From Tin Man to Octopus: Rewriting Your Organization's DNA

The authors of a recent HBR article, “Become an Octopus Organization,” use the metaphor of these amazing sea creatures to outline the organizational design we need more of to help navigate these chaotic and complex business environments. In my 10-element culture framework, which many of you are familiar with, “octopus behavior” has been the foundation of “peer-to-peer power” along with the other nine elements.

The Outdated Tin Man

Post-industrial designed companies, called “Tin Man Orgs” by authors Jana Werner and Phil Le-Brin because of their outdated command-and-control bias, were optimized for an era of mass production, adherence to process, and top-down planning.

The HBR article notes, “They struggle to cope with a complex world in which success depends on adapting and discovering—on building genuine, trust-based relationships with customers, employees, and their broader environment. Work today is less transactional and more relational. Customers have more choice, and so do employees. People don’t want to be managed; they want to be inspired. They don’t want to be told; they want to be heard.”

The Adaptive “Octopus” Alternative

The authors call for a fundamentally different paradigm: the Octopus Organization, “inspired by the remarkably adaptive, curious, and intelligent sea dweller. That animal, whose arms can think and act independently yet work in perfect concert, offers a model for building companies that can thrive in complexity and embrace continuous change. Octopus Orgs tap the intelligence of their people, integrating a range of efforts naturally and gracefully. They sense subtle signals, learning and shifting course at speed to navigate uncertainty.”

This Isn’t a Simple Makeover

The Octopus Organization can become just another trendy makeover of goofy management speak. Don’t be surprised if you start to hear phrases like “agile.” In many of these cases, leadership throws around the avant-garde like somehow mentioning it causes the organization to be fundamentally different and better. Of course, not much changes.

This idea is not a system tweak. It invites truly transformative adjustments to the DNA of an institution.

Werner and Le-Brin elaborate, “Rewriting the organization’s DNA. These are the most transformative interventions. They include changing the rules of the system (for example, shifting from bureaucratic approvals to principle-based decisions); resetting goals (by, say, optimizing for customer lifetime value instead of quarterly profit); and the most powerful lever of all: shifting the mental model from which the system arises (moving from a core belief in command and control to one of agency and trust, for example). These changes are inexpensive to introduce but can take time for people to internalize, requiring intensive communication and reinforcement through new incentives.”

The Leadership Challenge

My experience is that few organizations will have the courage to seriously embrace this DNA shift. Risk-averse CEOs are usually unprepared to do more than tinker with the org or apply the proverbial lipstick on a pig. Why put that big CEO exec comp package at risk?

However, there will be a few that will understand that a narrow efficiency drive just won’t prepare the company for the future. For those, exploring the possibilities of fundamentally shifting to an octopus organization might drive that value-driven adaptability that invites a new definition of thriving.

Think Big (like an Octopus), Start Small, Act Now,

Lorne

Garrett’s View: This further backs up my theory that if extra terrestrials exist, they aren’t in space, they’re underwater - with the octopus being the most obvious example. No wonder this concept is so alien to most organizations, however perhaps you can take the octopus theory to your leader.

AI Response: This transformative shift is not merely theoretical; it's a strategic imperative backed by data. While "Tin Man" command-and-control structures are crumbling under modern pressures, "Octopus" principles are proving their worth: according to McKinsey, organizations with high levels of autonomy and peer coordination are 5.3 times more likely to experience strong growth and 8.5 times more likely to achieve high innovation. Furthermore, Gallup research reveals that teams with high empowerment and trust generate 21% greater profitability, underscoring how decentralizing power and fostering relational trust—the core of the octopus model—directly fuels performance and resilience in a complex world.

From Tin Man to Octopus: Rewriting Your Organization's DNA

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