Leadership in VUCA World

"Leaders need to 'see around corners' - to see something significant about the future that others don't see.'

An apt saying for the current VUCA world, where everything & anything is volatile, uncertain, complex in nature and ambiguous by its presence or absence.

Leaders make plan well in advance and try achieving them by organising resources around those plans. But the reality hits them hard on their faces when these plans are either under achieved or not at all achieved. This can very well be seen in slipping down financial numbers in majority of cases.

Learning by most of executives to my mind is cribbing about the conditions & cursing it, instead of taking appropriate actions. At the same time there are leaders and organisations which undertake diagnostics and change themselves to 180 degree. It therefore means what all needs to be taken into account in this VUCA environment and come out successfully are.

a.     Actions & Comprehension

Clarity in the minds of leaders is the foremost point to succeed. No effective actions can be taken if the clarity is not there about what all needs to be accomplished. Once, the clarity is established, it becomes very easy to channelize resources and people around it.

More VUCA environment, the harder it is for leaders to comprehend the situation. Resulting in the difficulty to comprehend and articulate it. This leads to inaction by leaders or simply following the down trodden path of reaction.

Therefore, it is of utmost importance to articulate well what all to be accomplished and actions should not stop.

b.     Higher in position, tougher to articulate an objective

It is seen that inaction starts at the top. Any immobilisation at the top has multiplication effect at the bottom. Leaders are being watched by their followers. They watch you for your every action & inaction and accordingly make up their minds to take actions or not.

Leaders need to force themselves to get clarity in their own minds and let their subordinates know how they see things. Articulation and corresponding actions will become easy for both leaders and their subordinates respectively.

c.      Look for Actions and not for Right actions

I believe ‘one cannot see future with clarity and therefore it is almost impossible whatever one does will test the testimony of time and will come out right.’

Instead of fighting for the right actions, it is imperative to take actions. Correct the actions on way, if required.

d.     Establishing a Common Purpose

Objective in hand will give leaders required insight on continuum. Objective also will give a common purpose for the people to align their actions.

Leaders could not see that their incapability to bring people around one common purpose will eventually be fatal for the organisation. Only thing they may see or in most cases may not, the date of fatality.

e.      Lead by Values

When everything around is so ambiguous that a decision cannot be taken, leaders should lead themselves by following their values.

Value your values. I believe in ‘When going gets tougher, hold tight to your values’. Any slippage on your values will put you on a wrong path. Leaders need to make their organisations ‘to be values led’. Mind it everybody is watching you.