Flight or Invisibility?
The superhero dilemma in the digital transformation age.
In 2001, and again in 2013, This American Life attempted to answer the question, “Which is better, flight or invisibility?”
At the heart of the decision, John Hodgman posited in the piece, was one of two things.
“Who do you want to be? The person you hope to be [FLIGHT], or the person you fear you actually are [INVISIBILITY]?”
Psychology Today wrote an article about the choice, discussing the various rationales some from the This American Life gave for their answers and their purported connection to Jungian theory and/or Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
“Many of those who choose invisibility do so to hear what others say about them when they aren’t around, to spy on others, or to procure things they don’t have the money to pay for. It is easy to see how this relates to the dark side.”
“On the other hand, those that choose flight usually cite travel as their main reason. Some hope to help others, and others generally see the ability to fly as exciting and something to make life more fulfilling. There is no mention of anything considered dark. Contrarily, there is mention of being able to help others.”
The article then went on to discuss how the respondents’ answers and theories related to projective tests, which in some psychological circles has fallen out of favor in the era of evidence-based assessment techniques.
So, flight!
After the second broadcast, Forbes posed the question to over 7,000 leaders across the globe. In pretty much every way they sliced the data, more than 70% of respondents chose to fly. One of the conclusions the author drew was that “There…seems to be something more powerful about flying than about being invisible.”
And yet, in a recent survey, “By large majorities, companies report that digital transformation is required for them to compete and succeed. Of more than 600 senior executives at large global companies who participated in the survey, 83 percent say they expect to increase investment in digital technologies in the next 12 months.”
Digital transformation is touching every aspect of our world. It’s
Famously tracking the snow leopard population to develop better conservation efforts.
Enabling lights out manufacturing.
Powering access to data and information previously trapped in old, orphaned equipment, to predict failures before they occur and optimize automation processes.
Delivering omnichannel consumer insights that analyze purchase behavior, demographic data, and psychographic attributes.
Creating deeply knowledgeable B2B sales & marketing teams who know what their customers are saying & doing even when they’re not around.
Wait – Invisibility!...Right?
The promise of digital transformation sounds a lot like one of the driving desires behind invisibility:
knowing what’s happening even when we’re not (perceived to be) around, without the observer changing or otherwise influencing the observed.
So. Is this a disconnect? Are leaders citing their nobler side in the Forbes survey, but putting their money in service of their darker side?
Or is there a fundamental truth at play – that leaders know they publicly set the vision for and establish the noble goal of where their organizations are headed [FLIGHT], but equally know, deep down, that inspection, not simply expectation, increases the likelihood of goal achievement [INVISIBILITY]?
Clearly, in the era of digital transformation, we can — and do — choose both.
But if it were up to you - which would you choose? Flight, or invisibility?