Smart Business can often outsmart itself.

We usually think of outsmarting the competition.  Beat them to the punch with new ideas and new technologies.

However, have you considered the dangers of outsmarting yourself?

As a business leader, you’re often faced with difficult decisions…on a daily basis.  The common reaction is to make a new “policy” to handle it in the future.  Then, you don’t have to handle it.  Your team will.

Or will they?

Eventually you’ve become so smart that in order to pass along your knowledge (your rules on company behavior), your manual is too big for any one to comprehend.

Your culture will begin to collapse under its own weight.  New comers won’t understand it.  Many will disregard the manual, and others will simply hate it.

People crave freedom.  At times, that freedom makes us do stupid things.  A business leader should let the stupid happen.

Don’t create a rule to control a once in a lifetime event.  It makes things too complex.  Too big.  And eventually you’ll lose control.

Here is a somewhat lengthy essay on complex societies’ eventual downfall.  It is applied very appropriately to business growth.