Is it time to sack your boss?

Maybe you’re one of the many people working at a large company who want to act and think like a start-up? Maybe you’re relatively new to the company and you’re keen to build a legacy you can leave behind you? You’re keen to make genuine change.

People like you see the benefits of somehow injecting the DNA of a start-up culture into the veins of your own company.

• You want to diversify that existing product suite.
• You want to digitalize existing services in your value stream because… well because it’s overdue by about 10 years.
• You want to start thinking beyond your core business.
• You want to find exciting new (often digital) services that can mean brand new revenue streams.
• You want nothing more than to embrace emerging technology, emerging business models and emerging consumer behaviours to drive your company forward into a brave new future.

I love you!

It’s your douchebag boss I have no time for.

Why is it the people in the loftiest positions on the biggest wages (Hippos) seem to have the biggest fear of leaving the safety blanket of their core business? Why is it these top bosses have the smallest metaphorical b*llocks in terms of daring to try something new? Why is it that the rest of the world acknowledges the need to work rapidly, digitalize & innovate just to stay in the long-term game (tech-and-trend-wise) because NOT doing it means a start-up somewhere will come along, build something better, and start nibbling away at the profit margins?

So why the douchebaggery?

Is it because the results of the next quarter are more important to your boss than the next 5, 6, 10+ years future advancement of the company? Could be. His next bonus might be depending on those results…

Could it be their minds are elsewhere? Their full focus dedicated to keeping the current boat afloat (an admirable goal with wages to pay and mouths to feed) therefore making longer-term thinking based on emerging technology, emerging business models and emergingconsumer behaviours a luxury they can’t mentally invest in.

It could be all the above excuses and more. No matter. They are still excuses. The cartoon above is harsh but completely fair. An inability to see the forest for the trees will be the death-knell of many a company.

So what should industry leaders and bosses do? Even if your company is turning a profit now and the short-term future looks stable, bosses need to turn themselves into real leaders! The should invest in the long-term game — explore, find and build the next core business and next product suite addition that will survive and thrive long after they are gone.

How can YOU be the catalyst to help your boss be less of a douchebag? Well you’re already the best person for this job. You’ve read this article almost all the way to the end, so you’re overqualified for this job.

To help you on your quest I’ve collated some of MY personal favourite takeaways from the recent Start Up Way book. An essential read for anyone lusting over the idea of trying to implement a little entrepreneurial shazam into their company.

In the (short) deck below I’ve plucked out some key thoughts for people like you that want to help their boss (and subsequently your company) roll out a culture of innovation corporation wide.

Maybe being the catalyst for this kind of change could be your legacy? Good luck!

/Russell

// Russell Clark is a Product Strategist and partner at Humblebee — a digital product & service design agency in Gothenburg, Sweden. Russell’s opinions are not necessarily the opinions of everyone at Humblebee but he’s trying his best to brainwash them. //