Squirrels, Boats and Thoroughbreds: Lessons for Leading Change, in Traditional Businesses
Jamie Gerdsen
River Grove Books (2013)

Unconventional perspectives on convention and on how to control change by embracing  it

Whatever their size and nature may be, most organizations seem to have a workforce that is bipolar: employees either support or challenge the status quo. Those who defend it tend to believe that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” whereas others agree with Robert Kriegel (“sacred cows make the best burgers”) and Marshall Goldsmith (“what got you here won’t get you there”). My own opinion is that the status quo pays the bills but that constant improvement through innovative thinking sustains its ability to do so. Peter Drucker once observed, “If you don’t have a customer, you don’t have a business.”

In Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter, written with Greg Mckeown, Liz Wiseman juxtaposes two quite different types of persons whom she characterizes as the “Multiplier” and the “Diminisher.” Although she refers to them as leaders, suggesting they have supervisory responsibilities, they could also be direct reports at the management level or workers at the “shop floor” level. Multipliers “extract full capability,” their own as well as others’, and demonstrate five disciplines: Talent Magnet, Liberator, Challenger, Debate Maker, and Investor. Diminishers underutilize talent and resources, their own as well as others, and also demonstrate five disciplines: Empire Builder, Tyrant, Know-It-All, Decision Maker, and Micro Manager. Wiseman devotes a separate chapter to each of the five Multiplier leadership roles.

I mention all this to create a context within which to discuss the “lessons for leading change in traditional businesses” that Jamie Gerdsen shares in his book, Squirrels, Boats, and Thoroughbreds. Let’s start with the squirrel metaphor and Gerdsen’s preference for squirrels over dogs and thoroughbreds (Pages 41-42). Obviously squirrels can climb trees and dogs can’t. “Yet all the time dogs get hired to do squirrel work.” Now consider equine metaphors and Gerdsen’s preference for thoroughbreds over quarter horses (Pages 42-43). Again, organizations need both. They also need plow horses, perhaps even a Clydesdale or two. It all depends on the work to be done, how much of it there is, and how to do it the way it should be done.

In my opinion, Gerdsen takes a traditional, conventional view of an organization’s basic needs — such as vision, mission, strategic planning, hiring and retaining the talent needed, performance measurement, prudent allocation of resources, customer centrism — with a mindset that is non-traditional, unconventional when determining how best to meet those needs. He fully recognizes and understands the perils of what James O’Toole so aptly characterizes as “the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom.” However, at the same time, his focus is almost always on what works, what doesn’t, and why. Some of the “old ways” still work best and should be continued but others among the old ways — ways that have gotten an organization to where it is now — will not be able to get it to where it must be, not only to survive but in fact thrive.

I wholly agree with Gerdsen’s emphasis on the importance of sound thinking and making the right decisions. However, contrary to what he suggests, conventional thinking [begin italics] can [end italics] produce results if it is sound…and relevant.

Jamie Gerdsen provides a wealth of information, insights, and counsel in this book. All organizations need effective leadership at all levels and in all areas. They need multipliers who help to “extract full capability” as well as diminishers who help to reduce waste of resources (especially talent). Leaders in traditional companies as well as start-ups will find much of substantial value, as will those who are now preparing for a career in business or have only recently embarked upon one.