The silence of the capable

In organisations of every kind – from corporate boardrooms to university classrooms – I see the same thing: hesitation. A reluctance to act. People know what needs to change, but they wait. They hold back. They hope someone else will do it first – or for the situation to fix itself as if by a miracle.

A bit like driving behind a car going half the speed limit. Sometimes you get lucky – they turn off. You go straight. Problem solved.
But how many complex problems solve themselves, really?

From first-mover advantage to paralysis

It was not always like this.
When I grew up, taking the first step meant earning the reward. Initiative was currency. First movers shaped outcomes. The rest? Left behind.
Now the equation has flipped.

I see ambitious business school students – smart, motivated – sitting through watered-down programmes built for the lowest common denominator. They know it is broken. They say nothing. They comply, stay silent to avoid getting noticed and perhaps even meet retaliation from those in charge – and sail through their programme trying to forget how much they invested to be there in anticipation of the realisation that the learning does not meet what the world out there expects from them.

My students are lulled into the idea that it is normal to graduate without a job. Celebrated for their greatness. But jobless.

In companies, we see bad decisions met with passive cynicism. People who care – who have built products, shaped services, contributed real value – see the warning signs. They know we are heading in the wrong direction. And yet, almost everyone quietly moves toward the predictable outcome: failure.

Take the example of a dominant airline pushing a premium product redesign. Prices are raised. The solution grows more complex than ever: multiple configurations, private suites, walls, giant screens for couples in first class. Despite objections from loyal high-paying customers, sales agents, experienced cabin crew and their managers – the project is forced through.

No one says a word.

A collective silence settles in, as if we have all agreed to let it fail, together. It is as if the company exists only in PowerPoint slides – not in the real world of customers, operations and commercial reality. And the people who know better? They stay quiet, numbed by the brain freeze that sets in when realism is no longer welcome.

The rise of the self-promoters

In companies, self-promoters thrive. They make ego-driven decisions that destroy value. The loyal, competent ones? Marginalised. Quietly cleaning up behind the scenes. Everyone sees the problem. Nobody moves. Why? Because acting is risky. Speaking up makes you vulnerable. And fixing things might just get you blamed.

Suspicion of action, reward for inaction

Propose a bold step and you are met with scepticism – or outright resistance. And if you do it anyway? You might be undermined by those unwilling to move themselves. We are not just avoiding risk. We are punishing initiative.

The Mikado Effect: don’t move or you lose

This is what I call The Mikado Effect.

Like the game: a pile of sticks, and the goal is to remove one without disturbing the rest. The one who moves nothing wins.
In organisations suffering the Mikado Effect, inaction is safety. Stillness is strategy. Progress stalls.
And people learn not to try – just to tolerate.

More tools than ever. Less movement than before.

We face global challenges – environmental, economic, technological. And we have the tools to tackle them: computing power, knowledge, capital.
But all of it is wasted if people are too afraid to move.

Trying means not knowing – and that is the point

I ask my students: Would you try something new if you were not sure you would succeed?
Often, they say: No. I do not want to be seen as a loser.
But that is what trying is – stepping into the unknown. Learning. Building stamina and courage. That is how anything worth doing begins.

“Take the first loss – it’s always the best”

A relative of mine once gave me the best advice I have heard. He worked in the banana business – where indecision leads to rot.
His rule? If something is not working, change it. Fast. Do not tinker. Do not wait. Take the hit. Move on.

“Take the first loss – it is always the best.”

Make courage fashionable again

The Mikado Effect is not a metaphor. It is a trap.
It stifles learning. Blocks innovation. Keeps people stuck in systems they know are broken – but are too afraid to leave.
We need to change that.

Courage, initiative, and persistence need to come back into style.

Because waiting for problems to disappear on their own is like following that slow car, hoping it will turn off. Sometimes it does. Most of the time, it just keeps going – and so do you, nowhere fast.

In today’s world, not moving is the riskiest move of all.

Are you stuck in a Mikado mindset?

If you see something broken, say so. Step in. Make a move – even a small one. Start the shift from paralysis to progress. Share this with someone who needs the nudge.

Let us make courage a habit – not a rarity.

#Leadership #Courage #Initiative #OrganisationalCulture #BusinessEducation #CareerDevelopment #Innovation #CorporateReality #ChangeMakers #TheMikadoEffect #LeadershipInAction #Wfocus