Elevating Change & Transformation Leadership Series - Leading Disruption with Grace (8 of 10)

Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!

Are you a Bold Executive Leader seeking shifts in yourself and your organisation outcomes - without compromising relationships, self-care, and meaning in work?!

Are the conundrums mounting?

Deep down, do you doubt leading through ongoing disruption is possible across your team?

Confronting these deeply personal, individual questions are foundational to creating the shifts of the bigger systemic opportunity /risks that organisations have on their Business Transformation agenda.

Leading an organisation through industry disruption is not for the faint hearted. As discussed previously, like discerning investors, Bold Executives understand shaping and leading for today and the future involves strategic opportunity / risk. They are two sides of the one coin. 

Bold (adjective): not afraid of danger or difficult situations.

Example: The area was settled by bold [brave, courageous] pioneers.

(Source: The Britannica Dictionary)

Bold (adjective): (a person, action, or idea) showing a willingness to take risks; confident and courageous.

Example: "a bold attempt to solve the crisis" · "he was the only one bold enough to air his dislike"

(Source: Oxford Dictionary)

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!"

~Goethe

Following are reflections of leaders currently leading Business Transformation. Do they resonate with you?

As you look at the current situation you see:

• You are accountable for today and tomorrow. Today is all consuming. Tomorrow is Uncertain.
• What value will look like in our industry will be dramatically different during this decade.
• Macro Accelerating Trends.
• Explosion of Data.
• Frustration, not everyone in organisations sees the emerging factors.
• Many leaders already experiencing burn out, at risk with their Boards when the foreseeable catches up.
• You are in an organisation experiencing industry disruption and you know there is frustration and signs of fatigue from your “Best and Brightest.”
• You have a proven record as an industry contributor and want to see the best for the people served and serving within the industry for years to come.

As you reflect more deeply you see:

• So much I can’t really explain in the path from today to tomorrow. I don’t feel the control I once did.
• We are really busy, while not addressing the real, sustainable value issues confronting our industry.
• I intellectually know deep work is needed for my own preparation for the next phase, my accountable teams development, and moving the value proposition high level concept. I don’t actually practise deep work.
• I am worried I cannot keep up with the evolving scene. 
• You sense even your best people can question their passion for taking on industry leadership roles.
• You have always valued strong team spirit and camaraderie and are finding that harder to achieve in current industry environment.
• You care, and there is a weight to supporting others in all aspects of your life.
• You feel the leadership team’s challenges with attention spans and the explosion of information that has become typical of this era.
• With the pace of change in expectations, you are seeing people’s skills and technology capabilities are struggling to “keep up”. You have already seen significant staff and technology churn and know there is a lot more to come.

“There are many roads to prosperity, but one must be taken. Inaction leads nowhere.”

~ Robert Zoellick

Us-two can observe how the headlines of leading organisations through disruption are all about the Make or Break moments. Disruptive ’Kodak Moments’ catch the attention of the popular narrative. It is not the lived reality of value delivery through industry transformation. The big shifts typically happen through decades and require riding multiple waves.

 Some commentators say leadership in disruptive eras is like a marathon, the more useful metaphors in practice are Ironman triathlon or long-distance treks- you do need the enduring energy, AND additional layers of preparation, transition capabilities, and different operating disciplines along the way. Importantly, you also need perspective and support to lead through the inevitable “challenging patches” in a life that includes Ironman triathlon or long-distance treks.

With this many dimensions and layers to integrate, the Bold Executive’s role in Business Transformation leadership is a lot more about elevating and integrating than it is about the functional specialisation that originally got them to the Executive table.

Additional to the Self work, to practice effective Business Transformation leadership, the Bold Executive needs to pay attention to their inner circle, ensuring they facilitate the Bright, the Bold, and the Board working together in alignment with the Business Transformation.

Creating the space for a galaxy of Stars requires Bold self and team leadership.

?

Over the last 15+ years speaking with CEO’s and Chief Transformation Officers (specific titles have shifted over time and industries) I have made a practice of asking of their direct reports who is fully aligned to this next phase? Without any prescriptive frameworks or analysis, they consider and typically reply 1-2 out of 6.

This is an important contemplation for the Bold Executive. What is that about?

The Bold Executives, in the phrase made famous by Jim Collins, ‘Confront the Brutal Facts’.

They go deeper on their Change-fitness for this next phase.

What is your reflection?

Bernie

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Further Reading:

Seven Transformations of Leadership (hbr.org)

The Making of a Corporate Athlete

Nearly 80% of CEO participants said they needed to transform themselves, as well as their organizations, and be more adaptive and self-aware.

The CEO’s Role Is Changing. What It Takes To Get To The Top Job Now.

Most people get to the Executive level because they are good at their jobs and care deeply about their careers. What happens from there?

Why Executives Fail – and How to Prevent It.

“We need to acknowledge which are the hard skills,” agreed Amanda and Peter.

Your leadership team was designed for the last wave. Can you look deeper on what it takes to reset for the next wave?

Top 5 surprises as a CEO leading their first successful business transformation

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Are you a Bright Spark, bright with a spark for today and the future, seeking reconnection with what matters and the capability to lead with intention without being limited by your past, even if the world around you is constantly disrupting?

Are you a Bold Executive Leader seeking shifts in yourself and your organisation’s outcomes without compromising relationships, self-care, and meaning in work, even if the conundrums are mounting and deep down you doubt this is possible across your team?

Are you a Board Director seeking to maintain or achieve industry leadership through periods of disruption, without disrupting shareholder confidence or Executive commitment, even if others in your industry say it is not possible?

Where do you need to elevate and integrate?

Bernie is known for building capability and confidence in leaders who need to transform organisations that are continually reshaping to survive and thrive.

His career began in whole of enterprise and cross-organisation shifts, followed by 10 years in Business Transformation Diagnostics, Training, and Mentoring across Australia and SE Asia. He currently works with leaders who are focused on accelerated development and re-imagination of industry value systems. He loves working with the Bright, the Bold and the Board to successfully transition to the next phase, creating a positive ripple effect.

In 2020 Bernie authored Traction: Building Change-fit Leadership Teams.

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Contact Bernie via LinkedIn or Email or Phone: + 61 421 915 608

Or check out his website at BernieKelly.com

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