Reading the Corporate Rebels article REWRITING THE FUTURE OF WORK: 8 MOVEMENTS TO WATCH I was surprised to see a few old ideas re-emerging phoenix like from the theoretical fires. As the Rebels note, Servant Leadership, now much espoused by Simon Sinek, was first coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970. Self Management was championed both by John Stuart Mill and Karl Marx in the 19th Century, long before Semco or The Morning Star Company had emerged kicking and screaming, mewling and puking.
Should I be surprised? Probably not. Whilst thought occurs at the speed of light, change tends to creep. There is little new under the sun and the concept of an original idea is just that – a concept. We are all tied to our assumptions, beliefs, and ontologies which have developed throughout our life.
What is a cause for optimism is that whilst an idea may not be new, the sheer passing of time means that it will never have existed in the precise context of it’s latest appearance?
This is an important point. Ideas do not appear independently. d
…cont/