By Daniela Oliboni and Gianandrea Iapichino
The future is catching up with us, and this time it seems ahead of schedule.
The CEO looks us in the eye and asks: “Are we ready?”
Ready for what?
Ready to challenge existing paradigms, to embrace a new way of thinking and acting in the face of a rapidly evolving business landscape.
Because, ultimately, this is not just about capitalising on the features of technology systems procured by the CIO.
Our present challenges the very vision of work and organisation, demanding an open, trusting mindset towards people and the tools that can support us.
We are faced with the need to replace old, limiting beliefs with fresh perspectives and convictions that can shape this new reality.
When we talk about beliefs, we mean the underlying assumptions that define why our reality looks the way it does.
These assumptions are often rooted in an anthropological and social past: individualism and capitalism, by prioritising self-interest and profit, foster the idea of a sharp division between the owner’s interest and that of the employees. Cartesian dualism and Taylorist scientific management promote a mechanistic, hierarchical view of work, where those who think and design are separate from those who execute and deliver.
Here are a few examples of beliefs that are still widespread today:
“Employees only work hard for bonuses.”
“Managers decide, employees execute. This is vital for efficiency.”
“Standardising tasks maximises productivity.”
“Important decisions require my approval.”
“Focusing on short-term results is more pragmatic than pursuing abstract visions.”
“If people work remotely, they are not really working.”
These assumptions reflect the legacy of separation, setting up a dynamic between a “guiding parent” and “obedient children”. There are simply no adults on the stage of the present.
Being an adult means having autonomy, taking responsibility, and using creative work to help reality evolve.
Being an adult means engaging with others in a generative relationship, not one driven purely by expectations. It means seeing the impact of our own actions—something a child cannot do. It means being present, active, and accountable, rather than merely proving oneself or reporting back.
Isn’t it true that the prevailing approaches to work organisation are still rooted in a mistrust of “adults”, relying on disciplinary systems designed to limit and contain responsibility and creative capacity?
Many organisations have responded to change simply by complying with new legislation supporting more fluid, integrated models, without actually reshaping structures and processes. Leaders have maintained “command-and-control” management styles rather than embracing co-creation. Even before the rise of digital technologies, these approaches were already stifling business potential.
Today, with the rise of AI and machine learning, failing to treat people as adults risks not only diminishing individuals, but stripping the organisation of its capacity to innovate. In short: without adults, you can kiss competitive advantage goodbye.
Perhaps the belief holding our system back is the idea that value creation is merely a negotiation between competing private interests, as Adam Smith suggested. A clear sign of this is the growing number of organisations putting sustainability on their agendas without truly understanding its contribution to the common good.
Yet what is sustainability if not a dimension of the common good?
And the common good is precisely the belief we need to choose, because it allows leaders and team members to meet as adults. Each person brings their own private perspective, but with a shared commitment to keeping only what genuinely builds a sustainable future for everyone.
Let us treat each other as adults and co-create. This is how we balance the predictability of algorithms with human spontaneity—guided by a commitment to the common good that steers us from within and opens the way to the future.
