One of my favorite quotes is from an executive in Europe who said, “You feel ready, but ready for what?”
His question addressed the angst of increasingly more leaders. Many leaders and small business owners tell me that they feel ill-prepared for today’s complex environment. With increased connectivity come strong and too often unknown interdependencies. For this reason, the ultimate result of these decisions has been poorly understood.
Nevertheless, decisions must be made.
As leaders turn their attention to growth strategies many have told us their success depends on doubling their revenue over the next five years. The services that contribute to the lion’s share of their revenue today will be the second largest source of revenue in five years. Finding new growth strategies is not easy in a complex and uncertain environment.
This means leaders must shake up their business models, old ways of thinking, and long held assumptions. They have to address what customers now care about and reassess engagement with employees to create optimal value.
Leaders must learn to be comfortable with complexity and uncertainty. They have to see disruption in one form or another as an opportunity.
Another leader said, “The Great recession has been a wakeup call. It felt like looking in the dark with no light at the end of the tunnel.”
So, what can you do? Create a nimble and adaptive organization. One not disrupted by complexity. Innovate your management and leadership styles for an unconventional new normal. Create new approaches to better understand customers and engage employees.
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