Tyranny

Yin Yang

Excerpt from “Built to Last – Successful Habits of Visionary Companies” by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras

Highly visionary companies do not oppress themselves with what we call the “Tyranny of OR” – the rational view that cannot easily accept paradox, that cannot live with two seemingly contradictory forces or ideas at the same time. The “Tyranny of OR” pushes people to believe that things must either be A OR B, but not both. It makes proclamations as:

·      “You can have change OR stability.”

·      “You can be conservative OR bold.”

·      “You can have low cost OR high quality.”

·      “You can have creative autonomy OR consistency and control.”

·      “You can invest in the future OR do well in the short-term.”

·      “You can make progress by methodical planning OR by opportunistic groping.”

·      “You can create wealth for your shareholders OR do good for the world.”

·      “You can be idealistic (values-driven) OR pragmatic (profit-driven).”

Instead of being oppressed by the “Tyranny of OR”, highly visionary companies liberate themselves with the “Genius of the AND” – the ability to embrace both extremes of a number of dimensions at the same time. Instead of choosing between A OR B, they figure out a way to have both A AND B.

We’re not talking about mere balance here. “Balance” implies going to the midpoint, fifty-fifty, half and half. A visionary company doesn’t seek balance between short-term and long-term, for example. It seeks to do very well in the short-term and the long-term. A visionary company doesn’t simply balance between idealism and profitability; it seeks to be highly idealistic and highly profitable. A visionary company doesn’t simply balance between preserving a tightly held core ideology and stimulating vigorous change and movement; it does both to an extreme. In short, a visionary company doesn’t want to blend yin and yang into a gray, indistinguishable circle that is neither highly yin nor yang; it aims to be distinctly yin and yang – both at the same time, all the time.

Irrational? Perhaps. Rare? Yes. Difficult? Absolutely. But as F. Scott Fitzgerald pointed out, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” This is what the visionary companies are able to do.

We have often been held captive to the idea that we can’t have the best of both worlds, that you can’t have your cake and eat it. I seriously wonder if that is someone’s weak attempt at justifying his inability to succeed. Just because something is seldom experienced doesn’t mean it can’t exist. I remember in Analytical Skills module in college learning about fallacies in arguments, and one that stood out was the fallacy of false dichotomy – a fallacy that is committed when the arguer claims that his conclusion is one of only two options, when in fact there are other possibilities.

Life is a potpourri of many aspects – science, art, geology, philosophy, religion, gourmet, literature, history, finance, relationships, technology and much more. Yet for simplicity of argument and ease of thought, men tend to conveniently place ideologies on a continuum. They forget that not all things are like hot and cold, at opposite ends of a spectrum. Most times, various aspects of life are like spheres that exist independently, spheres that may overlap one another.

For instance, is it really true that in secondary school, you can either choose to be a sportsman or a scholar? Is it true that you either excel in your CCA or you do well academically? I have seen people who have done both extremely well. Is it rare? Yes. Is it difficult? Absolutely. And that is why these are the guys that often receive the best scholarships in schools. An example is my good friend Junyang, who was President of the Student Council in secondary school AND one of the top three javelin throwers in Singapore AND a fantastic dancer. He went on to receive the prestigious SAF overseas scholarship and continued to excel in his courses in the military. Through his life I also saw that you can be both prosperous and spiritual at the same time, and an idealist and a pragmatist too.

Dr A.R. Bernard often remind us, “Who told you so?” [Gen 3:11] It is true that it is often difficult to achieve two seemingly opposing objectives at the same time, but just because it isn’t the norm doesn't mean it is not possible. The faculty of the mind is an amazing thing, and so is creativity – the ability to make something out of nothing, the ability to conjure solutions to seemingly impossible situations. Don’t let the world nor the norms of society define what “normal” should be for you. Don’t be normal, be extraordinary! Separate societal norms from possibilities. Challenge the norms. Redefine boundaries.

We have often heard that strong men don’t cry. That you can’t possibly hope to be a high flyer at work while still being a family man. That you can’t earn a lot and still work reasonably short hours. That you can’t commit as the President of a prestigious CCA while serving as a cell group leader at the same time. That one can’t be a fundamentalist and stay contemporary simultaneously. That a company can’t succeed in an emerging market and not be corrupt. That a firm can’t be both idealistic and profitable. To that, I would challenge, “Who told you so?”

Rarity and difficulty doesn’t imply impossibility.

Jesus, for example, is fully Man and fully God. Yet He is not a half-man, half-God – a demi-god like in Greek mythology. He is distinctly man, and distinctly God at the same time.

The same with us, as we fulfill both the role as Priest and King here on Earth. Interceding for others as a Priest and reigning in the marketplace as King, distinctly at the same time.

Who says that you can’t be contemporary and stay worshipful at the same time? The hymn “Amazing Grace” was set to a popular folk tune in 1800s. That is a 2011 equivalent of turning Lady Gaga’s songs into a worship song you sing in St Peter’s Cathedral. Imagine that! The majestic pipe organ was once considered a devil’s instrument when it was first introduced. In present times, no cathedral is complete without it. The TV was called the devil’s box in the past. Yet nowadays, evangelists like Billy Graham and Reinnhard Bonnke touch millions of lives through the same black box. The methods are neutral; it just depends on who uses them.

Change, when first introduced, is often resisted. So is a change in mindset. Embrace constructive change. Don’t be a laggard in adoption, else you’ll always be part of the “norm” – you might not be the tail, but you’ll never be the head either. Do not aim to just be “normal”. Leave mediocrity behind. Be a rare gem. Stretch boundaries. False options exist only for people with limitations; creativity is boundless.

Be a visionary; look ahead. Be a trailblazer. Have a mind of your own, guided by:

Principles, rather than processions

Purpose, rather than past

Motivation, rather than means

Thinking, rather than traditions

Creativity, rather than ceremonies

Message, rather than methods

Break free from the Tyranny of limited thinking. Embrace the Genius of the AND. Put on the mindset of possibilities!