From Whoosh: Business in the Fast Lane,Tom McGehee on what makes a company suck or rock:
| Compliance Companies | Creation Companies |
| Policy driven | Principle driven |
| Rule based | Relationship based |
| Conducts training |
Allows for structured and unstructured learning |
| Forced organization | Self-organizing |
| Reactive | Proactive |
| Good of organization over good of individual | Good of organization through good of individuals |
| Measures activity | Measures outcome |
| Ordered | Chaotic |
| Closed system | Open system |
| Patterned | Emergent |
| Internal focus | External focus |
| Risk avoidance | Opportunity creation |
| Confuses models with reality | Understands modeling |
| Tries to re-create past success | Tries to create new successes |
| Methodology based | Model based |
| Expert’s mind | Beginner’s mind |
| Tolerates diversity | Thrives on diversity |
| Seeks equilibrium | Seeks progress |
| Deficit focused | Positive focused |
| Creates burning platforms | Creates compelling opportunities |
Application to national governments or revolutionary organizations is left as an exercise for the reader.