by Alex Kim
Recently, our friend Khoa To shared a paper with us titled Leading in the Recessive Values Era: Why Clarity, Coherence, and Trust Now Matter More Than Speed. In it, Khoa offers a timely and incisive perspective on leadership in this evolving technological world where speed is the measure. Khoa argues that the authentic sources of organizational advantage lie not in speed but in clarity, coherence, and trust—qualities that are difficult for machines to replicate and impossible to automate.
The Shift from Speed to Alignment
There is a subtle yet profound shift in the strategic climate. Organizations are experiencing the erosion of alignment and the limits of bandwidth, even as they operate at an unprecedented pace. In this new era, Khoa asserts, success is measured not by how quickly an organization moves, but by how deeply it understands and lives its values.
Reclaiming the Unscalable
Khoa’s central thesis is that as AI and automation master the “what,” human leadership must reclaim the “why.” The next competitive edge, he asserts, will not come from doing more, but from doing what aligns with a clear sense of purpose. This echoes the principles of values-based leadership, which emphasize self-reflection, humility, and the consistent application of core values as the foundation for organizational transformation.
Presentations at Fall MWUG and WeCUG User Groups
If you would like to learn more, Khoa and 32 Soft’s Don Lindsey plan to team up to give a presentation on this topic at both the MWUG and WeCUG Fall User Groups, pending board approval. In the presentation, Khoa and Don will give more details about the importance of this shift to values-based leadership. They will present examples of companies that follow this path and offer a road map for you to lead from intention, protect your company’s attention, and design for trust.
Leading in the Recessive Values Era: Why Clarity, Coherence, and Trust Now Matter More Than Speed challenges leaders to move beyond the visible metrics of speed and output, and instead build organizations anchored in clarity, coherence, and trust. In a world where technology can do almost everything else, these human qualities are what will set enduring organizations apart.
