Shareable Upside: The Waggle Dance Approach

The Underappreciated Power of Innovation and Marketing

Imagine a hive of bees. When one bee discovers a new source of nectar, it doesn’t hoard the discovery—it performs a “waggle dance” to share the knowledge with the entire colony. This collective effort ensures the survival and growth of the hive, not just the individual bee.

In business and governance, we often forget this lesson. Driven by familiarity, fear, greed, and ego, we hesitate to innovate beyond our comfort zones, avoid sharing potential upsides, and fear the downsides of failure. The result? Siloed thinking, missed opportunities, and stagnation.

It’s time to embrace the?Shareable Upside Model—a mindset that prioritizes collective growth, shared risks, and exponential success.

The Dilemma of Individual Innovation

Consider this scenario: An individual identifies an innovative solution in an unfamiliar territory. The potential upside is substantial—promotion, personal brand growth, and significant financial gains. But the downside is equally daunting—job loss, reputational damage, or a 20-30% financial loss.

Faced with this dilemma, most individuals choose to keep the potential gain to themselves, fearing others might replicate their success. This behavior is natural but counterproductive. What if, instead, we adopted the “waggle dance” approach? Share the upside, and if the innovation succeeds, everyone can replicate or build upon it, driving exponential gains. If it fails, the downside is equitably distributed, reducing the burden on the individual.

This is the essence of the?Hive Mindset.

The Pitfalls of Linear Thinking in Business and Governance

As leaders, we’re trained to think in straight lines: input, output, ROI. But human behavior doesn’t follow a straight line. Decisions are driven by emotions, connections, and experiences—not just logic or efficiency.

Businesses and governments often focus on micro-efficiencies in familiar territories—optimizing individual tasks, processes, or policies—while ignoring the bigger picture. This narrow focus leads to macro-inefficiencies, siloed thinking, and missed opportunities for exponential growth.

The Underappreciated Power of Innovation and Marketing

Dr. Iain McGilchrist cautions that our society's focus on left-brain thinking often obscures the value of the wiser right brain, particularly in business and government. This is evident in how crucial functions like R&D Innovation and Marketing/Branding – which depend on a holistic, 'wiser brain' approach to understand customer emotions and build loyalty – are frequently seen as mere expenses. The emphasis on standardization, cost-cutting, and rigid processes by those managing resources often misses the big picture: cultivating customer value and meaningful relationships. The left hemisphere helps us manipulate the world, but the right hemisphere is what helps us understand the world.

On the other hand, innovation and marketing see processes, technologies, and policies as means to serve the ultimate customer. They constantly push for experimentation and adaptation to surpass customer expectations.

Jeff Bezos’ concept of?one-way vs. two-way doors?is instructive here. For two-way doors (decisions that can be reversed), we should “fail fast” and move on, avoiding analysis paralysis. But for one-way doors (irreversible decisions), we must think holistically and act wisely.

Why Emotional Connection is the Ultimate Competitive Advantage

In a world of standardization and automation, emotional connection is the differentiator. Customers don’t just buy products—they buy experiences, trust, and relationships. Brands that consistently deliver—or surpass—expectations at every touchpoint don’t just drive transactions; they build loyalty and advocacy.

Yet, traditional ROI models struggle to capture this intangible value. How do you measure the emotional impact of a brand that makes customers feel seen, heard, and valued? How do you quantify the ripple effect of a happy customer who refers others or pays a premium for peace of mind?

The Shareable Upside Model: A New Paradigm for Growth

The Shareable Upside Model flips the script. It’s about designing systems where success is collective, and risks are shared equitably. When the upside is shareable, it fosters collaboration, innovation, and resilience. It drives industries forward and creates value that transcends individual gains.

Sharing the upside across the entire value chain, including suppliers and customers, fosters stronger loyalty and more authentic relationships

The Call to Action for Leaders

As CxOs and policymakers, we have the power to redefine success. Here’s how:

1. Think Holistically:?Resist the urge to optimize in isolation. Understand the problem in its entirety and design solutions that benefit the entire ecosystem.
2. Design for Emotion:?Recognize that human decisions are driven by feelings, not just logic. Build experiences that foster connection and trust.
3. Measure What Matters:?Move beyond traditional metrics. Account for emotional value, long-term brand equity, and the collective impact of your actions.
4. Share the Upside (and the Downside):?Create systems where success is collective, and risks are distributed fairly.

Final Thought: Embrace the Hive Mindset

The bees teach us a powerful lesson: collective effort drives survival and growth. In business and governance, the same principle applies. By embracing holistic problem-solving and prioritizing emotional connection, we can create value that transcends individual gains and fuels exponential success for entire industries and societies.

Let’s stop chasing micro-efficiencies and start designing for macro-impact. The future belongs to those who think beyond the spreadsheet.

What’s your take on the Shareable Upside Model? How can we, as leaders, foster collective growth and emotional connection in our organizations and policies? Let’s start the conversation.

#Leadership #Innovation #HolisticThinking #CollectiveGrowth #EmotionalConnection #BrandBuilding #ExponentialSuccess #CxOInsights #PolicyMaking #ShareableUpside

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