Evolving Culture by Borrowing the Best Beyond Your Borders

A scrappy tech company, after years of creative chaos, hit a wall: sales lagged, competitors overtook key clients, and the team’s strengths were starting to look like weaknesses. Their usual 'let everyone speak' model left sales staff frustrated, with slow decisions and lack of urgency. Instead of trying more of the same, the founders brought in an outsider—someone with a hard-edged, disciplined sales background, whose style clashed with their laid-back vibe. It was rocky at first, with culture clashes, raised voices, and discomfort, but soon, the team started hitting targets and outperformed rivals.

This wasn’t unique—revolutionary leaders like Louverture and Genghis Khan deliberately mixed new approaches into their core, learning and adapting from enemy tactics, conquered experts, and imported leaders. The science is clear that innovation comes from integration, not insularity: teams that welcome outside perspectives see faster problem-solving, richer creativity, and healthier resilience.

What holds groups back is habit: the comfort of the familiar feels safe, but it limits horizons. Real evolution requires intentional, sometimes painful mixing of cultures, disciplines, and ways of thinking—always with the protection and support of leadership.

If you sense your group or personal approach is stalling, make the bold choice to bring in someone wildly different—whether that's a new coach, a partner from another field, or even just a consultant with a fresh worldview. Be honest with your team that discomfort is coming and talk through why it matters. Provide cover and authority for the newcomer to really shake things up, resisting the urge to water down their message to fit your old norms. Lean into the awkwardness—breakthroughs are almost always born there.