Lead through the next change 1% better than the last

Never let a good crisis go to waste. Winston Churchill was referring to World War II, but his words apply to leaders as well. Think back to the early days of the pandemic. Overnight, we had to learn to lead virtual teams, maintain normalcy and focus throughout a public health crisis unlike any other, and be a reservoir of support as people grappled with burnout and the erasure of boundaries between work and life.?

It was a crucible moment. Yet the experience forced many of us to become better leaders faster than had the status quo continued. A burning platform is the most potent of learning accelerants.?

More than two years later, it seems like we’re on the cusp of another seismic change: between a resurgence in travel, skyrocketing inflation, geopolitical turmoil and whispers of a potential recession. Only time will tell what the next chapter holds, and while we can’t predict the next big change, we can prepare ourselves to lead through it.?

Change leadership is an enduring yet elusive skill. When dark clouds gather on the horizon, it is only natural to lean on tactics that helped us weather previous storms.?

Yet every upheaval is unique: what worked in 2020 won’t in 2022, and what flies today may falter in 2023 or beyond. The world is different. Work is different. We are different.

Instead of relying upon what served us well in the past, we are better off developing the muscles to navigate each successive change better than the previous one.? It turns out that 69% of the world’s most admired companies value learning agility over experience . Here are three ways to prepare yourself to lead through whatever comes next.

1.) Practice the art of strategic foresight with scenario planning.? Don’t expend precious mental energy worrying about what may or may not happen. Redirect it toward game-planning a handful of potential scenarios using the concept of strategic foresight. I’ve studied this topic a lot and really like the work of Peter Scoblic. He describes how the?U.S. Coast Guard and other organizations use strategic foresight not to predict the future but to “imagine multiple futures in creative ways that heighten our ability to sense, shape and adapt to what happens in the years ahead."

As Scoblic puts it, "strategic foresight doesn't help us figure out what to think about the future. It helps us figure out how to think about it.” If you’re new to scenario planning, the HBR article linked above is a great primer.?

2.) Do the basics brilliantly. In turbulent times, we tend to focus on reducing sources of anxiety for ourselves and those we lead. While it’s important to acknowledge fears without fueling them, don’t let this distract you from the timeless leadership duties that matter most in all kinds of weather:

People always care about clear expectations, feedback and appreciation.

If your teams know they can count on you to provide clarity - on what success looks like, what to prioritize and how they’re performing - and to recognize them for a job well done, your leadership becomes a form of stability in itself.?

3.) Shift from “ I did” to “ I learned.” Think back to your organization’s most recent performance assessment process. How many people on your team listed their accomplishments and contributions instead of their key learnings and how they applied them? What percentage of your own self-assessment focused on what you achieved vs. what you learned?

We love celebrating our wins. A popular study published in Nature ? noted we experience a surge of dopamine both when we set a goal and when we’re close to achieving it . The problem? Focusing so narrowly on goal achievement that we miss opportunities for exposure to new and novel experiences that propel us into learning mode. Our ability to learn is essential when confronting “first time ever” quandaries, where we will fall short if we rely solely on previous experiences or best practices, which may be obsolete.

The solution? Shifting from a “doing” to “learning” mindset, in which we evaluate success not by activities accomplished, but by revelations revealed and applied. One way to start doing this is to simply put learning on the agenda. In 1x1s, make a habit of asking direct reports to share at least one thing they learned since your last conversation and how they will apply it - and do the same yourself.?

We know little about the road ahead, other than that it will undoubtedly give us endless opportunities to practice pivoting, adapting and learning at light speed.??