Change is changing – The challenges of a VUCA world
The world is getting more dynamic and complex so leaders must learn how to surmount new challenges
Leadership challenges in the VUCA world – Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity
If one look at the 20th century one will see a huge amount of change. The rise and fall of manufacturing, the birth of the digital economy, there was no shortage of change. Change was evolutionary and it didn’t take huge insight to see what was coming over the horizon.
Today things are different. Change is much more volatile.
Change can no longer be controlled
Most company’s change management approach attempts to control change. They attempt to manage risk, resist change or control the direction of the change.
This stood them in good stead for a long while. Before the web they could shape markets, define style and taste and tell consumers what to like. They had the budgets and reach to speak to consumers in a way nobody else could.
The web has changed all of that. Everybody has a voice and that means change cannot be controlled and it cannot be resisted. Change can no longer be managed, resisted or controlled, but it can be ridden.
The challenges of a VUCA world – Corporate transformation under pressure
Riding the wave of change
When it comes to the rapid and often unpredictable nature of change in the digital realm, a new approach to change management is required.
Sustaining success depends on an organization’s ability to adapt to a changing environment. Instead of trying to “manage“ change leaders need to start riding it.
| VUCA | Leadership in a VUCA world |
|---|---|
| Volatility = V | V = Vision |
| Uncertainty = U | U = Understanding |
| Complexity = C | C = Clarity |
| Ambiguity = A | A = Agility |
Modern change leadership needs to be constantly on the outlook for change and ready to adapt quickly when it comes. It needs to be willing to take risks, accept that mistakes will be made and be quick to recover when they do.
Modern change leadership needs to embrace the chaos and iterate its way through it, experimenting as it goes.
The need for a certain type of leader
Companies need change leaders! People comfortable with the new and happy operating in an environment of uncertainty and chaos.
Leading in a VUCA world
They have to become mavericks in their organization unsettling the status quo. They need to challenge the way things have always been done because they are confident these processes no longer apply in the new reality.
They know that the world has changed and what was once safe ground, no longer is.
Leading in an increasingly VUCA world
These days, change management skill is critical for leaders to have. In the workplace, no one is spared from constant change. In order to stay competitive in business, organizations must always evolve! However, nothing about managing change is easy for leaders because organizations don’t change, people do.
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Change is changing – Riding the wave of change — https://www.torbenrick.eu/t/r/rdj
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About The Author
Torben Rick
Experienced senior executive, both at a strategic and operational level, with strong track record in developing, driving and managing business improvement, development and change management. International experience from management positions in Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and United Kingdom