How can next-generation leaders overcome uncertainty?
Founding CEO of LoginRadius, Startup Enthusiast & a Board Member. Helping companies secure billions of digital identities worldwide.
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The world witnessed a paradigm shift during the 2020 global pandemic as businesses lay idle and people locked in their homes. It was a challenging time for CEOs to take bold action that could streamline processes. However, some companies jumped through these hoops by bravely facing unfamiliar situations and leaning on digital solutions.
Preparing for the worst and hoping for the best was the ultimate lesson we learned in these turbulent times. Next-gen CEOs should take this to heart in uncertain times. Instead of waiting for opportunities for digital transformation, they should create them.
Moving away from the conventional
For a C-level executive, knowing when to step out of their comfort zone is arguably the most critical skill if they want to reshape the structure of their organization. During the early stages of the 2020 close, many of us quickly learned how to trust our new remote workforce. In fact, some leaders believed that this forced shift meant that their organizations were on the path of innovation, even when things weren’t looking good.
Since no organization is quite ready for unprecedented risk, thinking creatively and taking meaningful risks may be the key to sailing through the most disruptive times. A bold attitude to determine the consequences, as well as the confidence to change decisions in the blink of an eye, is undoubtedly the key to growth.
Take, for example, the innovative solution that tech entrepreneur Elon Musk came up with during the internet and power outages in Ukraine in early 2022. The CEO of SpaceX made sure that car cigarette lighter could power the internet antenna for the company’s Starlink terminals. In addition, the mobile roaming functionality allowed the phased array antenna to maintain a seamless connection even in a moving vehicle. This solution used uncertainty to reinvent technology without hindering the end goal: to bring change and transform lives.
In another case, in 2020, tech giants Google and Apple join forces to launch a comprehensive solution to enable Covid-19 contact tracing. This move inspired startups and business leaders to identify risks, analyze crises and make concerted efforts to reduce risks and contribute to society.
A holistic view of organization for flexibility
Looking to the future, next-generation leaders must incorporate an even greater degree of flexibility and cross-functional collaboration. They can achieve this by including a holistic approach to understanding the entire organization. Rather than dividing an organization and its processes into departments or parts and analyzing them individually, leaders should emphasize how the company works as a whole. This is what defines a holistic mindset. In uncertain times, a holistic approach allows companies to focus on the areas that matter most — determining what works well and what needs to be changed — rather than being distracted by the individual goals of each department.
3 ways businesses can become more holistic
While many established C-level executives know the value of holistic thinking, most emerging leaders may wonder how to implement such an approach. Here are three things they can do to get started:
1. Do research
Research is perhaps the most crucial aspect of implementing a holistic approach. It can help identify the number of resources you have, spot problem areas, discover new techniques for overcoming hurdles, and provide structure for your action plans.
2. Make use of technology
Technology is always useful for distributing administrative messages and strategic updates. For example, project management platforms and team communication apps can lend a hand in broadcasting organizational goals as time goes by.
3. Collaborate with teams
Meeting regularly with teams can be the best way to ensure everyone is engaged and connected to an organization’s transformation journey. Cross-functional thinking opens up endless possibilities for all areas of an organization, including marketing, sales, operations and information security.
Teams can understand how individual efforts affect overall organizational growth and how collaboration fosters innovation and success. However, many might argue that their department runs smoothly on its own, and that trying to see it through the lens of a holistic approach could interrupt its functionality. But if each department can work together in a seamless workflow, it improves business efficiency.
Changing times and circumstances call for diverse leadership skills. Businesses shouldn’t wait for things to get back on track. Instead, they should make an effort to jump out of their comfort zone and make the most of the resources and technology available. Today’s next-gen leaders can set the benchmark for tomorrow’s success.
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