Evolution is Hilarious

My brother was big into evolutin and things being created from electric surge into swamp water.  He once gave me a "famous" paper which has actually become infamous in the evolution circles.  The author claimed that he had caused the formation of amino acids by introducing electricity into primodrial soup.  His peers claimed that the experiment had been and was repeatable.  Years later, none of us hear about it.

Darwin, poor Darwin, whose name is attached to all forms of ludicrous theories simply because he came up with a scientifically provable base theory. His base theory is provable and true in so many realms but he did not assert that a species would become another species as so many quote him.  His base theory was that mutation will happen within a species based on the "strongest (features or creatures) will survive" (I know, it is an oversimplification but this is not science class).

Life observation experientially confirms that without a significant, greater than "person" crisis or influence - people do not change "who they are".   Donald Trump and Bill Reeves take it further with personality and claim - "You (people influencing other people) can change the behavior of people who work for you but you can not change who they are!"  They are asserting that it is going to take something outside of human intervention to truly change the state of a person. 

So what is the application to leadership?  We will not change people who simply dislike change, dislike new ideas and are truly traditionalists (they would call themselves "purists" in the face of new ideas).  They will implode, leave or disunify your organization as change comes along and there will be a war if you try to make them embrace change.

Years ago our church had a wonderful pianist.  This woman could play any hymn in the book and any peice of worship or church type music.  Just give her the notes.  With the innovation of praise and worship songs since the 80s, she began to have much trouble.  She could play sheet music without every seeing it before but she could not play "chords".  You see, the new music was more about a feel than precision and the timing and inflection had to be sensed.  Being a rocker is easy but it takes a totally different kind of practice (and a bunch of it) to take chords and turn them into moving music.  We our wonderful friend lasted awhile but then left.  She was unhappy which led to people having to side up and though she was gracious and never led disunity, we were no longer a team with the same goal when the church music went predominantly "chord charted".  The church followed God's direction for them and she became extinct.

As we change our environments, people will need to be able to change as well.  Nothing alive avoids change.  Nothing alive survives without adaptation to its new maturity or place all of life.  As leaders, we need to recognize that we can not evolve the "unchangeable" to the "changeable".  We may have to let them become extinct.  We should also be ready to help them if an outside influence or crisis (God for the believer) becomes the catalyst to change.  Remember, it is not that everyone has to change or to be part of what we are doing how we are doing it.  However, if you work in an environment of change you may want to really evaluate (with fact) how willing and able a person is to be able to change.  There is nothing worse for the Leader or the Follower than to see someone become extinct.

So many of our problems in leading are avoidable with a long range view of where we are going and which "types" of other leaders we should be finding and developing.

Perhaps we can take non-type A and truly turn him into a type A personality, I am sure that within the scope of their personality people can adapt to change such that they will succeed and benefit the overall effort. However, if they do not adapt within who "we are", they will most certainly become extinct.

There are people who simply refuse to change.  No matter how futile and now useless, they only see the "way it has always been done" and are unable to see "better ways."  Whether from fear, insecurity of not being able to learn the new way, or just obstinant foolishness, these people refuse to adapt even when a better or more appropriate way is seen.  They will become extinct in the industry, organization or effort - mark my words.

Interestingly, most of these people allow themselves to use the innovation of Novacaine (a relatively recent invention) at the dentist and epiderals during surgery.  Most of these people will get a small pox vaccine or be immunized for polio.