Parshat Bereishit

This becomes evident in the beginning of Parshat Noach. The Torah (6:11) describes that G-d decided to destroy the world, with the exception of Noach and his family, because the world had become full of robbery and thievery. When people can no longer trust one another, when a person’s property is no longer secure, and when the rule of might trumps the rule of right, society can no longer function. (The Torah’s description of society here is reminiscent of Thomas Hobbes’s “state of nature” as described in Leviathan.) Regrettably the only option becomes to start over.

It is interesting to note that so long as society is strong and cohesive there is hope that it can improve. But once a society loses its bond of trust, all hope for it is lost as well.

The Torah teaches us a very important lesson here. When checking an organization’s health, the most important gauge is its cohesion. As long as that’s strong, things can improve. Once that’s gone…

Leaders in all organizations must identify the key gauges they need to check on regularly (along with organizational cohesion), in addition to the specialized ones they need to check at any given time during a particular project or initiative. Successfully doing this will help ensure organizational success. Failure to do this will, for sure, ensure organizational failure.