We operate in a world that is fast paced, ever changing, unclear, difficult, sometimes hostile and always challenging.   The US Military introduced an interesting way to describe their world, which equally applies to the environment we operate in as V.U.C.A – Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. In this theatre business leaders now need a different set of leadership skills to survive, compete and thrive.

In our experience, at Cneqt DNA, leadership is no longer just the ‘thing’ provided by the person, or people, at the top but is the sum of the individual acts of leadership that people demonstrate within their everyday life.  This calls for a different mindset where:

Leadership, and acts of leadership, happen and by anyone.

People make decisions based on what is needed at the time – this needs both emotional bravery and flexibility as sometimes the right thing to do might not mean doing things right. 

People are comfortable with ambiguity and can adapt and plan quickly without fear of making mistakes.

Individuals are aware of their own emotional hotspots and triggers, and can control these effectively.

Individuals can create powerful alliances, engage others and manage relationships

Leaders know not to stand still and constantly evaluate both their own and their businesses performance.

With all of the above, giving thought to your leadership approach is critical to plan different thinking and actions to adopt and how to role model them to others in and around the business.

In a VUCA world adopting a few focused themes is a great starting point:

Connect in your relationships

Communicate with clarity

Coach and be coached to help yourself and

Energise and enthuse those around you

Commercial Focus  - not forgetting this all leads to running a business that achieves profitable growth