Needed Skills For "Interesting Times"

The familiar expression, “May you live in interesting times”, has multiple meanings. For some it might sound like a blessing, but ironically for others it might sound like a curse. That curse implies that life is better in “uninteresting times”, where predictability brings a sense of peacefulness uninterrupted by disorganizing chaos.

In any case we are now unarguably in the midst of a turbulent environment that has destroyed any sense of peacefulness. Over the past year many factors have found their disarming way into our personal and professional lives, dramatically changing the landscape, perhaps forever in one form or another. We are now experiencing a powerful intersection of elements that can both advance our possibilities (e.g., the information age, advances in technologies, life-altering innovations, etc.) and on the other hand challenge the very nature of our existence and life-style itself (e.g., the current global pandemic, changing norms of societal interaction, and re-definitions of the future of work).

Like most environments, there is an opportunity for both winners and losers.  

Winning will result from being committed to taking responsive action,…by following a sequence that carefully sizes up precisely where you are now, where you instead definitively want to go, assesses your options and possibilities regarding how to get there, and finally convinces others to join you on that journey. I outlined these steps in a previous post ("Finding Your Way Out Of The Swamp").

On the other hand, there is also an opportunity for losing, which can quickly turn into a stark reality by simply deciding not to act,…instead “waiting for things to get better”, hoping then that you can simply continue as before. That is a loser’s bet, for “before” is now over, and “next” is looming right around the corner. If you are not prepared, you will be left behind.

Winners in this new environment will be arming themselves with five new knowledge sets that will define the new leadership experience. In paraphrasing the internationally renowned futurist, Thornton May, in his book, “The New Know”, those collective knowledge sets can be described as follows:

 (1)   Self-Knowledge -- Having an exacting and quantifiable appreciation of where you and your organization currently stand. 

(2)   Knowledge of Others -- Having a comparative awareness or empathy of where others (e.g., your team members, competitors, supporting providers, etc.) also currently stand within those same circumstances.

(3)   Environmental Knowledge -- Having a sense-making ability that allows you to recognize and digest new trends and evolving forces are now applying influencing pressures to you and your organization.

(4)   Movement Knowledge -- Having a clear and unwavering vision of where you wish to now be headed in the midst of all this.

(5)   Value Knowledge -- Having a precise understanding of where/how there is money to be made and unarguable value to be delivered within that vision, which will then reside at the core of your competitive advantage.

 Interesting times can provide a catalyst for uncovering interesting opportunities. The key to that rests in your preparation for that transformational journey and your commitment to following through. These building blocks, coupled with the right focus, culture and prepared skills will help you successfully navigate those “interesting times” ahead.