LEADERSHIP LESSONS: NAVIGATING CHANGE MANAGEMENT AND DISRUPTION

As we’ve found in our market research, surviving and thriving in the new normal is a function of your ability to adapt. In the latest episode of our running series that offers quick answers to pressing business problems, we discuss how this impacts leadership and management strategy:

Topic: How to Build a Future-Proof Leadership Strategy

Scenario: Business owners and executives are used to being the boss, and laying down very specific processes, procedures, and rules – but getting ahead in tomorrow’s world is about enabling employees at every level to take on more of a leadership role, and giving them the power to actually take action and make positive changes.

Insight: Everyday frontline employees (who have the most insight into changing customer needs and conditions on the ground, as they deal with them every day) need to be given more chances to speak up, share their insights, and take action. That means not only having to create business operating strategies that provide platforms and programs through which to capture and circulate their insights, but also allow you to quickly digest and act on this data. Likewise, it also requires more flexible team design and leadership strategy, so that you can quickly pivot or adapt as scenarios change.

Topic: 7 New Leadership Skills You Need to Master

Scenario: Running yesterday’s businesses was about optimizing processes and procedures, but for business leaders operating in increasingly fluid and fast-moving spaces, it’s going to be more about thinking fast on your feet, responding quickly, and rapidly ingesting new information and using it to improve your strategies on the fly. This requires not only the ability to take a deeper look at data and insights, but also work more effectively as a team and be a more effective communicator.

Insight: Tomorrow’s leaders must become more adept at data analysis, delegation, time-management, and making decisions with imperfect information, just as they must be more agile and resilient, possess high EQ, and master a variety of communications skills. They’ll also have to get better about learning how to learn quickly, mastering multitasking, and prioritize both personal development and improvisational and innovative thinking.