When we lay enough layers of rules on people we can grind them to a halt. That's not a good thing in business. In business, we want people to be able to make decisions and learn from their successes and their mistakes. And, in general, success is not defined in terms of a person's ability to follow rules. Similarly, mistakes should not be defined as a person's inability to follow rules.

Rules do not exist to determine success and failure. Rather, rules are there to confine and control actions. Rules guide HOW we go about doing our work. In that way, rules guide Actions.

Sometimes, when business rules are broken it leads to problems or even failure…that’s the raison d'être behind rules. However, on other occasions broken rules lead to success. This happens more frequently when rules are overly confining and rules throttle creativity, innovation, or change in general.

When rules are overly confining they can be broken from time to time. Perhaps, overly-confining rules must be broken from time to time if positive change is to occur.

We need to keep that in mind as we establish and administer rules in business.

On the other hand, the breaking of “Master Rules”, as Spirited Leaders define them, never brings about positive change. When Master Rules are broken Values are violated, relationships are soured, and trust is shattered.

So, rules are made to be broken.

And, Master Rules are not!