A thought which does not result in action is nothing much, and an action which does not proceed from a thought is nothing at all. Georges Bernanos
A number of my acquaintances and friends--even some who have known me for years--tend to think of me primarily as a business theoretician. That may not be particularly surprising to readers of this blog. Admittedly, I'm attracted to rather abstract, even esoteric, aspects of business, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Nevertheless, I'm troubled by the implication of a two-valued world composed of business thinkers or actors.
It's true that I aspire to become a better theorist. To some, that suggests that I may be unfamiliar with, or even averse to, the practice of business. The evidence suggests otherwise. After all, I've co-founded several companies over the years as diverse as a private equity firm and, most recently, a maker and marketer of consumer recycling and trash containers. I've assembled, with my own hands, thousands of products (quite literally) in my garage. I've celebrated success, though I've frequently tasted the bitter disappointment of failure.
My experience is unexceptional. Survival in business requires that we learn to think and do. Theory--explicit or not--drives our actions. The consequences of our actions (should) modify our theories. In order to adapt to a changing world, we must change our behaviors. To change our behaviors, our mental models must evolve to reflect new realities. Theory, unconstrained by the reality experienced through practice, is hollow at best and dangerous at worst. Action, unguided by informed theory, is foolish.
The price of learning how to become better thinkers and actors can be steep. A strong link to the consequences of our actions tends to expose the inadequacies of our beloved theories, and changes to our theories pressure us to change our comfortably habitual behaviors. Nevertheless, adaptation and innovation demand that we deal with such discomforts. Adaptation and innovation is optional, but so is survival.
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