Why Shallow Leadership Principles Backfire: The Dangers of Simplistic Mantras

Stop glorifying superficial leadership mantras – do this instead

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In 2009, General Electronic embarked on a journey to transform its 300,000 global conglomerate into a “124-year-old startup.” Then-CEO Jeffrey Immelt led the charge, launching the “FastWorks” initiative, modeled after Eric Ries’ “Lean Startup” methodology. The purpose was to encourage employees to “Act like a startup,” “Fail fast,” and “Be bold.”

The result? A clash with the corporation's ingrained culture which led to significant financial losses, massive layoffs, and the eventual departure of Jeff Immelt.

The paradox is that GE not only failed to become a startup but also lost its status as a corporation, getting booted from the Dow Jones after 110 years.

There’s nothing wrong with trying to become more agile, innovative, or nimble. However, companies need much more than a “Fail fast” mantra. Shallow leadership principles only create the illusion of change. Just because the language changed doesn’t mean the culture has too.

Acting like a startup is hard, risky, a…