Syncretism
Syncretism is a term used by anthropologists to describe a phenomenon within culture.
It occurs when two or more cultures come together and something net-new is created.
Culture does not grow in isolation.
Most significant historical advancements have been catalyzed by syncretism.
The pinnacle of the health and growth of a culture is signified by the dissemination of ideas.
Paradoxically, many organizations spend their time building barriers to syncretism.
Leaders commonly speak about the importance of new ideas and thoughts.
In contrast, leaders act to insulate culture and focus on preserving the existing culture of their teams.
This is a contradiction: your culture can be in status quo or syncretism, not both.
Do you need to spend your time fighting to preserve your culture?
Perhaps it is better spent creating the conditions for syncretism.
Cultures that flourish learn from and adopt perspectives from other cultures through syncretism.
Coffee + oat milk is syncretism at its best,
-Morning Cup