Doug Kirkpatrick

Former @WSJ career columnist @JoannLublin's superb new WSJ Workplace Report column about engaging and retaining superstars by taking lessons from self-managed companies like @valvesoftware and #MorningStar. #selfmanagement #futureofwork #careers

Check out my latest article: Captaining the Bravest Ship linkedin.com/pulse/captaini… via @LinkedIn

Cohesion: Connected Transformation by Design institutefordigitaltransformation.org/cohesion-conne…

"Rewired: Leadership in the Age of AI" by Eve Simon now charting #1 on Amazon in multiple categories worldwide. Honored to be part of this effort to elevate humanity in a world of intelligent machines. a.co/d/00bpyIcC

While it's easier to avoid confrontations in the short run, the consequences of doing so can be massively destructive in the long term. It's critical that conflicts actually get resolved--not through superficial compromise, but through seeking the important, accurate conclusions. In most cases, this process should be made transparent to relevant others (and sometimes the entire organization), both to ensure quality decision making and to perpetuate the culture of openly working through disputes. #principleoftheday

Ultimately, power will rule. This is true of any system. For example, it has repeatedly been shown that systems of government have only worked when those with the power value the principles behind the system more than they value their own personal objectives. When people have both enough power to undermine a system and a desire to get what they want that is greater than their desire to maintain the system, the system will fail. For that reason the power supporting the principles must be given only to people who value the principled way of operating more than their individual interests (or the interests of their faction), and people must be dealt with in a reasonable and considerate way so that the overwhelming majority will want and fight for that principle-based system. #principleoftheday

Quote of the day. #qotd

Quando l’organigramma va in frantumi: Var Group proclama il coraggio della leadership diffusa industriaitaliana.it/var-group-mori… via @filippoastone @VarGroup @FranceMoriani

The Elegant Power of Networked Organizations: A Revolution Beyond HierarchyBy Doug Kirkpatrick druckerforum.org/blog/the-elega…

Unforgettable moment in my professional career, taking the 360-degree stage at the @VarGroup Z!ng conference at the fabulous @palacongressiRN in Rimini, Italy. Two thousand plus people fired up to enter the zone of innovation and growth (Z!ng!) powered by humility, collective intelligence, distributed leadership and courage. Vision articulated by their dynamic leader and author of BRAVESHIP, @FranceMoriani. Amazing band, great speakers and Ameca, the world's most lifelike androgynous humanoid robot. Amazing to be living in this age of wonder. ipgbook.com/braveship-prod…

The night before Day 2 of @Responsive_Con, I couldn’t sleep. Everyone seemed so enthusiastic after Day 1, and I started to worry that maybe the event had leaned too optimistic. Shouldn’t there be a little more existential dread about the state of the world? (I certainly have had my fair share.) But when I looked at the agenda I’d spent months curating — from Vivienne Ming opening the day to Eldra Jackson III closing it – I realized I’d already built the experience I wanted people to have: real, raw, and still hopeful. That’s the thing about live events. Once the show begins, all you can do is trust the work you’ve already done. One of my early teachers, Anat Baniel, used to talk about flexible goals – the ability to pursue something fully without clinging to a single outcome. When I worked with autistic kids, it was the only way forward. A rigid goal like “I want this child to be neurotypical” shuts down curiosity. Flexible goals keep you present, adaptive, and open to progress in whatever form it takes. That same idea applies to everything. When I’m trying to fill seats at Responsive or bring on a new client at @Zander_Media, of course, I want people to say yes. But that’s just one goal among many: to be of service, to share something useful, to connect people who might benefit from knowing each other. Anytime I start to feel anxious or impatient, I remind myself: Let go of the outcome. Letting go doesn’t mean caring less. It means broadening your definition of success. If someone doesn’t buy, maybe they’re making the right decision for them. Maybe I haven’t told the story clearly enough yet. Maybe what I’m offering isn’t what they need right now. That mindset shift – from “I need this to happen” to “let’s see what happens” – changes everything. It keeps you in motion without the panic of control. In the months leading up to Responsive 2025, I kept coming back to a simple reminder: Be less entitled. We’re not entitled to anyone’s attention, time, or money. Our only job is to show up, offer something of value, and celebrate the small wins along the way. So here’s a challenge for you: Think about a goal you’re holding too tightly. Then list five alternative outcomes that could still feel like progress. You might be surprised by how much more flexible and effective you become when you stop trying to force the finish line.

Wow — new AI-made articles online are already outnumbering human-generated content.

Eighty percent of U.S. workers report working in toxic workplaces. This is not okay. How to fix?monster.com/career-advice/…

Love Kopernicana and their work in Italy... future4work.kopernicana.com/articolo/limpe…

In October, Visionary @VarGroup CEO and author of "Braveship: The Courage to Innovate: Embracing the Journey to Distributed Leadership" Francesca Moriani will be on hand to welcome the people of Var Group to their first Z!ng event in Rimini and speak to the merging of multiple intelligences to create an entirely new paradigm of putting people, culture and organization at the center of everything they do. #zing @FranceMoriani Will be honored to speak there and engage with the people of Var Group as they boldly expand internationally and become a crucial strategic player in business model innovation for companies. vargroup.com

Management Summit 2025 is a wrap! Its Lisbon Principles, signed by multiple CEOs, now challenge the next generation of leaders to prioritize customer value over short-term profit, networks over hierarchies, and adaptive mindsets over rigid processes. @stevedenning @agile_thinkers @GDruckerForum @rstraub46 managementsummit.org

The @pepperdine @GraziadioSchool hybrid MS in Organization Development (MSOD) program enjoys an international reputation as the premier graduate degree in organization development and as a leader in experiential learning innovation. Honored to keynote their MSOD 50th Year Alumni Conference “Ignite Our Legacy,” and share stories of pioneering self-managed organizations that engage, innovate and create value without wasteful bureaucracy. #MSODConference #GlobalOD #ODCommunity #OrgDevelopment #Leadership #MSOD2025 #Pepperdine #GoWaves #Graziadio @shannokirk