aligned, to be;

– Experience, context, know-how, can help immensely;

– Innovation means vulnerability;

– You cannot change without leaving something behind;

– At the end, right at the end, all that matters is love!

 

A toast.

To change!

To The Change!

 

Bob Wollheim, 57, is a business manager with a degree through FGV. He founded youPIX, is an investor in The Next Company, a partner at The B Network, co-founder and growth partner at MuchMore and is now establishing The Change WorkFrame. He has authored the books “Empreender n?o é brincadeira” (Campus/Elsevier) and “Nasce um Empreendedor” (Penguin), and provides commentary on Conta Corrente for GloboNews and Venture Corp for Endeavor.