Historically speaking, being labeled a heretic has not been a good thing. It’s often been followed by uncomfortable experiences like being stoned or burned at the stake.
So when Seth Godin writes in Tribes that “Heretics are the new leaders… they are the keys to our success” that’s a pretty dramatic turnaround.
By “heretic” Godin is referring to people who challenge the status quo. It used to be that the people who maintained the status quo, towed the company line, and helped to ensure stability were successful. But in an era where the world is rapidly changing, the status quo is a death sentence. Just ask Sears, Kodak, GM, and mainline denomination churches who are all facing serious challenges to their very existence.
The people who challenge the status quo and bring about change are the ones who are successful today – people like Steve Jobs of Apple, Craig Grochel at LifeChurch.tv, and Wendy Kopp who founded Teach for America to name a few.
What about you? Are you a heretic? Are you challenging the quo somewhere to bring about change?
A culture of heresy
The most obvious examples are people who started and lead innovative organizations. But those organizations are made up of heretics. They have created a culture of challenging the status quo. They seem to be an exception, though. Is that the case where you work? In your church? Where you volunteer?
Good heretics and bad heretics
Challenging the status quo sounds fun, exciting. I think most people want to be a rebel with a cause.
But you know there are bad heretics as well. You’ve seen them in your company, your church, your non-profit. The person who is all criticism and no solution. The person who continues to push for an alternate course of action even after a decision has been made. The person who wants to hijack the agenda.
Jesus was a heretic to the Hebrew leaders. But Judas was a heretic too.
Gray heretics
Sometimes its easy to see the difference between a good heretic and a bad heretic. Sometimes its more difficult. There are heretics challenging the status quo in the U.S. pushing for socialism while others are pushing for lower taxes and less regulation. There are heretics within GM who are trying to eliminate pensions while other heretics are trying to increase worker benefits.
There are heretics within your company, your church, and your community organization who want to change what it’s doing and how it does it. Heretics who genuinely have the best interest of the organization in mind. Maybe you are one of them. (I hope so.) Some of them have the potential to propel it into the future. Some of them have the potential to sink it. How do you know the difference?
Are you a heretic? If so, how are you challenging the status quo? How do you know the change you’re trying to bring about is the right?
More discussion on day 2 of the Tribes group blogging project is here.