Had Andy Law been born in Colonial America some 235 years ago, this Next Generation Leader would likely have been in the vanguard of our effort to establish a new democratic form of government that represented the interests of all its citizens. Had he been in France a few years later, he might have stormed the Bastille and helped to establish the French Republic in the name of liberty, fraternity and egalitarianism. Fortunately for those concerned with creating organizations that are both high performance and people centered, Andy Law was around in the mid 1990’s to take part in another democratic revolution. Only instead of a country, he operates in the business and corporate world – a domain that is filled with more autocrats, monarchs and totalitarian leaders than the 18th century world ever had.

Law is the CEO of St. Luke’s – a highly creative, innovative and successful Next Generation Company. He is in the forefront of implementing a profoundly radical idea for the business world – democracy and self-governance!

For those seeking to ignite a revolution in their own organizations, Andy Law offers ten suggestions to get started:

1. Ask yourself what you want out of life. Your purpose and the purpose of the organization should be compatible, if not aligned with each other.

2. Ask yourself what really matters to you. Again, what really matters to you and the company should be compatible, if not aligned with each other.

3. Give all your work clothes to Oxfam (or the charity of your choice) and wear what you feel really is you. Forget dress for success. It’s time for the real you to show up at work.

4. Talk to people (even those you don’t like) about 1 and 2. What a novel idea – engaging employees in one-on-one discussions about meaning and purpose in our professional and personal lives.

5. Give up something you most need at work (desk, company car, etc.). Sometimes the only way to find out what you really need is to take it away. You might be surprised however what you don’t miss, once it’s gone.

6. Trust everyone you meet. Keep every agreement you make. “Do unto others…” (and expect them to do the same unto you). Trust employees to act in the best interests of the company – they will if they see you doing the same.

7. Undergo a group experience (anything goes…parachuting, holidaying). Get outside of work and share an experience if you want to really bond with and get to know others. 8. Rewrite your business plan to align all of the above with your customers. Some might wonder why customers are mentioned so late. If you know yourself and your organization really well though, you will be in a much better position to give your customers what they want and need.

9. Draw a line on the office floor and invite everyone to a brave new world. Symbolically signal that there is no turning back to the way things were.

10. Share everything you do and own fairly with everyone who crosses the line. Symbolic gestures can get us started but tangible actions are the only way to sustain real change. The leader must be the chief proponent of and role model for the fair sharing of decision authority, accountability and rewards throughout the organization.