Historical awareness should be banked, not binned by incoming leaders.

Too often leaders fail to recognise the history of their organisations. Very rarely is that history taken into account when appointments are made and new leaders front the organisation.

A very few may take consider the history that has gone toward shaping the institutions to which they are appointed as leaders. However, I’d posit that leaders who consider what has gone before to develop organisations to their present positions, are in the minority. Most want to start all over again, meaning “in the beginning” always seems to apply.

This begs the question: “ Are leaders people who enhance, develop and enrich organisations or is the prime function of organisations to facilitate its leaders by building their personal curriculum vitae’s”.

Many leaders come into organisations and immediately said about “sweeping them clean“ with a new broom. It is a case of out with the old and in with the new. Only in that way it seems, can leaders make a mark on their organisation that will be attributed to them alone. That is testament to a selfish and narrowly focussed disposition.

I believe that leaders need to take account of organisational history, acknowledge what has gone before and build toward the future. Pulling everything down and endeavouring to start all over is unwise.