How-to Destroy an Institution: A Simple Guide

So, you have an institution that's been around for 100 years? It's been around so long that everyone believes it will be around for another 100 years. Time for a bust-up. Here's the plan.

1) Remove the goal. Make sure we don't actually "do" anything. If you're talking to someone about joining, talk about status, money, or power; talk about everything they will gain by joining. DO NOT under any circumstance communicate what the purpose of the institution is.

2) Stop teaching. Every institution has a hierarchy. Do everything in your power to convince the leaders not to pass their hard-earned learning down the ladder of the organization. Everyone new, should have to learn on their own. They all need to go through the school of hard knocks. Everyone should look out for themselves and quit sharing that hard-earned information.

3) Keep the people in power, in power, forever. Under no circumstances should a person with power raise up their subordinates as peers. After all, we all joined for status, money, and power!

This may seem like a daunting task but have no fear. You only need to accomplish one of the three to set the institution on a course of slow death. Slow death is the goal. A fast death will just produce more institutions trying to rectify the wrongs.

Institutions do have a place. They should guide each new generation into a better world.

When you see a failing or useless institution, I propose that they have violated one of the following three pillars.

1) Calling. Every institution needs a calling, something specific that they are in the world to "do." A calling assumes you are called to do something.

2) Initiation. Members of the institution must initiate new members. They must pass on knowledge and learning.

3) Graduating. A leader's goal is to create leaders. A discipler's goal is to make disciples. A teacher's goal is to create teachers. All leaders must turn students into peers.