Emergent Leadership
Updated: Jan 23
the future of work…
The change narrative is done. For two reasons. Because change has come and gone and anyone trying to remind us at this point that change is the only certainty, that change is uncomfortable and that humans naturally resist change, should be talking into a vacuum. there should be nobody around to hear.
We have moved on from change and frankly, so should business.
While some of the above may be true, the narrative is old. It turns out that the future has always been about change, and that when there is no other option other than to change (COVID 2020 anyone?), we humans can change faster and more efficiently than anything we have ever witnessed before.
So let’s stop talking about change, and the rate of change because we all know that if we have to, we will.
If you’re still trying to engage with your people with a change narrative, this is why you’re not cutting through.
So what will cut through?
Telling it like it is.
Imagine if ground zero was the unfailing, fundamental truth that the future of work is uncertain.
Because it is. And the faster the rate of change, the more uncertain it is.
And the more digital innovation, the greater the possible solutions. So there is no one right way.
What would we do with that uncertainty? What would strategy and forecasting look like? What would leadership look like? What would risk look like?
If we put our business into the environment of uncertainty, what would our shareholders invest in?
Now, we start.
Now the whole environment needs a mindset shift, one that begins with you: “what is your relationship with uncertainty?”. Do you naturally expand and blossom, or do you instinctively contract and protect?”.
There is no right or wrong response, each and every response has a role to play in the business uncertainty survival kit. But you should be sending your expanders out to lead the way, because they will do so with excitement, joy and wonder. Because who doesn’t want to follow that energy?
Now individual obstacles and challenges do not matter as much.
It’s not about what problems you are solving, because there are and will be boundless problems; what is key is how you are solving them.
Whenever you encounter uncertainty, how do you move forward?
Most wisdom and experience tells us to wait until we see familiar patterns or signs: something that sparks inspiration. With a glimmer of recognition, we begin to piece together a landscape. We then need a robust evaluation or filtering system that is able to identify benefit or threat to survival; legacy behaviours or contextual response. Then we double down on purpose, mission, values and ethics.
And then we explore.
And we never explore alone.
We form a strong team, united in purpose, clear on objectives, and trained in trust.
Uncertainty is where we humans exceed expectations.
We can use data on probable outcomes as much as we like but at the end of the day, the unknown can only be decoded by experiencing it. Leading uncertainty is a practice…not a trade. It needs insight, not tools.
How do we confront uncertainty?
The only true answer is “I’m not sure”.
And that’s the gem.
The minute we as leaders embrace uncertainty, we step into vulnerability: The “I’m not sure” of it all. The minute a leader says “I’m not sure”, psychological safety, trust and vulnerability pull up a chair.
These human attributes drive performance and wellbeing; and these pivotal business success drivers are being left in the hands of a cash-strapped DE&I initiative.
This is the work of leadership.
This is how leadership will transition into 21st century best practice.
This is emergent leadership.