I’ve never felt luckier in my life to be in Belgrade, Serbia last week. I was there giving a storytelling workshop to AI startups. And just like their counterparts in Silicon Valley, they’re filled with the same ambition and passion that seemed to carry over into the streets.
If you weren’t understandably tuned into Serbian politics, the country’s 14 year authoritarian leader, Aleksandar Vučić, was successfully voted out of office by a student led movement that could not have been more grassroots in its origins. After a shady construction contract left 16 dead when a train station awning collapsed, university students who grew up surrounded by layers of corruption and stagnating civil and social life decided to make a stand. They organized, protested, took to the streets and rallied for change.
Even more compelling, to me at least, was how they were able to bring together every generation – their parents and grandparents across every social class– who had experienced the worst of the Balkan wars – to take to the streets to fight again for the future of Serbia, and their own children. More than 3,000 of these students over the last 2 years were imprisoned for speaking out.
So, what’s the innovation story to be learned from university students in the Balkans? There are so many.
1. The rulebook. The Students created a document called “The Directive,” that governs who can run for office. It barred any currently enrolled student, anyone with ties to the ruling coalition’s parties or opposition parties which left a list of doctors, academics, artists, former athletes and activists, most of whom never had any governing experience. Sound like an open innovation strategy to me. So how much are you looking OUTSIDE of your organization to brand new answers to touch questions?
2. Start with a concrete grievance. The movement grew from one undeniable horrific event. Could you cite a sharp, verifiable problem statement for each of your pilots that could truly mobilize your people? Innovators need that more than an abstract mandate like “let’s use AI for that.”
3. Distribute ownership, then converge deliberately.
Decisions ran through “plenums” or general assemblies where every student could speak and vote. That was slow, but it made the movement hard to co-opt. When it was time to enter elections, the assemblies voted and vetoed a candidate list into shape. No innovator can go it alone. Create more pockets of consensus and let ideas spread across teams, build momentum and narrow exploration into an accountable slate of projects that become a solidly supported portfolio.
4. Use the assets you already have. Students used university autonomy to occupy buildings as a protected base. Intrapreneurs can likewise use existing budgets, space and policies rather than waiting for a new mandates or new leaders to champion your work.
5. Change your theory of change when it stalls. Over a year of street protests built up support, but didn’t oust the leader, so the movement moved to elections. Is it time to review whether your channel is working, and can you switch advocates and champions when it isn’t?
Caveats: The hard part comes after winning. The students now face the shift from insurgent to incumbent, and that isn’t yet tested. Companies also aren’t polities, so treat these as design principles, not a blueprint.
On Sunday, the biggest revelation for me wasn’t the win; most of the pundits predicted it. What was shocking was that Vučić conceded, peacefully. A transition of power based on an overwhelming majority and the loser stepped aside.
The euphoria and the joy lasted in the streets until 3am. Let’s hope it continues as the social innovators of Serbia take the reins.
Photo Credit:AP Photo/Marko Drobnjakovic – Marko Drobnjakovic