By Jason Richmond, CEO and Chief Culture Officer at Ideal Outcomes, Inc.
“History doesn’t repeat, but it often rhymes,” is a quote famously attributed to Mark Twain. Today, I feel that we seem to have lost even the rhyme. Instead, we are buffeted constantly by the unanticipated and unexpected.
Sure, as leaders, we have all seen exponential change many times over the years. The concept of change is not new. Interestingly, it has a scientific basis with Moore’s Law: that the number of transistors on a chip doubles about every two years. Moore's Law has often been used metaphorically to describe the rapid pace of change the world has experienced in the decades following World War II. From my perspective, advances in technology have been the key driver of change.
But what’s happening now is different. Covid-19 has turned the world upside down in ways we haven’t seen before. Consider the impact in just a few months on how we interact with one another, communicate, work, travel and even play and recreate. There isn’t a person or business left untouched one way or another, and there is no road map or rule book on what to do. Even more challenging is that information — ranging from scientific data, state and local regulations, government involvement, etc. —seems to shift daily, which makes planning a significant challenge.
When running a business, you might think it's tempting to throw up your hands and not try to plan anything. After all, simply reacting takes so much effort and energy. But leaders cannot sustain their organizations with such a strategy. You must guide your teams intentionally, rally the troops to think ahead, and regenerate enthusiasm and engagement while leading the organization forward.
Risk mitigation is not enough. Leaders must help their teams adapt and respond by taking advantage of what they can to make the organization and themselves successful. Here are some practical ways to rise to this challenge:
Sure, as leaders, we have all seen exponential change many times over the years. The concept of change is not new. Interestingly, it has a scientific basis with Moore’s Law: that the number of transistors on a chip doubles about every two years. Moore's Law has often been used metaphorically to describe the rapid pace of change the world has experienced in the decades following World War II. From my perspective, advances in technology have been the key driver of change.
But what’s happening now is different. Covid-19 has turned the world upside down in ways we haven’t seen before. Consider the impact in just a few months on how we interact with one another, communicate, work, travel and even play and recreate. There isn’t a person or business left untouched one way or another, and there is no road map or rule book on what to do. Even more challenging is that information — ranging from scientific data, state and local regulations, government involvement, etc. —seems to shift daily, which makes planning a significant challenge.
When running a business, you might think it's tempting to throw up your hands and not try to plan anything. After all, simply reacting takes so much effort and energy. But leaders cannot sustain their organizations with such a strategy. You must guide your teams intentionally, rally the troops to think ahead, and regenerate enthusiasm and engagement while leading the organization forward.
Risk mitigation is not enough. Leaders must help their teams adapt and respond by taking advantage of what they can to make the organization and themselves successful. Here are some practical ways to rise to this challenge: