The right thing for your craft, your community, and your soul is to move from isomorphism to youniqueness. Year by year humanity embraces monoculture like agribusiness plants monocrops. Consequently, we have a lot of corn, and we have a lot of Marvel content. When we elevate conformity and heterogeneity above diversity and uniqueness, we lose our strength and we become less interesting. Special and strategic opportunities await individuals and communities that are willing to go on a journey from isomorphism to youniqueness.
What is isomorphism?
Isomorphism refers to the similarity of structures or processes across organizations. As cooperative business strategist Daniel Côté argues, “isomorphism is the result of imitation or independent development under similar constraints [and] is explained by the need to remain efficient and competitive, which results in the increased homogeneity of organizations in the same environment.” Thanks, consultants.
I think it applies to people, too. Whether we are trying to fit in at school or conforming to how our colleagues behave, we mimic folks who shape the culture. Côté agrees: “normative isomorphism is fueled by formal institutional education (both general and vocational), professional networking, and recruitment screening.” Faster than ever, human beings are favouring safety and similarity, which presents an awesome advantage for anyone willing to break from the norm by getting comfortable with being uncomfortable (and perhaps making others a little uncomfortable, too).
Isomorphism is a commute in a grey suit to an office so a boss can look over your shoulder and all of us working from home has revealed that this doesn’t (and shouldn’t) be the way forward.
What is youniqueness?
Patagonia could be in the business of selling high quality outerwear. Instead, they are in the business of saving our home planet. The retailer’s uniqueness is inspiring other stakeholders in the fashion industry to invest in regenerative agriculture, which uses more sustainable farming methods that can reverse climate change, increase biodiversity, and improve soil health. Cooperative academics Karen Miner and Sonja Novkovic argue that also putting people, not numbers or economic value, at the centre of a business creates “a cooperative advantage” and long term, sustainable solutions for communities. Interesting and innovative enterprises who play what Simon Sinek calls “the infinite game” always lead the way because they create more opportunities for more people to win.
Leadership isn’t about following the heard. From my perspective, cooperative leadership is emerging as a unique and differentiating practice because, first, traditional leadership apparently died in 2021 and, second, the world needs what Sunny Bonnell and Ashleigh Hansberger call rare breeds: these nonconformists who gleefully defy mainstream leadership stereotypes are constantly rethinking and adapting to what their communities need. We need folks to lead and follow with virtues like emotion, audacity, rebelliousness, and being weird.
Youniqueness comes from you being you. (Everyone else is already taken).
Go on a journey
Develop self-awareness and articulate who you are by finding and living your core values.
Have the courage to be disliked because if you are always trying to please people then you will be living some one else’s life, not yours.
Understand the tension from your youniqueness bumping up against the prevailing culture in your worklife. And then rethink your position and decide what happens next.
Get out there and shoot your shot because you’re the only one who can.