Can breaking the rules sometimes be the right thing to do? Is progress more important than strict adherence to protocol? How do we balance individual fairness with collective advancement?

In my career, I’ve often found that the most significant advancements come from thinking outside the box and sometimes stepping beyond conventional boundaries. It’s not about disregarding rules entirely, but rather about understanding their intent and knowing when flexibility serves a greater purpose.

This approach, while effective, isn’t without its challenges. Sometimes, those who cling tightly to established processes feel slighted when unconventional methods yield results. It’s a delicate balance - pushing for progress while maintaining team cohesion.

I’ve observed that often, the loudest objections to this flexible approach come from those who contribute the least to overall progress. It’s as if the strict adherence to rules becomes a shield, deflecting attention from their lack of substantial input.

The key, I believe, is to keep the focus squarely on progress. When a team is genuinely committed to moving forward, there’s little time or inclination to dwell on perceived slights or minor protocol breaches. It’s about asking, “Did we achieve our goal?” rather than “Did we follow every rule to the letter?”

This isn’t to say that rules and fairness aren’t important. They absolutely are. But they should serve as guidelines that facilitate progress, not barriers that hinder it. The true measure of a team’s success isn’t in how perfectly they followed the rulebook, but in what they achieved together.

As leaders and team members, our challenge is to foster an environment where innovation and progress are celebrated, where the spirit of the rules is honored even if the letter occasionally bends. It’s about creating a culture where everyone is so focused on reaching the goal that they don’t have time to worry about who brushed past whom in the race to get there.

Are we so fixated on playing by the book that we’re missing opportunities to write new chapters of success?