One of the key characteristics of a fundi (fundamentalist) religion seems to be the enforcement of one single strict version of the truth. Believers must subscribe to the one unwavering world-view, or else.
This commitment to a single clear path can be a great thing. But it is also a guaranteed vaccine against diversity and new thought. Humans are innately creative. Asking questions, challenging convention, breaking rules, and imagining alternatives.
Just as religions must evolve or risk becoming irrelevant, businesses that stick blindly to the one thing risk becoming superseded by new arrivals.
Singaporeans use the term “free thinker” to refer a non-theist (someone who does not believe in a deity whether supernatural or natural). A freethinking business is one that is open to engagement with the world as-is. It is curious about the world, accepts diversity, welcomes questioning, and works with the current reality.
Constant questioning is essential to becoming more innovative. Agility and reinventions on the fly is what many successful businesses do today.
Instead of a single prescriptive dogma, a free-thinking business would have guiding principles and values. They know when to question and invent, and when to just get on with it.
So which one are you?
