In innovation circles, we love the story of the lone genius. The visionary who sees what others can’t see and pushes on until their ideas succeed. Our favorite icon is Steve Jobs in his black turtleneck, pacing a stage and reshaping the future through his sheer brilliance.
We also romanticize the image of the lone struggling artist; Van Gogh in his small studio, wrestling with his imagination and waiting for inspiration to strike.
But what if we are telling the wrong story?
What if innovation is actually a social activity?
Brian Eno coined the term scenius to describe how creative breakthroughs actually happen. It’s what Austin Kleon calls the communal form of genius – not one brilliant person at the top of a pyramid, but a vibrant ecosystem of people feeding off each other’s energy, trading ideas and stretching one another’s imagination.
Transformation Is A Social Process
The same principle applies to organizational transformation. Leaders cannot simply announce a transformation and expect that the organization will align and execute.
Transformation is fundamentally a social process. It spreads through relationships, shared belief and visible participation. One leader pushing harder rarely creates momentum. Momentum emerges when a group of people begin moving together.
This is why successful transformation depends on the leader’s Social Capital. The network of trust, credibility and relationships that allows ideas to travel and gain legitimacy inside an organization.
The Organizational Scenius
John Kotter’s eight steps for leading change capture this idea through the concept of a guiding coalition. Instead of trying to convince everyone at once, successful leaders start with a group of committed people who believe in the change and are willing to act.
In many ways, this coalition becomes the organization’s version of a scenius.
These early adopters experiment with new ways of working, advocate for the change and demonstrate early wins. Their visible progress builds credibility and encourages others to participate.
Every successful change initiative I have been involved with, has had a committed group of leaders and teams that support, inspire and encourage each other.
Collective Momentum
Leadership vision may spark change, but momentum is created collectively. The leader’s role is not to be the lone genius with all the answers. It is to build the community that turns their vision into a shared effort.