EMPLOYEE DILEMMA; INDEPENDENT, “STUBBORN” PATHFINDER OR FEARFUL, OBEDIENT HOMESTEADER (How does this dilemma affect innovation in a VUCA landscape?)
Ayah W. Abine
Productivity & Business Leadership Consultant, mMBA, CMC, CSC, CCRC, CHRP, CPMA, CPMPMaximizing Personal & Corporate Potential to increase productivity & profitability for sustainability.
"In a pretty complex business world, only very consistently innovative ventures survive and thrive. For this to be the case however, there’s a need for a different kind of employee, one who can make better independent (or se autonomous) decisions without always needing a go ahead from the “Boss”. However, there’ s the fear of letting to much go by the “Boss” as well, and this brings the challenge of either encouraging the slightly stubborn pathfinder or the homesteader who isn’t innovative." - Coach TIL
I’m pretty sure no one needs to be told today that we are in a volatile, unpredictable, complex and ambiguous landscape, not only in business, though it is our focus, but in virtually all areas of life now. This therefore demands a different kind of human being, even if the principles remain the same, since terrain has changed.
Since business is our focus, we will zoom into the employee a little in this short exchange since we all know that visions can’t be implemented by one person, it has to be a group of people, a team (i.e. employees). Putting together a dream team is actually quite crucial in the journey to bring your vision to life and leaving a worthy legacy.
As a matter of fact, whether we wish to leave a legacy or not, the terrain today is so fast-paced that the employee type plays a critical role in the results we get. Yet, there’s this tendency to conform to mediocrity in a world that needs innovation since many of the employees have not known freedom to innovate in life because of fear.
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Purchase my new courses to boost your productivity & business leadership:
1. Productivity Death Edge
2. Mind Mastery Fundamentals
3. Total Personal Branding
4. The Growth Mindset Quotient
5. Building Corporate Cultures
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As I often say, most of the systems of the world were designed to make us fearful, and this creates this need to be obedient, even when it’s obviously the wrong decision. This desire to be obedient is also encouraged by business leaders who lack the competence to manage highly productive people. In one of my previous articles (https://bit.ly/3YUSQCf), I talk about that fact that some people mystify what it takes to get results in order to look competent. Some business leaders either consciously or unconsciously do all to ensure that they create a groupthink environment in which they remain the only “competent” person. Let’s talk: https://bit.ly/3CkHA3c.
On one side of the coin, we have employees who are scared of not belonging or losing their livelihood and on the other, we have a “Boss“ who is also scared, oftentimes because he lacks the competence to deliver. This is something which is typical of people struggling with issues of low self-esteem, a vital element for healthy corporate environments. This is why my books and the authenticity that comes with the ideas and practical tips shared is a certain solution to such issues, and an entire business can use them. (Get them here: https://bit.ly/3rgs6Op).
One very vital aspect of this VUCA landscape of today is that of adaptability, which is almost inexistent with the fearful obedient homesteader who wishes to play safe. This however can be very dangerous for a business which is battling in a difficult and fast-paced landscape with plenty of competitors. There’s a need for employees who can adapt quickly to situations and make decisions which could sometimes be tricky. These ones usually can be “stubborn” which is characteristic of pathfinders, a trait that actually makes them the pathfinders that they are.
This is quite relevant, follow me…
While homesteaders have their strengths, the question we are asking today is whether we would be able to survive as a business if we have homesteaders only/ mainly. They could be obedient and make good worshippers, but would they make the kinds of persons we need in such a business landscape? These are the issues that would probably run through the mind of anyone who wishes to thrive in this current VUCA business landscape. There’s a challenge now to either be contented with average results from apathetic collaborative worshippers or otherwise.
About the other side, while the pathfinders might not be good worshippers, in fact, they sometimes even appear to be at the level of resistor in their engagement, they do have the major qualities we need in such a landscape. They can make decisions and even make better ones because they have grown into such people. They can critically and analytically look at and into situations and deduce things that would have been detrimental if ignored. The challenge now is whether to work around this relatively independent mindset or go for the safety of homesteaders.
Follow this very carefully please…
The responsibilities of the business leader are now probably glaring enough if they weren’t already, i.e the need for someone who can ensure a proper balance and reap the fruits of high performance. Sometimes, or even most times, there’ll be a need for the business leader to switch from visionary to pathfinder or from homesteader to pathfinder and vice versa as the case demands. The landscape is so volatile that there’s this very huge need for such malleability to be an integral part of the culture of the business which is where if I have to be “bias”, the homesteader really falls short. This of course can change if we have a homesteader with a growth mindset.
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To purchase any of my books, kindly visit my store on Selar:
Purchase my new courses to boost your productivity & business leadership:
1. Productivity Death Edge??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
2. Mind Mastery Fundamentals
3. Total Personal Branding
4. The Growth Mindset Quotient
5. Building Corporate Cultures
For purchases;
Hit me up: https://bit.ly/3CkHA3c
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The bottom-line...
At the end of the day, there’s really no single big solution, what matters is to be aware and to be willing as well as ready to take the required risks in this line. The worst thing as a business leader is not to take the decisions required with full understanding that they come with consequences. My role here is to ensure that you have enough understanding and mastery in advance to handle such situations. The landscape is too fast-paced for us to even think of reacting when we should be boldly proactive instead. Let’s chat: https://bit.ly/3CkHA3c.
You’re Marvellous, You’re Amazing!
Magnanimously Yours!
Ayah W. Abine
Productivity & Business Leadership
Speaker, Author, Trainer, Coach, Consultant
Get to me: https://bit.ly/3CkHA3c
"You can create your life. - Coach TIL"
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#Potential #PURPOSE #Productivity #Sustainability #Legacy