In a business world of wizards, be a Toto

Fans of the Wizard of Oz have spent decades delighting in the moment that Toto the dog pulls back the curtain to reveal that the title character is, in fact, little more than an old man using a smoke, sounds and lights to portray himself as an almighty wizard.

What can this seminal moment teach us about leadership and change practices, and how does it relate to the business world some 126 years after the book was originally published, and almost 90 since it made a star of Judy Garland?

Beware the wizard

The ‘wizard’ in the film is widely believed to be an allegory for the manipulative and untrustworthy American political leaders of the era of the time. It also serves to anyone (either individual or organisation) who presents themselves as something they are not – hiding the truth with their words and actions, or failing that some serious special effects. The Wizard of Oz confesses he is little more than a ‘humbug’ after his true identity is revealed, but would he have admitted this had Toto not made an appearance? Woof.

We see this all-too-often in the business world: and it is not just individuals and companies we need to be aware of in this sense. It is ideas too.

Often referred to as ‘silver bullets’, these concepts are presented as the perfect solution to a specific business challenge. Simply implement the idea, model, tool or methodology and you can revolutionise your leadership style, enhance your company culture, eradicate problems and so on. There are many sellers of ‘solutions’ on how to manage a business through change, how to build a high-performing team, or how to become a better leader; but they all have one thing in common: they are presented as simple, one-size-fits-all, and easy to cut and paste into any context.

Except, just like our humbug in Oz, whose powers were supposed to be so great that he could solve every single one of Dorothy and her friends’ problems, these solutions often turn out to be far less effective in real life.

It is clear why so many people want to believe in the power of a simple solution: who wouldn’t want an easy way to resolve an issue? In one sense, the wizardry with all its smoke and lights appeals to our innate desire to have quick fixes, manage uncertainty and achieve our goals as easily as possible. Even better if we can do that on a yellow brick road…

There is something impressive about the purveyors of silver bullets – they arrive with the slide deck equivalent of a huge wizard-shaped hologram, and aim to wow us with knowledge and problem-solving abilities.

Much like the wizard, they want us to believe in them. They have convincing presentations and work hard to convey the characteristics of a trusted advisor: enthusiasm, intelligence, and a proven track record, for starters.

Be more Toto

With so many wizards out there, all desperate to convince businesses that their solution is the cure-all, it can be difficult to avoid falling for the trickery and to decipher who and what might actually help. That is why cultivating your ‘inner Toto’ may be a wise move. It is not clear whether he was an incredibly astute dog who knew that his owner was being fooled, or a playful mutt unveiling the humbug, but ultimately it was curiosity which saved the day.

That same desire to explore we can learn from: ask better questions, do more research, dig more deeply, and take time to notice. Particularly when challenges are time-sensitive, the easiest thing is to opt for the first solution on offer.

It is only by stepping away from the noise, the holograms and the lights that we can think clearly about the actual likelihood of success. By exploring more of the options, even the ones we would rather not have to think about, we can assess whether there really is a magic fix solution (spoiler: there isn’t). And it is only by pulling back the curtain that we unveil whether what is lurking is a helpful wizard, or it’s just a little man with some expensive gadgets selling you an illusion without any way to ensure it actually becomes reality.

ENDS

Steve Hearsum is the author of No Silver Bullet and founder of Edge + Stretch.

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