With the right leadership mindset uncertainty can be seen as a gift rather than a cross to bear.
Change transformation and how, at a strategic level, leaders make this change in today’s rapidly changing work, has never been so challenging. In the UK, we have a new government recently in power and an economy still recovering from inflation and fluctuating interest rates. At a global level, we still face ongoing challenges including geopolitical conflicts such as the war in Ukraine and the Middle East.
As business leaders we need to lead our organisations through uncertainty, when often it is the only constant. Here are some strategies to achieve this:
Accept that change will be the constant
From a young age, we are taught to recognise risk and manage it to ensure our safety. However, understanding that risk can be both a positive thing – allowing us to challenge the status quo – and a negative thing – bringing anxiety into our rationale. Ensuring we identify this ‘flight or fight’ response and embrace change rather than undertaking a Pavlovian response to it, is essential when uncertainty arises.
Be robust in your long-term strategy
Most companies have a vision for the future, a long-term goal that incorporates ambition for their people, how they continue to provide solutions, and their financial growth. Although unexpected turns in the journey are to be expected, acknowledging and keeping true to their long-term destination ensures security for both teams and clients alike.
Trust will be earned through honest and transparent leadership
A natural response to uncertainty is looking for glimmers of certainty. In my experience, in the times when certainty cannot be given – for example through the pandemic – leaders need to be open and honest. They need to lead in a manner that creates trust, bringing psychological safety for those in business to share their concerns and worries, but also refrain from making false promises. Understanding and embracing imperfection is key, the drive for perfection, or the belief that perfection has been reached, stops us learning and discovering, a key component of leadership.
No man is an island
The poet, John Donne once said, ‘No man is an island, and it is imperative to remember that leadership is a team sport, not an individual one. As chief executive, I spend much time listening to those around me – from the future professionals, to clients, to those in the supply chain and those who work in the broader business world. Listening and learning is the only way leadership teams can consider the wider impact of what is happening in our business world and therefore being able to adapt to it. Having these voices of information around us is even more important than ever when rapid change is happening.
It is an evolution not a revolution
With recent technological advances such as Generative AI, all businesses are changing rapidly and as leaders it is our role to embrace this innovation and upskill our teams to adapt to these changes. However, we need to also recognise how this innovation helps meet our long-term ambition – ensuring the tech revolution doesn’t dazzle us, and that our investment in it is relevant to that ambition. For example, we need to understand if bespoke AI solutions for our business is the right investment or could be outdated before operational adoption can happen, and whether working with partners who can adapt and evolve AI models for our business might be the better route for us to meet our long term strategies.
In summary, leading an organisation through change when uncertainty is the only constant is not an easy task. However, with the right leadership mindset uncertainty can be seen as a gift rather than a cross to bear – to think differently, embrace new opportunities, and to be open to innovation. The only thing we can know for sure, is that change is inevitable and embracing and being agility and resilience is key to thriving in the face of it. Leaders who cultivate adaptability within their teams and foster a culture of continuous learning will not only navigate uncertainty but shape the future of their organisations.
This article was originally published on Management Today website.
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